Securing a role at an Abu Dhabi-based startup in just 48 hours might sound like luck, but a techie tweeted that it was actually the result of shifting from “applying” to “contributing.” After weeks of cold outreach and rejections on LinkedIn and X, the breakthrough didn’t come from a job portal, but it came from a single GitHub issue. The techie claimed that by forking a YC-backed open-source project and providing a clear solution, he opened a direct line to the founder, which eventually led to him landing a job.
“A lot of people have been asking how I got into an Abu Dhabi-based startup without applying — and that too within 48 hours. Here’s the full story. I posted on X on 3rd Feb that I need a job. Signed the offer letter on 19th Feb. In between? Pure chaos, rejection, and one random GitHub issue that changed everything,” Abhijitam Dubey wrote.
The techie explained that he was aggressively applying everywhere, but with no result. So he made a decision to “stop spraying applications. Start contributing.”
Dubey said by contributing to a YC-backed open-source project and submitting a detailed solution on GitHub, he caught a founder’s attention and secured an interview within hours.
Despite technical glitches and power cuts during a gruelling two-hour demo with the Abu Dhabi-based company’s tech lead in Delhi, the techie’s diverse portfolio of live projects and freelance experience landed him an offer letter the very same day.
“The offer letter arrived at 3am. I didn’t sleep again. That Friday I finally crashed and slept for 10 hours straight. Monday, I joined the company.”
He went on to list a few points, which he said made a difference in his career path, including his freelance projects and GitHub activities.
“The job didn’t come from a portal. It came from a single GitHub comment on a random Monday morning. Increase your surface area. You never know which door opens.”
Social media reacts:
An individual posted, “First congrats, buddy, and it is really inspiring. because most people stop there and leave where you decided to make the project.” Another expressed, “Inspiring post, definitely highlights the need to be creative in showcasing your skills instead of AI slop spraying job apps.”
A third commented, “Great Man, congrats on the offer. I have a question: how did you find the open source project?” Dubey responded, “Thanks, man, just search the YC-backed companies that are open source , you will eventually find the one which you like.”
A fourth wrote, “Thanks for the post. Will try to contribute to open source more now.”