Recently, I’ve realized that many students are not struggling because they lack skills, but because they’re stuck in a kind of “consumption trap.” It’s true that today’s job market is extremely competitive, and AI is gradually changing the way hiring works. For international students, the uncertainty around U.S. immigration policies makes things even harder.
But what concerns me more is how many people spend too much time consuming information instead of actually taking action.
Social media is flooded with content and shares: “How I landed my job at Google, Amazon, Goldman Sachs…” or tips on networking, building profiles, and so on. And maybe you clicked on this post because of the title, the picture, or because you already know me since I’ve posted quite a lot :))
But how many people actually take decisive action after reading posts like these about job searching?
I see this very clearly when working with genuinely strong students: solid foundations, good technical skills, and decent resumes. Yet many of them are exhausted and easily discouraged. They submit 100–200 applications, hear nothing back, and gradually lose motivation. Their mindset shifts from “problem-solving” to “self-doubt.”
I often hear questions like:
“I read that many people got jobs through cold emails. I’ve messaged so many people on LinkedIn but no one replies. Am I doing something wrong?”
No one can answer that question for you except you yourself.
Look at your own data.
If most of the people you’re reaching out to are executives or C-level leaders and no one responds, that’s completely normal. They’re extremely busy. Many of them aren’t even active on LinkedIn. Remember: the most active users on LinkedIn are usually job seekers, not hiring managers. If you send 100 messages and get no response, that’s a signal to adjust your target audience, not to give up. Revisit your targeting. Try A/B testing. The same applies to job applications: if you apply to 100 roles and get no response, figure out why.
Instead of trying to follow everything you read online, pause and ask yourself:
How long have I truly stuck with this approach?
Why does this method work for me—or why might it not?
Before switching strategies again, reflect on the one you’ve already tried. Are you applying consistently, or just sending applications randomly for a few days and hoping for interviews?
This way of thinking isn’t only important for job searching—it’s critical for your career later on as well. Imagine that at work, you look at the data and see Apple’s sales drop by 10% from July to August. You can’t just panic and run straight to your manager. You need to form hypotheses: maybe a new iPhone is launching in September, or maybe this is seasonality. Then you validate. You look at year-over-year data and see that over the past five years, sales typically only dropped 2–5% during this period—but this year, the decline is much larger. That suggests something else is going on. You dig deeper by channel and discover that online sales have dropped sharply, while in-store sales remain stable. Dig deeper still, and you realize there’s an issue with the online payment system.
At that point, you have a clear answer: part of the decline is due to seasonality, and part is due to an online purchasing system issue. That’s real analysis.
Job searching works the same way. You can’t just look at the outcome and panic. You need to understand your resume, understand your own strategy, reflect, and continuously adjust. Everyone’s journey is different. What works for someone else may not work for you—and that’s completely okay.
Another reality is that so-called “entry-level” roles today are no longer truly entry-level. Companies expect students to demonstrate real impact—not just coursework, but projects, internships, research, or well-thought-out self-initiated projects. They care about how you think, not just your technical skills.
So my advice is this: don’t over-consume. Spend more time reflecting and taking consistent action. I’m not saying reading, learning, or consuming content is bad. In fact, students today have huge advantages—AI, information, and access that didn’t exist before. But without intention, over-consumption can turn into noise and lead to self-doubt. I’ve also noticed that younger generations today are more emotionally driven, more easily discouraged, and more likely to give up early. That’s exactly why learning how to think, experiment, and persist is more important than ever.
Source: Ashley Hoang/Viet Professional Society. Translated into English by Ace editor team.
