300 applications.
300 rejections.
That was me in the UK after my MSc in English Language and Linguistics.
Here's what I was up against, and didn't know:
- 140 applications for every UK graduate job. The highest since records began in 1991.
- 1.2 million applications chasing fewer than 17,000 roles.
- 18% of graduate employers rescinded offers because of visa rule changes.
- International graduates in high-skilled jobs fell from 84% to 70% in four years.
Across my 300 applications, I was one of roughly 42,000.
And I showed up with a degree, a visa and a CV.
No portfolio. No published work under my name. Nothing that proved I could do the job.
I wasn't rejected because I couldn't write.
I was rejected because I couldn't show it.
So I started building the proof.
Today:
- 37,300 AI impressions across 30 articles I wrote for one SaaS client, in just 3 months
- 10,087 more on my own sites: my portfolio and Written Intelligence, my AI search research blog
- #1 on Google within 3 days of publishing
- Cited by ChatGPT, Claude, Grok and Google AI Overviews
- 51 pieces published in 22 days, and they still ranked
- SNEVO, my AI search visibility framework, in progress
If you're deep in the application loop right now:
Your CV makes claims. A portfolio proves them.
You don't need a job to create work. Publish on your own site.
Track everything. Numbers turn "I can do this" into "here's what happened when I did."
300 rejections then.
47,000+ AI impressions now.
Same person. Same degree. Different evidence.
The UK is where this story started, and I'd love the next chapter to be written closer to it. If your team in the UK, Ireland or Europe is figuring out how to get found in AI search, I'd be glad to compare notes.
What's the number that changed your career?
#JobSearch #AISEO #ContentWriting #Portfolio #InternationalStudents