In a world embroiled in geopolitical wars, inflation and social media controversies, a stable life is all one hopes for. However, what happens when your own job begins to make you feel unsatisfied? For Rathesh Prabakar, a 26-year-old living in Bengaluru, it meant quitting and finding a new job. After four years of experience in his tech job, he was getting bored with doing the same tasks while sitting in the same place. His professional journey began with joining a billing company after college in 2021. During his time there, he worked his way up to senior software engineer. “I wanted to explore different businesses and learn how other industries solved user problems, so after thinking about leaving for a few months, in October 2025, I handed in my notice,” he told Business Insider. At the same time, he was supporting his parents financially, but he told them that he would stand a better chance of finding a new job after quitting. In an environment where AI was feared for replacing roles and hiring wasn’t at full power, he used ChatGPT to search for a job. “After searching for less than a month, I landed a job as a software engineer for a product-based company, where I’m doing exciting work that I look forward to every day,” he said.
Used AI to apply for jobs
Prabakar had planned to use his 90-day notice period to search for a job, however, after resigning he got to know that he only had 15 days. For the first two days, he updated his LinkedIn profile and resume, adding more recent projects and skills. “Before starting work, I’d apply for jobs online for two hours. After work, I’d prepare for interviews from 8 p.m. to as late as midnight. I didn’t tailor my résumé for each application, but I did adjust my preparation according to the job description for that role,” he said. How did AI help? Prabakar prompted ChatGPT to consider itself an experienced resume creator who has created more than 100 resumes. “Once I landed an interview, I’d feed ChatGPT information about my skill set, experience, and the job description for the role and ask it to create a plan to prepare based on how much spare time I had.” In response he would receive interview questions, which would actually turn up in the interviews, helping him out. When he didn’t know the answer to a question, he would ask AI to answer it and prepare for the next interview. “I’m aware that you can’t believe AI all the time, but I’d question its responses, asking why it gave me those answers, and I’d manually cross-check some doubtful answers on Google,” he said.
Human connection also matters
As much help as he received from AI, Prabakar said his LinkedIn activity also helped him with his job search. “When I saw a software engineer job posting at a company where someone in my network worked, I messaged him about the role. He told me he put in a referral for me, and soon after I received an offer for an interview. Even though we didn’t know each other that well, he told me that he’d seen my posts, and my knowledge on the industry gave him the confidence to refer me,” he shared. Within a month, he had landed a role he was truly excited to work with. According to Prabakar, he learned that one needs to believe in themselves and be smart when utilising their time. “Since I was short on time, I took advantage of AI. If you use AI as your friend, you can move very fast,” he advised.
