2+ YOE | 300–400 Job Applications, 150+ Cold Emails, in 1 Month Still No Calls - Why?

Hi everyone,

Please share any suggestions or mistakes you notice so I can improve. An upvote/comment would also help me reach more people and get different perspectives.

I’m looking for some honest advice about my current job search. I’m sharing my situation anonymously and attaching my resume with company names and personal details hidden.

I’m a 2024 B.Tech CSE graduate from a Tier-3 college. I have 2+ years of experience, including around 1.8 years of full-time experience and around 7 months of internship experience.

I also have 1300+ LeetCode problems solved, with a maximum rating of 1869 (Knight, Top 5%).

I was laid off from my current job in September 2026. I have mainly worked at small startups, including on CRM/lead-management products.

My tech stack:

• Languages: C++, C, JavaScript, TypeScript, SQL
• Backend: Node.js, Express.js, MongoDB, MySQL, Redis, RabbitMQ, BullMQ, Socket.IO
• Frontend: React.js, Angular, HTML5, CSS3, Tailwind CSS
• Other: Docker, Jenkins, PM2, SSH/Linux basics
• Concepts: DSA, OOP, DBMS, Computer Networks, Operating Systems

For the last month, I’ve been actively looking for a job.

My daily efforts roughly look like:

• 30–50 job applications through LinkedIn
• Applying through Instahyre, Hirist, Cutshort, YC, company career pages, etc.
• Sending at least 10 cold emails daily to HRs, recruiters, hiring managers, founders, and CTOs. I usually find these email IDs through LinkedIn posts/profiles and other tools, and I specifically target roles where the requirements are reasonably aligned with my experience and tech stack.
• Sending around 10 connection requests daily on LinkedIn to SDEs, managers, recruiters, and HRs. After connecting, I also ask about relevant openings or referrals, but I rarely receive a response.
• Applying to jobs within a few hours of them being posted, usually within 5–24 hours.
• Most of the roles I apply for are Backend / Full Stack / Software Engineer roles where my experience and stack are reasonably relevant.

So far, I’ve probably sent around 300–400 job applications and 150+ cold applications/messages where the job description was quite closely aligned with my experience, but I’m still not getting interview calls.

Recruiters/HRs often don’t respond, ghost me, or I receive a rejection without an interview.

I understand that the market is competitive and that applying to a job doesn’t guarantee a response. But after consistently applying for a month with this volume, I’m trying to understand whether there is something fundamentally wrong with my approach.

I’d really appreciate honest feedback on:

1. Is my resume the main problem?
2. Is 2+ YOE from small startups / a Tier-3 college making it difficult to get shortlisted?
3. Am I applying to the wrong type of roles?
4. Is my tech stack too broad or not strong enough for Backend/SDE roles?
5. Is applying to 30–50 jobs per day actually useful, or should I reduce the number and focus more on targeted applications/referrals?
6. Is cold emailing HRs/founders/CTOs worth continuing?
7. What would you change if you were in my position?

I’m attaching my anonymized resume below. I’d especially appreciate feedback from people who have recently hired or switched jobs in the 2–3 YOE Software Engineer / Backend / Full Stack range.

Even if you think my resume or strategy is bad, please feel free to say so directly. I’m mainly looking for practical feedback so I can fix the problem rather than keep applying blindly.

Please share any suggestions or mistakes you notice so I can improve. An upvote/comment would also help me reach more people and get different perspectives.

Thank you.