Academic Habits Behind a High GPA at Caltech

Today, I talk with Angel — a LinkedIn engineer who landed a $100K+ offer when almost everyone else was getting rejected. We dive into the five strategies that helped her stand out: from securing return offers and mastering brutal honesty, to building a powerful network and winning the mindset game. We also break down what separates candidates who actually get offers from those who don’t, the reality behind new grad deadlines, and how to market yourself like top engineers do. If you’re a CS student, new grad, or anyone aiming for a six-figure software engineering job in today’s competitive tech market, this episode of the SWE Accelerator Podcast is a must-listen.

Computer science students, new grads, and software engineers…want to land your dream software engineering job or internship? Click here 👉  https://www.amanmanazir.com/coaching/?utm_source=transistor&utm_medium=podcasts_description&utm_campaign=LinkedInEngineer_$100K+_EveryoneRejected&video=TTJgRG8HbIY

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I’m Aman Manazir, a career coach and software engineer. I interned at companies like Amazon, Shopify, and HP in college, and the day I graduated I landed a $168,000/year* full-time software engineering job. I help you make it as a computer science student & software engineer and get your dream job offer.

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⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 How Angel Landed a $100K+ Offer at LinkedIn and the Journey That Got Her There
10:12 The Software Engineering Accelerator That’s Helping Students Land Jobs Fast
20:49 How Angel Graduated Caltech With a 4.0 GPA: Her Exact Study Strategies
27:08 Does Your Algorithms Class Actually Help in Interviews?
30:52 The Moment Angel Realized No One Really Knows Everything (And That’s Okay)
39:04 Is Software Engineering Still Worth It in 2025? The Truth About AI Taking Over
53:13 Turning Passion Into Work — And Why It Can Sometimes Backfire
1:01:52 Moving to NYC? Here’s How to Find Events and Build Real Connections
1:12:39 Angel’s Take on Making Long-Distance Relationships Work
1:18:04 The Future of Angel’s Brand and YouTube Channel