In this blog post, we've compiled valuable advice from dozens of Leopard members who shared their insights in the wins channel after successfully completing their job searches and finding their ideal positions. Our aim is for this collection of advice to remind you that you're not alone, and you'll get through this!

Embrace the Journey with Confidence

Know Your Worth: "Know your worth, keep your head up, lean on the community when times get tough, and practice, practice, practice." — Allison Inouye
"I have to keep reminding myself that I’ve been on the other side of the table. It’s not about the candidate; it’s just not a good match sometimes." - Noelle Li
“Trust your gut and be an advocate for yourself.” - Kimberly Brown
“Being yourself is key and makes the interview process much more enjoyable.” - Katrina Schwark
“Take the best offer, not the first offer. Don't forget you have value and learn to be comfortable with marketing yourself!” - Natalie Hanisch

Perseverance is Key:"☝️“You only fail if you quit. After every rejection, give yourself a moment, then get back on your feet and keep trying.” " Julie Lin
“Keep learning, keep trying, when the right company comes along, it will happen.” - Krista Calderon

Confidence and Support: "Having confidence and support are the most important things during job interviews," Noelle Li 

Avoid comparing yourself to others: “Don't compare to others, compare to yourself. More things you learn, more prepared you are, more likely you'll land a good position. You are growing no matter what.” - Rachel Gao

Interview Preparation is Multifaceted

Holistic Preparation: "Communication is equally important. It is very important to share the technical knowledge and ideas with other people in an effective way." - Nayana

Continuous Learning and Feedback: "Keep giving interviews and learning from each one of them," - Akanksha L

Constantly Update your Resume: “follow the resume style guide. Before updated my resume I was getting very few responses. After I updated it I got a lot of positive feedback and a lot of interviews.” - Marly Puckett

Study and Practice: “Attend study sessions -- be in the hot seat as much as possible!” - Alexandra Dobkin
“do a lot of practice interviews so you don't get nervous” - Annie Bae

Organize your Schedule: “Create a schedule that works for you and stick to it. After some trial and error, I realized that waking up early in the morning worked best for me and time blocking on the calendar to keep me accountable and provide me with a sense of progress” - Karen Zapata

Technical and Social Expertise: “Really dig deep into what makes your technical and social expertise unique and find a place that fits those qualities and values what you offer. You will find a match.” - Kamilah Jenkins

Self-Care and Mental Health: "Just keep going! Know your worth! Do lots of self-care throughout the process to help regulate your nervous system," - Candice Haddad
“I definitely think taking care of mental health is huge during interviewing - there’s a lot of mental tool that can come up, so never feel bad about taking some extra time for self care!” - Sylvia Lujo

Don’t forget to Rest: “It's easy to feel guilty about taking full days off from studying or prepping, but your brain needs time to rest, and it will help you be more resilient in the long run.” - Raquel Silva
“Remember to take breaks from interview prepping” - Renee Huang

Tailor Your Strategy

Authenticity and Passion: "Being yourself is key!...it makes the interview process much more enjoyable." - Katrina Schwark

Customize Your Approach: "Big names: leetcode style coding, behavior qs, system design; small companies care more about how much your tech stack matches." - Rachel Gao

Practice How You Deliver Your Thought:  “I recommend practicing what you’re going to say over and over again to get the delivery more succinct.” - Mai Irie

Take Notes: “After an interview, write down all the behavioral interview questions you struggled with and brainstorm an answer for next time” - Christine Chapman

Embrace Flexibility and Openness

Be Open to Opportunities: "Definitely apply for jobs you're not 100% a fit for," -  Jade Iden

Take Care of Yourself: "Take care of yourself, prioritize your mental health," - Ashley Eddleman 
“Mainly to take care of your mental health as you persevere through your job search!” - Nichole Reyes
“I wanted to quit at least 2 times during the 3+ month search. During those times I leaned on my friends and I pursued my hobbies.” - Christine Chapman

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions: “it’s always good to ask how your future manager will help support your growth, and their style of management” - Ashley Qian

Leverage Your Community and Networks

The Power of Referrals: "Also don't underestimate the power of internal referrals... definitely ask for referrals." - Julie Lin
“Don’t be afraid to ask here, or on LinkedIn, or in any other backchannels you have access to, for an intro to someone that works for that company. If you can have a good conversation with a trusted insider, it can lead to a very strong referral, giving you a huge boost at the start of the interviewing process.” – Denise Yu

Study Buddies and Accountability: "Highly recommend finding a study buddy!...it can also be really helpful to have someone that you meet with regularly." - Veronica Powers

Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help: “Don't be afraid to ask for help or ask someone for some time to practice interviewing with, i think everyone here would be very open to help whenever they have time.” - Esraa Afifi
“Don’t feel afraid to reach out to people for help” - Christine Cheung

Join and Lean on Communities: “Surround yourself with a great community (like Leopard) if you can!“ - Renee Huang
“Lean on your Leopard network!” - Frances Jurek  and Jade Thornton