I came to Australia from Nepal as an international student with nothing but big dreams and constant pressure to succeed. I juggled late-night study sessions with part-time shifts at Macca’s, often wondering if I’d ever break through. It wasn’t easy but through persistence, countless rejections, and relentless learning, I went from struggling student to becoming a founding software engineer at a startup in Melbourne. Now, I know what it really takes to land your first tech job, not just the skills, but the persistence, the mindset, and the confidence. I want to share those lessons with you, so you can get ahead in tech without making the same mistakes I did.