New Approaches to the Hiring Process

“I would definitely enjoy being a student again. University is such a unique phase of life because you’re in such a diverse environment where you can pursue different interests and discover what you want to do later on,” says Saurabh Bagh. Despite his experience as an entrepreneur, he might choose a different specialization within computer science if he were starting his studies again today. He is still interested in areas such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality, but is also increasingly interested in climate and environmental technology, particularly in how AI and VR can be used to address problems in these areas. His core interest, however, would still be computer science and engineering.

He encourages students and aspiring developers to pursue even small ideas during their studies, to talk to people about them, to experiment, and to take advantage of the support available throughout the university.

After seeing people around him go through layoffs and subsequent job searches, Bagh noticed applicants often had difficulty keeping track of where and when they had applied and what had happened to each application. Based on this observation, he developed a prototype for tracking job applications. It eventually evolved into JobStacky, a platform designed to make the application process easier and more organized. “JobStacky directly addresses the problems applicants face today and makes the application process easier and more organized”, he explains. The platform helps users organize their applications, keep copies of job descriptions that may later be useful during interviews, and anonymously share experiences from interviews or within companies. It also supports the creation of resumes compatible with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Bagh has also created a community-driven approach to understanding which companies are actually hiring based on data from users’ application tracking activity. By looking at how applications progress through the hiring process, JobStacky aims to provide insights into which companies are actively moving candidates forward. In long term, Bagh hopes the platform can help make the job application process more transparent and give applicants better information when navigating it.

His day-to-day work varies considerably. Some days are spent almost entirely writing code, while on others he reaches out to users to understand their problems and incorporate their feedback into the product. “As a founder and developer, I have work across different areas. That can be very challenging, but it also makes the work exciting.” For the alumnus, founding and building something is about more than simply creating a product. He believes that the core principles and beliefs behind what you build matter. Understanding the problem, listening to the people experiencing it, and building something that provides real value are important parts of his approach. His work allows him to choose which problems and projects he wants to work on and try to turn his ideas into reality. Although his background is primarily technical, working across different products has allowed him to gain experience in many other areas and learn beyond software development.

Looking back, Bagh believes that he could have taken more opportunities to enjoy his university years by taking risks, traveling, meeting people, and having fun. “University and a career are important, but they’re not everything!”