Two weeks into my first semester in the U.S., I remember sitting at my desk refreshing LinkedIn like it was a slot machine. Apply. Refresh. Apply. Refresh. Zero replies.

At some point you start asking yourself the obvious question: is this just how it works here… or am I doing it wrong?

This episode is the answer I wish I had back then.

I sat down with Aryan Vaidya — a Purdue MEM (Master of Engineering Management) student who pulled off something most people spend years chasing. He went from being a Data Engineer at Shell in India to landing an AI Product Manager internship in the U.S. by his second semester. No built-in network. No shortcuts. Just a very intentional strategy.

And here’s the part that’ll probably annoy you (it annoyed me): a lot of the things people tell you to do… just don’t work the way they claim.

Career fairs? Overcrowded.
Generic applications? Ignored.
“Wait your turn”? Doesn’t apply here.

So what does work?

Aryan breaks down why cold applying still works in 2026 — if you actually do it right. Not blasting 200 resumes. Not tweaking one bullet point and hoping for the best. He treated every application like a product problem. Who is this for? What do they care about? Why should they pick you?

That shift alone changes everything.

We go deep into his PM resume framework — what he calls the “So What?” test. Every line on your resume needs to answer that question. Not what you did. Not what tools you used. But why it mattered. (If your bullet can’t survive that test, it’s dead weight.)

Then there’s the part most people avoid: reaching out directly.

Instead of waiting for recruiter replies, Aryan messaged founders. Straight up. No overthinking. No long essays. Just clear intent and relevance. That’s how he landed his AI PM internship at a startup, and it completely changed his trajectory.

We also talk about a move that sounds insane on paper — he dropped his initial coursework to double down on breaking into product. Risky? Yes. Random? Not really. It was a calculated bet on what would actually move the needle.

So zoom out for a second.

If you’re an international student in the U.S., trying to land a product management internship, or thinking about a career pivot from engineering to PM — what’s your actual strategy right now?

Because “apply more” isn’t a strategy.

This conversation is.

You’ll walk away with a clear system for:

Breaking into Product Management roles in the U.S. without a network
Building a high-converting PM resume that stands out
Using cold outreach and LinkedIn messaging to create opportunities
Positioning yourself as a strong candidate even without prior PM experience

No fluff. No recycled advice. Just what’s working right now.

If you’ve been stuck refreshing that job portal (you know exactly what I mean), this one will hit differently.

Watch the full episode and start playing the game the way it’s actually played.

Timestamps:

00:00 The Purdue MEM to PM Pipeline
04:12 Career Journey and Transition to Product Management
07:06 First Semester Experience at Purdue
09:58 Networking and Job Application Strategies
12:54 Resume Building and Interview Preparation
16:08 Navigating the Startup Environment
18:58 Insights from the AI PM Role
21:58 Final Thoughts and Advice for Future Students