For many professionals, especially those moving abroad, landing a role at a global tech giant feels like the ultimate goal. However, for 29-year-old UX designer Ganesh Karthik Sankar, getting into a big company was not the end, it was just one step in a larger plan.
Based in Seattle now, Ganesh recently made a switch from Amazon to Google. As told to Business Insider, Ganesh began his job search in late 2024 while working as a senior UX designer at Qualcomm in San Diego. His motivation was that he wanted to work on “larger, more impactful projects” and also improve his compensation. Before applying, he took time to position himself carefully.
“My biggest priority was making sure my qualifications for my desired niche that is designing complex enterprise software and deeply technical developer tools, were clear to employers in every aspect of my application,” he told Business Insider.
He made sure his resume and portfolio clearly exhibited this specialisation clearly. Instead of applying everywhere, he focused only on roles that matched his niche. “When I started applying in early 2025, I targeted only roles that matched this niche, which I believe was the biggest reason I received as many interview callbacks as I did,” he told Business Insider.
The role of networking and smart outreach
Ganesh didn’t rely only on applications. He actively networked through design communities, conferences, and alumni groups, which helped him get referrals at companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta. For companies where he didn’t have referrals, he took a more direct approach.
At Apple, he applied without a referral but still got a response. “I didn’t have a referral for Apple. I cold-applied, and then a recruiter reached out via email, which led to an interview.”
At Netflix, he went a step further. “After applying for the role through LinkedIn, I emailed the hiring manager directly, which I believe helped me land an interview.” He also made it a point to ask recruiters detailed questions during the process to better understand expectations and team needs.
Joining Amazon but not stopping there
Ganesh joined Amazon in April 2025 as a product designer and moved to Seattle. He was excited about the opportunity and the scale of work. “I was genuinely excited about the role — especially the opportunity to work on projects at a much larger scale. The compensation was also a significant increase from my previous position,” he told Business Insider. However, even after joining, he continued interviewing with other top tech companies. His goal was to understand industry standards and explore better-aligned roles.
Why he chose Google
During this time, Ganesh reached advanced stages in interviews at multiple companies, including Google. Although one opportunity at Google didn’t work out initially, the company reached out again later with a different role. “In February of this year, Google reached out to me and offered me a UX designer role on another team.” This time, the role aligned more closely with his expertise and also came with better pay. “After careful consideration, I decided to accept the offer, as the role was closely aligned with my domain expertise and came with a meaningful increase in compensation,” he told Business Insider. He joined Google earlier this month.
Ganesh believes his success was not just about referrals or luck, but about clarity and focus. “I think the main reason I had success in my job search — more than the referrals, was how I positioned myself as an expert in a niche and targeted only roles aligned with it.” He also stresses that outreach should be thoughtful, not random.
“I’d recommend reaching out to people who are hiring for roles well aligned with your profile, rather than mass-emailing everyone.” Ganesh’s journey challenges a common belief, that getting into a big company is the final goal. Instead, it shows that even after reaching that stage, what matters more is alignment, growth, and clarity about what you truly want.