From 200 Applications and Almost No Responses to Marketing Coordinator
I applied to over 200 jobs after graduating. Want to know how many times I heard back?
Almost never.
No rejections. No feedback. Silence. And that constant question: “Is there something wrong with me?”
Hi, I’m Adnan Hussain. Ten months ago, I was working at a supermarket in Melbourne, convinced my effort in studying for a Master's Degree in marketing was worthless. Today, I’m a Marketing Coordinator at Social Star. It’s been a long grinding journey!
This is how everything changed.
The Reality Check Nobody Talks About
I came to Melbourne from India almost three years ago for my Master’s in Marketing at RMIT. The plan was simple: graduate, apply, land a role within six months.
It took me ten months. And not for lack of trying.
The applications went out: 100, 150, 200. Some weeks I’d apply to jobs for hours every day. But the responses? Silence. Maybe an automated rejection if I was lucky. No feedback. No closure. Just watching my confidence drain within every week that passed.
What got to me is that I had a degree. I could ace theory. But when it came to doing marketing with real clients? I had no idea if I was ready. That gap between what I learned and what my employer wanted felt impossible to cross.
Where everything started
Like any other day, I was scrolling through LinkedIn finding jobs. That was when I came across a post about CampusLife, a marketing-specific internship offering real client work and free training. My first thought? “There’s no way I’m getting this and even if I do get this there is no way I’m going to make something of it” staring at the number of applicants applying for the role. It was over 100!
But I applied anyway. Somehow got through and attended the first call. There were 20-25 students, with three more batches to come. The competition still felt intense, but… I was desperate for real experience.
The First Week: Real Work, Real Anxiety
After a few weeks of training from the CampusLife team, I got matched with one of the Gold Coast’s leading boutique builders.
The work itself was manageable. Designing newsletters, learning Social Star Hub/ Go High Level (fyp: a CRM software), and creating content. I could handle the technical stuff.
But the hardest part? Sitting in client meetings. Speaking up. Introducing myself with confidence. I’d be completely mute for 30 minutes. Anxiety spiking every time someone in the meeting asked a question. That was the real challenge. But I didn’t know this was only the beginning, greater challenges (and opportunities) were waiting for me ahead.
When Everything Got Complicated
Ten days in, my Account Manager, Sabari, went onto a 4-week holiday. Tiarna, one of the new marketing coordinators at Social Star at the time took over the account, but she was new to the process too. Suddenly, I seemed to become the most experienced person on the account.
Then the clients expanded with a new deal (two clients plus one project), and I got harsh feedback on a newsletter. Not just from the client, but from partnering businesses who were now stakeholders.
I was completely overwhelmed. Who do I listen to? How do I balance all this feedback?
The Safety Net I didn’t Know I Needed
I reached out constantly. That’s what saved me. I messaged the Social Star group all the time, and they answered every question, no matter how small.
What I only realised once I really needed it was this: at CampusLife and Social Star, you’re always supported. Every time I got stuck, I’d stop, reach out for guidance, and then put it into action. That cycle - try, stumble, ask, improve, repeat - was what carried me forward.
The Progress You Don’t See Until You Look Back
After three months in for the CampusLife Internship, I was managing two to four newsletters monthly with open rates consistently above 50%. Well above the 30-40% industry standard. I learned to run Meta ads with real budgets and real consequences.
But the biggest milestone? Last week, I ran my own client meeting without my account manager. I went from being completely silent in meetings to leading one. I’m still refining my approach and building more rapport, but the transformation from observing to leading speaks for itself. What a journey!
I kept working harder, for three months, keeping my client’s work on time, keeping the deliverables high-quality, but… part of me wanted something more. I wanted to do more work, to become better at marketing, and to be able to call myself a marketer one day. So I decided to make a move.
The Email That Changed Everything
One Friday afternoon, I decided to email Andrew, asking if there was any opportunity for a part-time role.
I hit send and told myself I’d switch off for the weekend, I didn’t want to spend two days refreshing my phone.
But Andrew replied almost instantly.
He said he had a new client on the horizon, and if the deal went through, there could be a place for me. There was just one question: how would I approach the marketing for this client?
I sent him my ideas, nervous but hopeful. He came back saying he liked them. A week later, he closed the client.
And on November 17th, I walked into Social Star for my first day as a Marketing Coordinator.
What Actually Made the Difference
I might not know exactly what Andrew saw in me. That’s a question for him. But I hope what he saw in me was my eagerness to learn and make a genuine contribution. I showed up. I was proactive. When something came up, I offered to help. When I didn’t understand, I asked. I didn’t do the bare minimum. I treated the internship like it was already my job.
The fact that Andrew saw my work firsthand over months also mattered. But it wasn’t proximity alone. It was proving through consistent action that I was ready. And it was a tinge bit of luck as well, there are tons of people out there who I believe could do a better job than me and are still looking for their first break. Both them and I are separated by a bit of luck.
Why CampusLife Made This Possible
Those months were an investment. Working without immediate pay isn’t easy when you have bills to cover. But what I gained was the opportunity to practice marketing, not just learn about it.
The weekly training taught me something new every time. LinkedIn outreach, Creative Writing Workshop from Angus, client management tips and so much more. These weren’t theories, they were skills I immediately applied. When I started at Social Star as a Marketing Coordinator, I’d already been doing the work for months.
I had a marketing degree. I thought I was job-ready. But I wasn’t. The degree gave me knowledge. CampusLife gave me experience. And experience is what gets you hired.
Without the structured training, the support system, the tools like ChatGPT Plus and Canva Pro provided for free to interns, I would’ve been lost. Andrew would’ve let me go within two weeks. But because I’d navigated real challenges with real clients, starting at Social Star felt like a continuation, not a leap into the unknown.
What I’d Tell My Past Self
If I could go back, I’d say this: Stop procrastinating on the small things.
My friend Sabari told me to send him my resume for an internship opportunity at Social Star way before I’ve come to know about CampusLife. All I had to do was to send one document. And I didn’t. If I’d done that one simple thing. I might’ve had this opportunity six months earlier.
It’s the small, consistent actions that matter. One application a day. One networking message a week. Not 100 applications followed by two weeks of nothing. Baby steps. Build the habit. That’s what moves you forward.
If you’re stuck in the job search right now, I get it. I’ve been there. You don’t need to have it all figured out. You need to start moving.
CampusLife gave me that first step. The structure, the support, the real-world experience that made me employable. It wasn’t easy, but it worked.
If you want to have a chat about the journey, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn! And if you’re ready to take that first step? CampusLife’s next intake opens in February 2026.
