Google Hyderabad employee recalls failing JEE twice, facing 520 rejections before landing dream job

For many students in India, competitive exams and early academic milestones often feel like the final measure of success. For Rijul Singh Malik, however, the path to Google was shaped not a perfect record, but repeated setbacks, difficult recoveries and the decision to keep going when things seemed uncertain.A Google Hyderabad employee opened up about his journey from JEE failure and 520 rejections to finally receiving a Google offer.(Also read: Who is Anu Sharma? Internet curious about Indian techie who left Google to join Palantir)Speaking with HT.com, Rijul shared how years of setbacks and persence shaped his journey to Google.Originally from Rohtak in Haryana, Rijul has lived in Delhi since childhood and now works at Google Hyderabad as a Digital Transformation Consultant. His work involves automating processes and building AI solutions using large language models for Google’s long tail of customers.Rijul completed his schooling at Delhi Public School, Vasant Kunj, pursued B.Tech in Information Technology from University School of Information, Communication and Technology under GGSIPU, and later completed his master’s in Data Science from the University of California, Irvine.‘JEE not working out was probably the best thing’Rijul’s academic journey was far from smooth. He failed JEE twice, including once after taking a drop year. Recalling that phase, he said he had prepared seriously and believed he would clear the exam, but could not even make the cut off.“I took two coachings, bought new books, had a personal home tutor, solved hundreds of books, mocks. Everything I could find and study, I did that,” he told HT.com.On the day of the exam, Rijul said he carried around 20 books in the car because he still did not feel confident. When the result came, the disappointment was intense.“The whole house was very silent and disappointed. Not in me, but the result. It was like a year went wasted,” he said.The emotional impact was heavy. Rijul said there is a “very specific kind of shame” attached to not clearing JEE in India, especially when relatives begin comparing students with others.“That was the first time my confidence shattered,” he said.However, he eventually realised that an entrance exam at 18 does not define the next 40 years of one’s career. “In hindsight, JEE not working out was probably the best thing that could have happened. It forced me to learn early that resilience matters more than credentials,” he said.Berkeley summer school changed his directionRijul described his B.Tech years at IP University as “fairly standard” academically, but said the real growth came from what he did beyond the syllabus. A major turning point was Berkeley Summer School in 2019, where he got his first serious exposure to data science.“That’s what made me want to pursue it seriously at the graduate level,” he said.(Also read: ‘His smile meant everything’: Bengaluru Google techie takes Nanaji to office campus. Viral video)Getting into UC Irvine became his goal, but even that came after repeated attempts. Rijul took the GRE four times. He scored 303 in the first attempt, 305 in the second, crossed 307 in the third, and finally scored 308 in the fourth attempt. then, he had stopped telling people he was appearing for the exam again.“I was tired of the pity, tired of the ‘maybe it’s not for you’ looks, tired of being the guy who kept trying,” he said.Rijul said his motivation came from not wanting another test to decide his story. He also found strength in a line from Rocky Balboa: “Life is not about how hard you can hit but how hard you can get hit while moving forward.”When UC Irvine’s acceptance finally came, he said the score was no longer the real victory.“The fact that I hadn’t quit was,” he said.Academic probation in the USThe MS programme at UC Irvine came with its own challenges. Rijul said he struggled in the first quarter, felt isolated as an introvert, and had to deal with the pressure of settling in a new country. His GPA dropped to 2.8, which put him on academic probation.He remembered receiving the email while he was in India for his mother’s birthday.“My heart sank. Everyone had passed, everyone was celebrating. I just sat down in my room and felt like a failure,” he said.The email warned him that he needed to improve or face further action. Rijul said the pressure was intense because he had already left his job at EY and did not have a backup plan.He also claimed he faced racism during his time in the US. “A lady used to yell at me at the bus stop that go back to your country, you don’t belong here. I actually filed a complaint at UC Irvine department for this,” he said.To recover academically, Rijul began attending doubt classes, extra sessions, watching lectures, reading blogs and asking for help, something he admitted was difficult for him.“I hate asking for help. I always want to get things done on my own,” he said. the second quarter, he brought his GPA just above the required mark, and eventually graduated with a 3.3 GPA.The last in his batch to land an internshipEven after recovering academically, Rijul faced another difficult phase. He said he was the last in his batch to land an internship.“I started two months before everyone. I was optimising my resume, taking referrals, active on LinkedIn. Why couldn’t I just get an internship?” he recalled.He said he applied to hundreds of roles, reached out for referrals and went through interview stages, but nothing worked until the very end. He finally got an internship in the last week of May, just before internships were set to begin in June.“Again, a sigh of relief that hey, I got through this too,” he said.Work culture lessons after EY and WalmartAfter EY, Rijul moved to Walmart Global Tech with high hopes, calling it one of his dream companies. However, he said the experience taught him what he did not want from a workplace.He claimed he received little support from teammates and his manager. In one instance, he said he reached out to a senior for help, only for the matter to be escalated to his manager.“My manager was like figure it out on your own, stop messaging people above your pay grade,” Rijul said.He said these experiences shaped his expectations from future workplaces: respect, helpful colleagues, autonomy and a culture without blame games.‘Khushi and my parents brought me to Google’Before landing at Google, Rijul said he faced more than 520 rejections. He added that the actual number was higher, but 520 was what he could count.During that period, his biggest support came from his girlfriend, now fiancée and soon to be wife, Khushi, and his parents.“The way Khushi used to support me, len to me every day and night cribbing why isn’t this happening for me, what am I doing wrong, and always answered, ‘I am here, don’t worry,’ that really calmed me down,” he said.He said his parents also kept reminding him that he had overcome difficult phases before and could do it again.The Google offer that made everyone cryRijul clearly remembers the moment he received the Google offer. It was around 2:30 pm, and he was walking outside his Walmart office when the recruiter called to say the offer letter was being sent.“I started counting every second. Why hasn’t she sent it yet? Did they change their mind? Then boom, I received an email that said congratulations, here is your offer letter. Welcome to Google,” he said.The first person he called was Khushi.“She started crying and I also had tears in my eyes. Then her mother also started crying. It was basically a crying disease, everyone got it that day,” he said.(Also read: Bengaluru techie lands Google job after 20+ rejections; says it’s hustle, not luck)He then called his mother and ser, who also broke down emotionally. His father, who was in a meeting, reacted more calmly at first but called back later to congratulate him.“I missed my dog. I lost her last year. She would have loved the new office,” Rijul said.‘End mein sab theek ho jaata hai’Looking back, Rijul believes resilience and timing mattered more than talent alone.“I always backed myself that ho jayega. I was resilient that no matter what happens, I am not going to give up, because I know what will happen if I give up. Let’s see what happens when I don’t,” he said.He said every setback eventually redirected him. Failing JEE took him to IP University. A difficult job experience pushed him abroad. Academic probation made him work harder. Internship struggles taught him the value of persence. A negative workplace experience pushed him towards Google.“Everything was timing. Right time, right place, right person. I now believe everything happened to me when it was supposed to,” he said.For students and young professionals dealing with rejection, self doubt or career uncertainty, Rijul’s message is simple: keep moving.“End mein sab theek ho jaata hai, and nahi hua then it is not the end, my friend,” he said.