The Challenge
Navigating a Google layoff, Oktavianus faced a competitive tech job market
After eight years at Zillow, where he grew from an individual contributor to an engineering manager, Oktavianus Ludiro joined Google in June 2022. But the tech industry's instability soon began to impact his new workplace.
In January 2023, the initial surge of Google layoffs hit.
“In January 2023, there's a big layoff at Google, right? And then from that point on, the trepidation of getting laid off starts surfacing."
Feeling the pressure of potential job loss, Oktavianus began a casual job search while still employed.
"I used the old-school method of contacting my network and then finding internal referrals to submit my resume. But it's really slow. It's like I submit my resume once a month or sometimes less than that."
Despite his proactive approach, Oktavianus's fears were realized in January 2024 when he was laid off from Google.
"I got that dreaded layoff email from Google. From then on, the job hunting got more serious because I only have like three months for garden leave before they stop paying me."
Oktavianus knew he needed to ramp up his efforts to secure a new position. He wasn't the only person looking for work in a now-saturated tech market. How many people did Google lay off? According to the tech giant itself, well over 12,000 employees found themselves in the same position as Oktavianus.
Despite this competition, he decided early on his focus would be a strategic search. As the parent of a four-year-old, Oktavianus was determined to find not just any job but the best opportunity to fit his professional ambitions and his family's needs. This approach meant being selective and thoughtful in his applications—even as the pressure to find a new role intensified.
What Oktavianus's job search looked like before Teal
Before discovering Teal, Oktavianus struggled to balance efficiency with effectiveness—particularly as a non-native English speaker. In the tech industry that relies heavily on Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), his applications also failed to make it past initial screening and into the hands of human recruiters.
Challenge #1: Time-consuming resume customization
Oktavianus knew a strategic job search required tailoring each application, but this process was incredibly time-consuming. He understood the importance of highlighting relevant skills and experiences for each role, but executing this correctly (and quickly) was demanding.
"At first, I used ChatGPT to copy and paste the job description and then my resume and then ask them to customize resumes to match the job description. But it's not always successful because I have to be really specific, and I modify a lot of things."
And while the results were somewhat helpful, the more he used ChatGPT, the less personalized the resumes became.
“The resumes were getting more generic because, again, GPT doesn't know my background, right? So it's using a lot of resumes from other people to create my resume."
Challenge #2: Difficulty with the ATS
Oktavianus found, despite his extensive experience, that his applications weren't making it past initial ATS screenings. The ATS, a digital filing system companies use to organize applications, proved to be a significant hurdle in his job search.
"I did submit manually for several weeks—for a month—and I didn't even get a reply back."
This challenge was particularly frustrating as it meant his applications weren't being found by human recruiters searching these digital filing systems for specific qualifications. Oktavianus realized his resume was likely missing key elements recruiters were searching the ATS for—causing them to overlook or reject his applications.
Challenge #3: A language barrier
Not only was Oktavianus working to tailor his resume and cover letter for every opportunity, but he also had to navigate a language barrier.
"English is not my first language, right? So I have to find the right words. And it's really hard to go back from Google searching for the dictionary and then going back and forth and then customizing my resume."
This language barrier forced Oktavianus to spend considerable time on each application. He struggled to articulate his skills and experiences to fit resume and cover letter constraints while preserving their impact.
"As a non-native English speaker, you can explain something but in a long, winding way. But to make it succinct, I still need help."
Challenge #4: Ineffective application tracking
Oktavianus originally tried to keep track of his job applications using Post-it Notes, but this system quickly became unmanageable the more jobs he applied for.
"I used Post-Its for tracking the job search initially. But it's only manageable if you submit ten job applications. But after going through that for a month, I've been submitting a lot more than ten. So Post-It didn’t work anymore."
The lack of an efficient tracking system made it difficult for Oktavianus to follow up on applications and keep track of his progress.
Despite his efforts, Oktavianus's initial job search yielded little success. His application-to-first-round interview ratio was low—around five percent. He knew he needed a better (and faster) way to showcase the right skills and manage his job search.
The Solution
Resume customization, AI cover letter generation, and optimized tracking
Oktavianus discovered Teal through LinkedIn and decided to give it a try. Initially skeptical due to his experience with ChatGPT, he was pleasantly surprised by Teal's targeted approach to resume customization
"At first, I [had] doubts about the AI because I tried ChatGPT, and it didn't work. But then, TealHQ has a specific way to customize your resume. It's not rebuilding your whole resume, but it helps you define the main point of each of your experiences."
He started heavily utilizing the AI features to customize his resume—adapting his content for each job description.
"You can just right-click on the item that you want to customize to match the job description and then it gives you three options that you can choose. And then you can select one to start the ideas, and then you can customize it."
Oktavianus found a perfect balance between AI and a personal, customized touch, allowing him to highlight his unique background.
"I applied for [an] engineering manager [role at] a rental company. I have a background at Zillow, and I want to highlight that background. I also have a background in architecture because my study is in architecture. So after Teal gives me a suggestion about my background at Zillow, I can still add that customization about my background architecture to make my point stronger."
Oktavianus also found value in Teal's Job Application Tracker and Chrome Extension. These tools replaced his inefficient system and helped him organize his job search.
"The Teal Chrome Extension helped me in collecting all of my job search. Because I can easily go to LinkedIn, find the specific job, and then click the save button, and it will go to my job search list."
With Teal, Oktavianus saved every opportunity he found interesting. Then, he’d review each in more detail and decide which applications aligned with his goals and were worth his time.
Additionally, Teal's Cover Letter Generator significantly reduced the stress and time of creating tailored cover letters.
"Previously, every time I [submitted] a job application, [I was] dreading [writing] the cover letter because it's something like you have to tell the story through the cover letter, right? But with Teal, it grabs the customized resume that you built and then creates the story for you. You can still tweak it, but then it gives you like a seed where you can just submit it or you want to tweak here and there."
By leveraging this suite of tools, Oktavianus created a more efficient, organized, and targeted job search. The AI resume customization and Cover Letter Generator helped him overcome time-consuming tailoring and language barriers, while the Job Tracker kept him focused and motivated throughout his search.
The Impact
From 5% to a 55% first-round interview rate
The impact of using Teal on Oktavianus's job search was immediate and significant. He saw a dramatic increase in his application-to-interview ratio in just one week.
"My return rate is like going from probably five percent into fifty to sixty percent. If I look back into my history, whenever I submit a resume from five resumes, most likely the next week, I will [see a] return from two or more. So the return rate is really high."
This improvement wasn't just in terms of automated responses but actual interview invitations.
"Not just like the response, ’I'm sorry, we received your application’ and all of that. But the real interview."
The speed at which Oktavianus saw results was remarkable.
"First time, just the first week, I can see the result right away. That's why I was like really confident and then started paying the pro version [Teal+] because I need this."
The improvement in Oktavianus's job search was so dramatic it even stood out among his peers who were also part of the Google layoffs.
"I'm part of that big Google layoff, right? And then, I still have contact with my peers, my colleagues that also got laid off at the same time. It's really hard for them to submit. When I told them that I can submit three to five resumes in a week, they were amazed because it's really hard for them to customize the resume to pass the ATS."
And when it came to opting for Teal or Teal+, Oktavianus chose Teal+ because, ultimately, the unlimited tools were what he found to be the most helpful.
“I did subscribe to Teal+ for three months, right? My job search spans more than three months. And then there's like one week—you have to, like, renew it manually—I forgot to renew it manually, right? When I opened the tools, and there's no AI tools, and there's no, like, the pro tools, I was like, ‘How am I gonna apply without all of these tools? I need this.’”
The Offer
Landing a new remote role with better work-life balance
Oktavianus's transformed job search strategy paid off. A few months after he started using Teal, he applied for a position that would quickly become his new job.
“I submitted on Monday, I got a call back on Wednesday."
The interview process moved fast, reflecting the strength of his Teal-optimized application.
"When I did talk to the hiring manager, they read through my resume—the one that I customized with Teal. And the conversation just started getting really fluid because it's reflecting my previous experience."
After a comprehensive interview process, Oktavianus received and accepted a job offer as an Engineering Manager at CaptivateIQ. He started his new role three weeks before the interview for this story.
Oktavianus’ new position offers several benefits outside of compensation.
"Better work-life balance definitely because it's a smaller startup, and it doesn't have that big company bureaucracy and red tape.”
In addition to a better work-life balance, Oktavianus has more control over what happens with his team and the opportunity to be fully remote—giving him more time with his family, including his four-year-old.
Most importantly, Oktavianus feels more secure and satisfied in his new role.
"I don't stress out about getting laid off every single day anymore. I'm really happy I found this company and joined."
By leveraging Teal's tools like AI and the Job Application Tracker, Oktavianus increased his interview rate from 5% to between 50 and 60% and reduced his application time by 10x. This efficiency allowed him to focus on a strategic job search and secure an engineering manager role at a startup, offering him the work-life balance he craved, the opportunity to make a significant impact, and the ability to work remotely—so he can be present while his four-year-old grows up.
The Tips
Navigating the job market with precision and resilience
Drawing from his experience overcoming language barriers and ATS challenges, Oktavianus shares targeted advice for fellow job seekers in the tech market.
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