The Outsider Who Shipped Anyway | Devarsh RanparaThe Outsider Who Shipped Anyway<br>May 31, 2026 · 6 min · Devarsh Ranpara<br>The Ticking Clock#<br>December 13, 2023. It was the last day of my post-graduate IT project management program at Seneca. I was looking at a $30,000 CAD education loan. This included $20,000 for my first-year school fees and $10,000 for the GIC, which was mandatory in 2023. Worse than the debt, I did not have a professional tech job. I was only working part-time at Jump+, which was not going to help me secure my PR.<br>Life was very uncertain. It was hard for me mentally and physically to be in a new environment. I had a massive weight on my shoulders. If I did not secure a tech job in a few days, I would have to enroll in a second course. That second course would cost another $20,000 CAD just to let me stay and get a 3-year work permit. Adding that to my current debt would mean a total loan of $50,000 CAD. For me, that was a nightmare.<br>The Grind and The Rejections#<br>I had four years of real-world experience before coming to Canada, but finding a tech job was still incredibly tough. I faced at least 100 to 150 rejections. Around 100 of those companies never even replied to my applications. I had maybe 10 to 15 interviews in a span of 5 to 7 months.<br>The imposter syndrome hit me very hard. I was getting interviews, but no one was selecting me. It was depressing, especially in those last two months when the deadline was approaching. I needed a tech job to be eligible for PR and to avoid more debt.<br>To say I was busy is an understatement. I was studying full-time. I was working my part-time sales job at Jump+ in Vaughan. I was doing an internship as a project manager for a Seneca Hackathon. On top of all that, I was applying for jobs and attending interviews. I had to manage all this while traveling on public transport in the freezing winter, cooking my own meals, doing laundry, and handling all my chores in a country where I had just landed six months ago.<br>A desperate person will do almost anything legal to get what they want. I did exactly that. I contacted people and arranged references over LinkedIn. I would research how a company&rsquo;s product worked and add those specific details to my cover letter. I tried everything to find the direct email addresses of the hiring committee.<br>Breaking the Default Rule#<br>Most international students are told to follow a default path. The equation is 2 years of study plus a 3-year work permit equals Permanent Residency.<br>That equation was the default because it was easier to follow before 2023. But as IRCC changed their rules, I realized one has to be smart. You have to look at your unfair advantages and your limitations. My biggest limitation was my age. I was 26 when I came to Canada. If I followed the 2 plus 3 rule, I would be 28 or 29 before I could even apply for PR because I had to wait to finish studying and gain experience. I felt I was wasting my time and increasing my debt. It would take too long to stabilize my life.<br>Instead of playing that long game, my plan was to target the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). My goal was to complete 1 year of study, get 1 year of Canadian experience, go back to India, and apply for PR from there. But to do any of that, I needed a job first.<br>The Advice and The Advocate#<br>I used to ask my professors at Seneca for help with references or tips. My professor Ali Esfandian gave me advice that changed my strategy. He suggested I target small companies and drop my resume there in person. He said they will recognize the effort and prioritize you over everyone else.<br>He was right. It worked for me.<br>I had lost all my hope on December 13. I thought I had to get that second course. But two days later, on December 15, 2023, at exactly 2:00 PM, I got an offer letter. It was a role as a software engineer at Snappy Innovations. When I saw that message, I cried. I knew that even if I only got a 1-year work permit, I could go back to India after gaining Canadian experience and still get my PR.<br>During my interview process at Snappy, Dan Bravender was my interviewer. After I got selected, Dan became my friend, my mentor, and most importantly, the person who taught me how to think like an engineer. Later I found out that he actually pushed the Snappy team to hire me instead of the other options. I hope he made the right choice.<br>Victory One: The PR#<br>As I started working at Snappy, I learned that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) International Student Stream was actually an option for me. Because I had the tech job, I could apply. I used the same technique I mentioned before. I looked at my unfair advantage and my limitations, and I used them to get what I wanted.<br>In July 2025, the moment finally arrived. I received my eCOPR email. It was around 1:30 AM in the morning in India. I immediately picked up the phone and called my mother. When you achieve these kinds of things, you want your family to know right away. The time on the clock...