“Are you an introvert or an extrovert?”

I never had a concrete answer. But after this week, I think I do.

I messaged 100 new people on LinkedIn this week individually, intentionally, and with context. No mass sends. No spam. Just carefully crafted messages about what I’m looking for and how you might be able to help.

Out of 100, 23 of you replied. That’s a win in my book.
Because we all know how fast-paced and full-on Dubai life is, the fact that 23 strangers took time to respond to someone's job-hunting? That’s huge.

Here’s what surprised me most:
My highest response rate? CEOs and co-founders.
Out of 8 I messaged, 6 replied.
I thought they’d be too busy, turns out, empathy scales up.

The rest? A mix. Some didn’t have openings. Some had leads that didn’t turn into interviews (yet). But still, conversations happened. People were kind. And I learned a lot.

I don’t have a job to show for it yet, but I walked away with more clarity on what works, who to reach out to, and how to build meaningful connections.

This week? I might have been an extrovert.
Or maybe just someone who’s learning how to ask and keep showing up.

Hi, I’m Niharika.
I’m currently exploring Talent Acquisition roles in Dubai, bringing 5 years of full-cycle recruitment experience from the education sector, paired with a strong project management backbone. Lately, I’ve also been curious about stepping into creative project management for marketing teams. I don’t just fill role, I build systems, align stakeholders, and make hiring feel human and efficient. Think people-first processes, powered by structure.

This Substack is my creative corner, a space to write whatever speaks to me, from career reflections and people management to the random sparks that won’t leave me alone.

Ending the week with 100 new connections, 23 conversations, and some genuine momentum.

Thanks for reading this far 💛