Same as my previous job search, I kept track this time around too.

A big change from last time I searched was to 1) apply to positions directly on company websites 2) work with recruiters and 3) get referrals. When it comes to the interview process, after the HR screen you go through some technical rounds. To simplify things, everything before anything technical (recuriter screen, hiring mangaer chat) is essentially excluded. Instead think of the left side as sources. I also simplified everything afterwards with the technical screen (online assessment, technical questions, system troubleshooting) and final round i.e. virtual on-site (white boarding, system design, behavioral).

This data is only for about half a year since I was busy for half the year with other seasonal work. The nature of the work wouldn’t allow me to take time off to conduct interviews. I had time to study, but being able to sit down and do my best at a coding screen wasn’t possible without my work suffering.

I’m not worried about the total positions I applied to. I use my browser’s autofill function, so applying to 5 positiona takes 5 minutes at most. And with it being so easy, desirable positions will get hundreds of applicants within the first hour. I’ve also heard that some use completely automated tools, making cold apply numbers mean even less.

The most surprising to me is when recruiters reach out directly and then ghost me. The worst case of this was after having a good first call, I reached out a few times but they ghosted me for ~2 months. They then followed up with “we have proof we sent you an email, so I’m not sure what happened, but now the position is filled so ttyl”. I guess they tried to save face by saying it was a technical issue, but an an automatic rejection email would’ve been better.

I’ve been appreciative of the referrals I’ve received. Some have been basic referral codes when applying, others have been very personal with them forwarding my resume directly to their hiring manager internally.

As a mid career professional, the main change with the interviews is that they care more about your technical stories and accomplishments. The understanding is that since you’ve been working professionally for a while technical adptitude is expected. But as you move into more senior positions, you need to show your ability to comminucate your work and elevate those around you.

I entered the tech industry before the pandemic and it was the cool place to work. Massages, free food, pool tables, along with great compensation packages. When the pandemic started, hiring increased since work from home increased companies talent pools from their local area to the entire world. Workers saw that with hiring increasing they could move companies too, while also increasing their career trajectory.

As the pandemic ended and balance sheets were checked, companies realized they overhired and started reducing headcount. As a final push, many mandated return to office policies to force more resignations. With interest rate lowering and AI tooling making work easier, some hiring has resumed. But experts say (and anectdotally) that tech hiring likely won’t return to pre-pandemic levels within our lifetime.

I’ve compiled notes, sites, and resources as I interviewed this past year and made them into a document you can download. Feel free to check it out and share it if you’d like.

There’s also been a lot of talk about and usage of AI tools to make applying and screening candidates easier. This has lead to an arms race of AI detections and prompt injection resumes. Which reminded me of this hn quote from a past post of mine.

on: The computers rejecting job applications:

The next logical step would be to train an adversarial AI against the hiring AI. You’d have the system generate your resume and application to maximize your chances. Then the hiring AI would need to be re-trained to account for this. And so on. In the far future, this feedback loop creates an economy where every job application is total gibberish. No human can possibly explain why their resume is a recipe for carne asada, an excerpt from Moby Dick, and a bunch of windings. But supposedly it’s predicted to increase final offer salary by 13.54%, so nobody questions it. Anybody who still writes out their resume by hand is considered a luddite weirdo, and definitely not someone you’d want to have join your company.