[Intro]

I remember the frustration of filling out countless online job applications and hearing nothing back. It's like shouting into a void and it starts to wear you down. If you've ever felt this way, you're not alone.

Hi, my name is Khloe. I am a self-taught software engineer and machine learning practitioner, and I landed interviews with both Google and Microsoft within a week. I would like to show you how to break that silence and land your dream tech job.

[Problem]

The most common response I hear from programmers who struggle to get a job is, "I've applied to a lot of places online and had friends refer me, but I haven't heard back from any of them." The problem might be that your CV isn't getting picked up by recruiters or even reviewed. Imagine how competitive it is to get noticed in the online talent pool, where you’re competing with graduates from prestigious schools and experienced professionals with degrees. It’s hard to stand out and make a great impression on recruiters.

I was in the same boat. Let me show you how I landed interviews.

[Solutions]

The core problem we want to solve is ensuring recruiters review your resume. One powerful way to do this is by passing your resume directly to recruiters on LinkedIn.

[Win-Win Situation]

You might think, "No, I don’t want to bother people." But you’re not bothering them. The job of recruiters is to find qualified candidates for their openings. If you're a qualified candidate, directly reaching out to recruiters is actually helping them save time from sifting through hundreds of applications. It’s a win-win situation.

[Overcoming Rejection]

Afraid of getting rejected? Let me share a story.

When I was fundraising for my startup, we had a goal of talking to at least 100 investors on LinkedIn. I quickly experienced the fear of rejection as soon as we started. It was hard to show up excited day after day, presenting our startup to investors who I knew would most likely say no. But my co-founder reminded me that we didn't need every investor to say yes; we just needed one.

So, my goal became getting 99 rejections—each rejection meant I was closer to finding the one who would say yes. By reframing my expectations and finding positivity in rejections, I found it much easier to handle them. In our case, we found an interested investor by the end of the second week, after speaking to only a handful of people.

[Reaching Out on LinkedIn]

Similarly, you don't need every recruiter to say yes; you just need one or a few if you're aiming to get competing offers. Set aside 10 -15 minutes each day to reach out to 20 recruiters online and do this for a few days. Don't stress about anything else; just focus on sending those messages. I'm sure someone will respond to you. Any response from a real person, even a 'No,' which is unlikely, is better than sending your resume into the void.

Reaching out to recruiters on LinkedIn can be particularly effective for companies like Google or Microsoft, which have centralized recruiting systems. If you can convince one recruiter to bring you in for an interview and you pass it, you secure the job. Remember, these companies have thousands of recruiters, and you only need to impress one. What are the odds that you can persuade one of these thousands of recruiters to bring you in for an interview? This approach can give you better odds than trying to stand out in the general online talent pool.

[Conclusion]

This is how I landed interviews with Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and more. Give it a shot! Spend 10-15 minutes each day reaching out to 20 recruiters for a week. You don't need anything more than what you already have prepared—your CV and LinkedIn profile. Make sure both are polished and in sync.

One more thing: craft a short, direct cold outreach message explaining why you're the right fit for the company. This is extremely useful when connecting with recruiters. Here are some tips on how to craft a concise message: be brief, as there is a character limit for a connection note. Introduce yourself, explain why you're reaching out, highlight what makes you stand out, and end with a request for a brief call.

[Example Message]

Here’s an example:

Hi [Recruiter's Name],

I am a software engineer interested in working at Google. I have experience in industry-scale backend engineering and software engineering. I placed Xth in the US in Google’s Hashcode competition in 2023.
I would love to learn more about the projects Google is working on and hope to schedule a 15-minute call.
Looking forward to your response.
Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Now you're ready to start connecting with recruiters.

If you find this information useful, feel free to share the link with your friends. And don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Best of luck with your job hunting!