An eng created a fake CV with Instagram, Zillow, LinkedIn, Microsoft and Berkeley on it, all details being nonsense. Got 60% response rate.

Reddit is going wild.

Me, as a hiring manager: what is surprising about any of this. It’s exactly how recruiting works. Let me explain:
1. Big tech gets hundreds of inbound applications per listing. So-called “inbound sourcers” filter each of these.

Inbound sourcing is the least fun type of recruiting. Tons of noise. They filter based on pedigree and relevance. As soon as they see similar companies: ✅
2. The next phase is a recruiter call. This is with a more hands-on recruiter. Joke resumes like this would be typically caught at this stage.

However, recruiters are still not technical and assume your CV is truthful. So they’ll gloss through engineering jokes.
3. The first time a technical person sees your resume is after the recruitment screen, on the phone screen.

This is where they would call BS and reject you (or cancel the interview).

The takeaway is this:
4. Getting into big tech is much easier if you have a strong pedigree (past, similar tech companies worked at, or top universities). Failing this, an employee referral can have a similar impact.

Fair? No. Reality? Yes.

I made a video on this:
Here is the Reddit thread: reddit.com/r/recruitinghe…

Anyone surprised that it’s easier to get a high-paying/prestigious job when you already had one will be surprised at how the world works.

Pedigree makes differences in any professional or social setting. Always has done.
And to close this thread: is *all* tech recruiting like this?

No! Apply to small companies & startups who barely see any interest and people *do* read your resume and very often reply.

“But I want to work at a well-known company, not an unknown one.” Well, then it is like this.
I know a lot about big tech recruitment is both because I was a hiring manager at Uber, and I interviewed 20+ HMs and recruiters when writing a book about engineering resumes.

If you already work at big tech: you prob don’t need this. If you’re out of a job, it’s free:
The best reflection on how today's hiring process works, how it should work, and how you can take advantage by understanding the rules and using them to your advantage:

"I think you should treat (the resume) as collateral in an enterprise sales process."

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More from @GergelyOrosz

29 Oct
The Pragmatic Engineer Test is a 12-question "challenge" I created to get a sense of great engineering cultures.

With over 200 companies filling it out, 30% of them score a perfect 12 /12 (!!) and 68% at least 10/12.

See the test, and the list here: blog.pragmaticengineer.com/pragmatic-engi…
Gotten a reachout to remove the equity one:

"We're profitable w non-PE backing. Makes no sense to issue stock. The question is irrelevant."

"Ok. Do you give $$$ bonuses?"

"No: we need to stay profitable."

"I understand. But clearly you offer no upside vs VC-backed companies."
Working at profitable, non-VC-backed companies has many upsides. Good WLB, no focus on growing(as long as the business stays profitable).

But let's acknowledge these places don't offer a way to become an owner in an asset that could, one day, sell for $$$ blog.pragmaticengineer.com/equity-for-sof…
Read 4 tweets
28 Oct
The past months I've gotten so many DMs from engineers with experience who looked were happy at where they were, but still looked around on the job market after coming across me talking about it... and got amazing offers.

Here are a few. A few thoughts on why I'm sharing these: Image
1. It's because the market for senior engineers has never been this hot. And I don't think it ever will be. It is already cooling down: take advantage of it while it lasts.

2. I believe competition results in better comp for employees and forces higher leverage for companies.
3. There's a window of opportunity for sr engineers to get outsized compensation *as employees* through a mix of salary & equity. More on why equity is so important: blog.pragmaticengineer.com/equity-for-sof…

This window will get smaller as the supply catches up with demand.
Read 4 tweets
26 Oct
Big tech also starting to feel the pain of location-based pay.

"So I got an offer from Google. It's a 60% paycut from what I'm making right now, working remote, as a senior engineer. Never thought I'd say this to Google: but sorry, no."

- an eng in a Central EU Google location
Big tech opening offices in smaller cities is based on the assumption that their brand can pull people in for cheaper. They also buy salary data that is outdated, as are their bands.

The Google-caliber engineers living in these locations already work for US companies: remote.
A lot of this depends on the local leader for Big Tech offices.

If they hire someone who is not familiar with the market, this is what happens. Google will have to either adjust their local bands at this location by *a lot*. Or... keep hiring in London / Zurich.
Read 6 tweets
26 Oct
I have mixed feelings on bootcamps. On one end, every bootcamp drastically oversells how easy it is to get a high-paying job.

On the other, many people do make the switch thanks to bootcamps and are better off for it.

The market now is very tough especially for bootcamp grads.
It’s never been a harder time to get a job as an entry-level engineer, despite the hot market for seniors. Here is some advice on this: blog.pragmaticengineer.com/advice-for-tec…

However, even years ago, only 25% of enrolments in my wife’s bootcamp “made it” as developers with a job.
Bootcamps *will* keep selling the dream, and try to make a profit/living.

However, the sad reality is that its not easy to get a high-paying job in a few months through a shortcut. Most people will fail doing so.

Your support network matters just as much as the bootcamp.
Read 5 tweets
25 Oct
London used to be the tech hub of Europe before Brexit (VC investment, # of tech positions, big tech presence etc). I lived/worked there for 5 years and it was great.

Still a good place... but Brexit is making EU engineers explore options outside the UK like this, one at a time: Image
As someone who has seen London tech at its prime, I think one of the biggest misses of the current UK government is not doing more to "retain" the London tech hub.

Dublin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin and other EU "hubs" are slowly, but surely pulling London EU folks away.
My response to "what is your take on choosing the next city?" was this: Image
Read 6 tweets
22 Oct
FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google) came about purely with regards to total compensation. ~2014 onwards these companies paid the most TC, in a large part thanks to large stock grants & stock 📈.

There are still few places you can make so much with so little risk.
There are plenty of places where as an eng you could outperform total compensation packages of FANG: most notably recently IPO’d companies (eg Doordash, Robolox, Coinbase, Robinhood etc) or when joining companies with good timing (eg Snap).

You had to take more risks for these.
I also feel FAANG is overhyped especially for new grads who desperately want to get in and somehow this naming fuels it’s own “myth”.

Professional growth-wise there are so many comparable places - with less competition to get in, similar cultures and compensation.
Read 4 tweets

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