How to Get More Tech Interviews

Landing more interviews doesn’t have to feel like a guessing game. With the right strategy and clear steps, you can take control of your job search and see real results. Let’s dive into actionable advice that works.

The Foundation for Success

Getting interviews is about playing the odds and making your applications stand out. Here’s how:

1. Favorable Odds: Timing is everything. Focus on industries and companies during hiring sprees. For example, tech giants often ramp up hiring for key roles in AI, cybersecurity, and DevOps. Target these windows of opportunity.

2. Maximizing Opportunities: Tailor your applications and leverage personal connections to get noticed. It’s not just about applying broadly but applying smartly.

1. Target Growing Companies

Focus on companies that are hiring aggressively. For instance, as of December 2024, Amazon Web Services has 6,326 open positions compared to Netflix, which has approximately 2,500 engineers in total. Which FAANG company are you more likely to get interviews with?

Why It Matters: Companies with large, active hiring pipelines give you more chances to get an interview.

Actionable Tip: Use LinkedIn, Indeed and other job boards to track hiring trends in your industry. Apply early and often to companies with open roles in your skill set.

2. Focus on High-Demand Roles

Some roles naturally offer better odds due to their complexity or demand. Examples include:

• Technical Roles: Positions requiring technical expertise, such as Technical Program Manager (TPM), often have better odds compared to non-technical roles like Project Manager.

• Common Engineering Roles: Fields like backend engineering typically offer more opportunities than web development or product management, and they often come with a higher technical bar.

• Less Exciting Roles: Infrastructure and DevOps roles are sometimes perceived as less glamorous (though I personally found them exciting!), making them less competitive and easier to secure.

Actionable Tip: Position yourself for high-barrier roles by highlighting transferable skills. For example, if you’re moving from project management to a technical program manager role, focus on your ability to lead complex, cross-functional teams while learning technical frameworks.

3. Position Yourself Strategically for Location

Remote work isn’t as common as it once was. In fact, it seems harder to secure a remote position now compared to before COVID-19. Companies prefer candidates who can start quickly and have their relocation plans sorted.

Actionable Tip: Update your resume and LinkedIn to reflect the target city. For example, if you’re moving to Austin, list Austin as your location to avoid unnecessary relocation hurdles.

4. Tailor Your Resume with Specificity

Generic resumes don’t land interviews. Show that you understand the job by tailoring every bullet point. Examples:

• TPM Role: "Built and managed the roadmap for a multi-year cloud migration, reducing system outages by 30%."

• Software Engineer Role: "Developed a distributed caching system to reduce latency by 40%."

• UI Developer Role: "Designed and implemented a new dashboard interface, increasing user engagement by 25%."

Actionable Tip: Study the job description and reflect those exact needs in your resume. Highlight past work that directly aligns with the role.

5. Use LinkedIn to Stay Visible

A strong LinkedIn profile gets noticed, even in tough markets. Sourcers may not always be active, but hiring managers still check profiles.

Actionable Tip: Post content about your field. For instance, write a post summarizing lessons learned from a recent project or certification. This helps you stay top-of-mind when opportunities arise.

6. Leverage Referrals Effectively

Referrals get you through the noise, but be respectful of people’s time:

• Be Specific: Instead of asking for a vague recommendation, request they forward your resume with a short note.

• Provide Context: Explain exactly why you’re a fit for the role.

Remember that people often get paid for successful engineering role referrals, so if you present yourself as a reasonable candidate, there’s a strong chance they will be willing to forward your application.

Actionable Tip: Example of a cold call outreach template: "Hi [Name], I noticed you work at [Company] as a [Specific Role, e.g., Product Manager on [Team/Project]]. I’m applying for [Role] and believe my background aligns well with the requirements. Would you mind forwarding my resume to the hiring manager? [Here’s how you are a match: 2-3 key points]."

7. Build Quick Experience in Your Current Role

You don’t need to change jobs to gain relevant experience. Here’s how:

• Software Engineers: Build a side project in a new tech stack, like a Python-based LLM app.

• TPMs: Volunteer to lead cross-team collaboration on a challenging project.

• UI Developers: Propose and execute a redesign for an internal tool to improve usability.

Actionable Tip: Document your work with measurable results. For instance, "Improved workflow efficiency by 15% through automated reporting."

Summary

Your interview odds are in your hands. By targeting the right companies, timing your applications, and customizing each one, you’ll greatly increase your chances. Multiply those odds by applying to as many relevant roles as possible.

Take these steps today, and you’ll be surprised at the results you can get.

Want More Tips?

I recently hosted a webinar diving deeper into these strategies. You can view the slides at applicationowl.com/webinar-slides/land-interviews.

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