Tips for Landing Software Jobs

I just finished reviewing 300 job applications. Here's how the top 5% stood out: Let's face it - AI has made it easier than ever to apply for jobs. But because of that, It's harder than ever to stand out. Take cover letters. Because of AI, almost all are now cleaner (fewer typos, more polish). But they're also all starting to blur together. So, we chose not to require a cover letter, and empowered applicants to be creative. The result? 95% still sent in the same generic letter. But 5% made videos, or Canva one-pagers, or cover letters written from the future. And they grabbed our attention. Today, most jobs get hundreds - sometimes thousands - of applicants. If you want to stand out, you need a few sharp tricks: 1. Ditch the formal cover letter Ex: Only write a cover letter when required. Otherwise, a video or Canva one-pager will win. 2. Offer free and unsolicited value Ex: "I reviewed your onboarding emails and found 3 small changes to boost conversion." 3. Follow every instruction exactly Ex: If they ask you to send 2 items to an email address, don't send 4 through the job posting site 4. Less is always more Ex: If asked for example work, your 3 A+ pieces will beat 10 A- pieces. 5. Share 3 tailored ideas Ex: "Here's a quick 30-60-90 plan based on your product roadmap and team structure." 6. Show a sample or mock project Ex: Make a 3-slide deck outlining how you'd approach their current top challenge. 7. Customize for the company Ex: "I've followed your CEO's podcast for months - her episode on trust stuck with me." 8. Show proof, not fluff Ex: "Here's a dashboard showing that my campaigns improved demo-to-close rate by 38%." 9. Build a personal landing page Ex: Make a Notion page titled "Why I'm a Fit for X" with video, resume, and links. 10. Start with a bold first line Ex: If you MUST write a cover letter, make it interesting: "It's 2030 - here's what hiring me led to..." 11. Reverse-engineer their goals Ex: "I saw your Q3 goals include retention - I've led two churn reduction turnarounds." 12. Cut the clichés Ex: Instead of "detail-oriented," say "I caught a $200k billing error in a vendor invoice." 13. Make your resume skimmable Ex: Bold results like "Grew revenue 48% in Q2" so they pop during a quick scan. 14. Send a thank-you video Ex: "Thanks again - I recorded this to share one more idea I didn't get to mention." Most applicants try to look qualified. The best ones show how they'll make a difference. These tricks won't guarantee you the job. But they'll get you noticed, while everyone else is blending in. Any other secrets you're willing to share? --- ♻️ Repost to help a job applicant in your network. And follow me George Stern for more career growth content.

I constantly get recruiter reachouts from big tech companies and top AI startups- even when I’m not actively job hunting or listed as “Open to Work.” That’s because over the years, I’ve consciously put in the effort to build a clear and consistent presence on LinkedIn- one that reflects what I do, what I care about, and the kind of work I want to be known for. And the best part? It’s something anyone can do- with the right strategy and a bit of consistency. If you’re tired of applying to dozens of jobs with no reply, here are 5 powerful LinkedIn upgrades that will make recruiters come to you: 1. Quietly activate “Open to Work” Even if you’re not searching, turning this on boosts your visibility in recruiter filters. → Turn it on under your profile → “Open to” → “Finding a new job” → Choose “Recruiters only” visibility → Specify target titles and locations clearly (e.g., “Machine Learning Engineer – Computer Vision, Remote”) Why it works: Recruiters rely on this filter to find passive yet qualified candidates. 2. Treat your headline like SEO + your elevator pitch Your headline is key real estate- use it to clearly communicate role, expertise, and value. Weak example: “Software Developer at XYZ Company” → Generic and not searchable. Strong example: “ML Engineer | Computer Vision for Autonomous Systems | PyTorch, TensorRT Specialist” → Role: ML Engineer → Niche: computer vision in autonomous systems → Tools: PyTorch, TensorRT This structure reflects best practices from experts who recommend combining role, specialization, technical skills, and context to stand out. 3. Upgrade your visuals to build trust → Use a crisp headshot: natural light, simple background, friendly expression → Add a banner that reinforces your brand: you working, speaking, or a tagline with tools/logos Why it works: Clean visuals increase profile views and instantly project credibility. 4. Rewrite your “About” section as a human story Skip the bullet list, tell a narrative in three parts: → Intro: “I’m an ML engineer specializing in computer vision models for autonomous systems.” → Expertise: “I build end‑to‑end pipelines using PyTorch and TensorRT, optimizing real‑time inference for edge deployment.” → Motivation: “I’m passionate about enabling safer autonomy through efficient vision AI, let’s connect if you’re building in that space.” Why it works: Authentic storytelling creates memorability and emotional resonance . 5. Be the advocate for your work Make your profile act like a portfolio, not just a resume. → Under each role, add 2–4 bullet points with measurable outcomes and tools (e.g., “Reduced inference latency by 35% using INT8 quantization in TensorRT”) → In the Featured section, highlight demos, whitepapers, GitHub repos, or tech talks Give yourself five intentional profile upgrades this week. Then sit back and watch recruiters start reaching you, even in today’s competitive market.

A job seeker came to me after 3.5 months of job searching with the following data: 180 applications submitted 12 screenings 1 referral 5 interviews 1 final round 0 offers After reviewing the data, I found that their job search was actually performing well in some areas but had key bottlenecks: - Strong application-to-screening rate Their resume and portfolio were doing well, getting them past the initial stage. - Good screening-to-interview rate Their performance in behavioral and situational questions was above average. - Weak interview-to-final round conversion  This indicated a struggle with: Technical rounds – Not demonstrating enough depth in core skills. Alignment with job descriptions – Answers weren’t tailored to the company’s needs. Surface-level responses – Not showcasing impact or real-world application of skills. The plan to improve: If I were coaching them, I’d focus on three key strategies: 𝟭) 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 Develop an interview strategy to explain technical and soft skills in-depth. Relate answers directly to the job description and company goals for higher impact. Use structured responses like the STAR method, but emphasize impact and problem-solving. 𝟮) 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 Daily practice of technical questions tailored to their target roles. Mock interviews to simulate real-world scenarios. Feedback loops to refine and improve responses. 𝟯) 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 Increase outreach to professionals in their industry. Leverage networking and informational interviews to gain more referrals. Prioritize companies where referrals hold more weight. Key Points: ✔️ Data-driven job search analysis helps pinpoint areas that need improvement. ✔️ Fixing interview bottlenecks is often the key to securing more final rounds and offers. ✔️ Referrals still matter even in markets where they aren’t as strong as in the US or Canada. ✔️ Daily practice and structured preparation make a big difference in interview performance. By focusing on these areas, They could significantly increase their final round conversions and land a job faster. Have questions about your job search or how to break into data roles? Drop them in the comments, or send me a message. Let's get you to your next role! ------------------------ ➕Follow Jaret André  for more daily data job search tips.

No referrals, chats with the hiring manager or connections with the recruiter helped me in the U.S. Conventional process worked for me more in getting callbacks from Visa, Walmart, Google & some other big techs. Here’s what I did: 1. Tailored CV to 2-3 different positions, majorly program & product manager. 2. Focused 80% of my effort into applying for TPM roles & 20% into product. My call backs reflected this pattern too. 3. Dedicated some time towards a secondary position/role once/twice a week. I ended up getting a Senior Product Manager role call back from American Express this way. 4. Took cover letters seriously, especially if it's a position I really wanted. I sent detailed cover letters to Google for 2 positions with referrals, & got shortlisted for both. 5. Used keywords stated in the JDs on my CV bullets to highlight skill (hard & soft both instead of having a separate skill section). 6. Shared the What, how, tools used & business impact created for most of the experience bullets.(Eg: Improved productivity by automating testing using xyz software/tools to reduce go-to-market time by 25%.) 7. Reached out on LinkedIn for hiring process overviews. 8. Applied to jobs within a day of the posting. I only used LinkedIn in my job search. 9. Scheduled interview calls within 2 days of callback. 10. Mirror practised for some difficult tech/leadership questions. 11. Didn't waste too much time on referrals. If I readily had one I used it, or else I let it go. I only had referrals for Google & Microsoft. 12. Applied for jobs in the early morning hours. This worked as I would often hear back in a day or two. 13. Looked up interview questions on Glassdoor etc. 14. Applied to positions wherein I met all of the basic & most of the preferred qualifications. No hacks, no mass applications. 15. Didn't waste time messaging recruiters or hunting down hiring managers. Most of them don't appreciate unsolicited messages via unofficial channels. 16.  Applied to a mix bunch, from startups, mid sized to big techs. Didn't put all my eggs in one basket. I got an offer from a startup which didn't materialize, also got call backs from big techs who weren't sponsoring. Mix it up! This is a reminder to trust the simple & conventional process of applying for jobs. Hacking the process may work but only if you have time for experimentation. I have realized that job hunting is a lot like the skin care routine, wherein if you find yourself reaching for ice baths & Guasha tools, ask yourself if you're at least doing the basics like using sunscreen & moisturizer daily. If not, the hacks/fads will just be another fancy distraction. My advice: First focus on the basics & do them well. Experiment if you have the time. P.S. If you found this helpful, please engage with the post & follow along on Shreya Mishra. #internationalstudents #gradschool #studyabroad #jobhunting

Getting a job in this market is tough, but not impossible. I spent most of last year recruiting and these are the most effective things that helped me land a new job 👇 Spend more time tailoring your resume and networking instead of applying to hundreds of jobs and hoping to hear back. Why? Mass applying to jobs is not effective. ❌ It's very time-consuming ❌ You'll have a high rate of rejections ❌ For every application you don't tailor, someone else did (lowering your chances) Here's what I do instead 👇 ⭐️ 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 "𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐀" 𝐚𝐧𝐝 "𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐁" Plan A → Roles that you want to transition in, like your first PM role, a new industry, new technology, etc. (lateral move) Plan B → "Good Fit" roles for which your skills and experience are a great match. (vertical move) Use the ratio 1:3 → For every 1 "Plan A" job you apply to, apply to 3 "Plan B" jobs. Make a list of your Plan A and your Plan B roles - I use Google Sheets to track: - Company - Role Name - Plan A or Plan B - Link to the job posting ⭐️ 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Tailor your resume, I can't state how important it is. For my Plan B (AI/ML roles), my resume has accomplishments related to the problems I solved with AI and the impact the models had on the business. For my Plan A's I grouped them by industry/technology and did a version of my resume for each one. Tip: Look at the required/basic qualifications of 3~5 job postings for each job category and write accomplishments based on those. For your LinkedIn → You can mix your Plan A and Plan But know that the more you align with one of the plans, there's a chance for higher success. → Turn on Open To Work. ⭐️ 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝 Apply on the company's website first. Next, find recruiters: → Find the company's LinkedIn page → On the people's tab, filter for "recruiter" (Tech recruiters usually hire PMs) → prioritize reaching out to recruiters with purple banners, then those who are active on LinkedIn (posted recently). You don't know who is the recruiter for your role, so you'll send a message with this structure: Intro → quick intro about yourself and what you currently do Application → let them know the role (and ID) that you applied to Your ask → let them know you are aware they might not be the recruiter for your role, so ask them if your profile can be shared with the team. Why are you a good fit? → after the ask, let them know why you are a good fit for the role. Write 3 to 5 things about your experience that are RELEVANT to the required/basic qualifications of the job you applied to ⭐️ 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 On LinkedIn's search bar type "hiring Product Manager" and in the [all filters] menu use the [Author Company] to filter companies you are interested in. Send a similar version of the message above! --- 🚀 Need help with your resume and interviews? check my comment below!

I landed jobs at Google, Affirm, and Apollo without applying to any of them. The secret? I made them come to me. I’ve also helped 10+ people land their dream roles in this brutal job market. Here’s exactly what I teach them in $400 consulting calls (for free): — Channel 1 - LinkedIn Profile Optimization One PM I worked with went from 1 recruiter ping a month → to 4 a week. Nothing changed… except their profile. Here’s the 4-part playbook he followed: 1. Run weekly experiments → headline, summary, keyword stacking 2. Do the little things → comment, connect, max out your requests 3. Add, don’t rewrite → compounding beats perfection 4. Track what moves the needle → LinkedIn literally shows you the data — Channel 2 - Architecting The Places You Work Let’s be honest: people skim your resume/profile and make snap judgments. → Worked at Meta? “Let’s talk.” → Principal PM at a 10-person startup? “Hmm… maybe.” I know it's not always fair. But it’s real. So, sometimes taking a PM role at a better-known company... Opens more long-term doors than holding a senior title at a startup no one’s heard of. And make sure you're making enough noise about it on LinkedIn So you get relevant opportunities. Here's how... — Channel 3 - How to Write Content to Drive Inbound Writing online builds credibility fast but do it wrong, and it backfires. The people who get inbound from content don’t post for likes. They post to signal how they think. Here’s what works: → Post insights, not inspiration → Tie your learnings to your company’s mission (and promote them as well) → Avoid loud self-promotion, especially if you work in big tech Use content to clarify what you're great at! So when that perfect role opens up, you’re already top of mind. — Channel 4 - How to Get on Podcasts and Speak at Conferences Everyone loves saying “speaking = credibility.” But how do you get on stage before you’re known? Here’s the play: → Start with meetups, not conferences → Pitch podcast hosts directly (Yes, even the big ones - just be personal + specific) → Offer to cover your own travel, you'll 10x your acceptance rate → Engage with speakers publicly before you DM them You don’t need 50k followers for doing this. You need 1 great pitch and 1 “yes.” Do that well, and the invites start coming to you. — This is the mini masterclass but if you want to learn how to do it all in detail with examples, go here: https://lnkd.in/e-iD9VUA

These 4 things helped my clients land offers from Apple and Meta over the last several months 👇🏻 1. Build a Target List 🎯 They created a list of 10 companies that aligned with their background and goals. They checked these job boards every morning to be one of the first applicants when a new role went live. Once a week, they'd also scan job sites like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Welcome To The Jungle - not necessarily to find jobs, but to discover new companies worth considering 💯 2. Seek advocacy versus plain referrals Referrals are helpful, but they don’t hold the same weight they used to. The real key to them landing interviews at those companies was: -Finding a role they were a genuinely strong fit for AND -Getting someone at the company to advocate for them to the hiring manager, sending their resume directly to them along with a note stating why they're a good fit 📝 3. Create a Presentation After Speaking to the Recruiter 📊 Two of them put together a robust presentation outlining how they'd approach the role. Why is this so powerful? Because the main reason candidates don’t get hired is perceived risk. The hiring team is either not sure you can do the job, or they’re more confident someone else can. A well-thought-out presentation eliminates 90% of that risk and massively increases the odds of getting the offer 💰 4. Spend 10x More Time Prepping for Interviews Than Applying to Jobs Offers come from your performance during the interview. Most people do the opposite, spending most of their time applying to jobs... Because that dopamine hit when you're in the despair of your job search is f*cking CLUTCH. That said, my clients got much better results once they flipped this ratio on its head 🙃 Do these 4 things and you should be able to accelerate your results in your search too ⚡️ YOU GOT THIS ❤️💪🏻

🚨 The Danger of Mass Applying 🚨 If you’re applying to 100 jobs a day and hearing nothing back… STOP. I get it. The job search is frustrating, and it feels productive to crank out as many applications as possible. But here’s the harsh truth: Mass applying is one of the fastest ways to keep yourself stuck. And by mass applying, I mean: ❌ Hitting that Easy Apply button like you’re playing slots at a casino 🎰 ❌ Applying to roles where you meet less than 70-75% of the requirements ❌ Using lazy-apply bots to blast thousands of applications ❌ Applying to any and every role just to get something Here’s why this backfires: Recruiters can tell when you’re applying randomly. Your resume doesn’t align, your applications look haphazard, and instead of standing out, you’re getting ignored. And guess what? If you're in a company's ATS, your application history stays there forever, and one glance at your profile in the ATS and you'll leave a lasting impression that isn't positive. So, what should you do instead? ✅ Apply Strategically (Instead of Mass Applying) 1️⃣ Target Your Applications – Focus on quality over quantity. Apply only to roles where you meet at least 70-75% of the qualifications and can show a strong fit. 2️⃣ Customize Your Resume – Instead of using one generic resume for everything, tweak your resume to match the job description without lying or keyword stuffing. 3️⃣ Network In Addition To Applying – Go beyond throwing your application into the ATS pile. Engage with the company's LinkedIn page, with people at the company—comment on their posts, send a personalized LinkedIn message, find an internal referral. Warm connections boost your chances! 4️⃣ Think Beyond Job Boards – The hidden job market isn't hidden. It's right there in front of your eyes if you only care to make the effort to seek it out. Instead of spending 100% of your time applying, spend 80% on networking and content engagement to land opportunities that never get posted (think of the Pareto Principle and apply it to job searching). 5️⃣ Be Intentional with Follow-Ups – If you apply and hear crickets, don't be afraid to follow up with a hiring manager or recruiter on LinkedIn to express interest (without being pushy). 🔹 The goal isn’t to apply to more jobs—it’s to get more responses and interviews. If you're ready to chuck the old job application spray-and-pray method in favor of a method that significantly fewer people use but which guarantees better results, send me a DM!

After I announced my new role, a lot of people asked how I landed something so fast. Instead of answering one by one, I figured it’s time to start posting what’s actually helped, especially in this tough job market. For job seekers out there, I empathize with your frustration, and I see you. Alright, enough intro, let's get into it: What if I told you that most recruiters aren’t reading every resume that crosses our desk? Shocking? Maybe not to some of you. Instead, we’re searching for them using something called Boolean logic. Think of it as a smart keyword search that uses phrases from the job description and hiring manager chats. Here's a quick example of what a really simple Boolean search actually looks like (in this case, for customer success, but apply this to any industry as needed): ("𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳" 𝘖𝘙 "𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳") 𝘈𝘕𝘋 (𝘚𝘢𝘢𝘚 𝘖𝘙 "𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮") 𝘈𝘕𝘋 (𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘖𝘙 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘖𝘙 𝘰𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨) 𝘈𝘕𝘋 ("𝘏𝘶𝘣𝘚𝘱𝘰𝘵" 𝘖𝘙 𝘊𝘙𝘔) If those keywords aren’t on your resume, we probably won’t find you. It's a sad truth, but it's worth stating. So what can you do? ⏺️ 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 (I know you've heard this before and that editing every resume is a PAIN, but it's more important than ever in this market. I recommend having a couple of different resumes for each industry you can reuse to make this an easier lift) ⏺️ 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 (ex: Grew retention from 72% to 91% by redesigning onboarding workflows.) You'd be shocked how many resumes I see that don't have this. It truly will set you apart in the market. ⏺️ 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀 (𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘆𝗺𝘀). Not every recruiter has deep industry knowledge, so make your experience easy to understand at a glance. ⏺️ 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 (You want to show ownership always. Think: Directed, Spearheaded, Launched vs. Helped) I'm here if anyone needs their resume reviewed or has questions. As someone just off the job market, I know how frustrating these searches can be over time! And it’s not about stuffing your resume; it’s about making your impact easier to discover by telling a good story with measurable facts. And transparently, I'm sharing this again because I think people need it right now. I posted it yesterday with a spicier title…and it quietly disappeared. (Shadowbanned? Maybe. Still worth sharing? Absolutely.)

I regularly privately talk to #ALX_SE alx_africa grads who are looking for jobs. Finding a job is a lot of work. The two main mistakes they make are not being organized and not applying to enough jobs. So here is a recipe for success: 1. Make sure you have a clear schedule. Apply every day for at least a few hours (meaning at least 10-25 applications per day) and train on interviews every day for at least a few hours. 2. Keep track of every job you applied to. Url, date, who / how did you apply, etc… use excel / google sheet. 3. Most of the companies will not even answer you. That’s “normal”, don’t be discouraged. For my first FT job after graduation, I had to apply to hundreds of companies before I got my job. 4. That’s not a reason not to try to talk to them. Ping them regularly if they don’t give you an answer. Find other ways to reach out to the decision maker. Use your linkedin to find ppl working at this company, talk to them. Keep track of that in your excel file (you can also use Mariem Ehab’s linkntrack.com extension) 5. Focus in a few job boards that match your criteria and apply to every new job post every single day. For instance if you are looking for a remote job, you can use Youssef Charif Hamidi & Abdulrhman Mohammed’s remoteotter.com. Every day you should apply to 10-25 jobs. No exception, no excuse. 6. Continue training for tech and HR interviews while applying for jobs. You can use Mounssif BOUHLAOUI & Sophie Rigault-Barbier’s https://prepforsuccess.ai for that. Train every single day. At least 2hours. No exception, no excuse. 7. If you get to an interview and didn’t get the job, make sure you ask for feedback so that you can focus your interview training on the right thing. Did you suck at HR questions (i.e. where do you see yourself in 5y?) or was it a technical problem? Focus on bridging the gap. Do this relentlessly for a few months and you will get that job. It’s not easy, but that’s the job. Now stop complaining and go get that job! GL everybody!