I've experienced both of these things: applying to many jobs and getting many rejections, as well as applying to a few focused companies and getting multiple of

I've experienced both of these things: applying to many jobs and getting many rejections, as well as applying to a few focused companies and getting multiple offers. In my experience, without a prestigious education it's common for the first job search to involve lots of rejections. Your description of the process sounds similar to my second and third job searches, after I had some experience. The first time, I didn't have a resume that clearly showed experience in the kind of work I was trying to get, so I rarely got past screening. After about a year working at a recognizable (but not especially prestigious) company, I was able to get interviews more consistently. Second, I got a lot better at interviewing, through a relatively small amount of focused practicing. This got my interview pass rate close to 100%. Finally, my work experience allowed me to tell credible stories about things I'd accomplished and challenges I'd faced. I also learned, through experience, more of the shibboleths that engineers (often subconsciously) use to identify members of their in-group.