The tech hiring landscape has been a little shaky as of late, but I would still expect you (or anyone else) to get interviews. If you are not getting interview

The tech hiring landscape has been a little shaky as of late, but I would still expect you (or anyone else) to get interviews. If you are not getting interviews at all then perhaps your resume is not quite right. Many tech employers use screening services that pre-filter resumes. It might be the case that you are just not showcasing the terms that your potential employers are looking for. If you are a new grad, I would see if your university has a resume service that might offer suggestions. With respect to "unfair deference" I can't really directly speak to that but I can tell you what one larger employer uses a strategy. In an attempt to increase diversity at their place of work, they have shifted from "hire the best candidate" to "hire the least represented candidate from among all qualified candidates". Since they set the bar as to what constitutes a qualified candidate they can still ensure they get good talent but after that they seek diversity. This is not my employer, just a company I consulted with. I'll leave it to the individual to determine if they agree with this policy or not. I don't really have an opinion, other than that it seems a valid strategy to try to realize their goal of increased diversity.