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I once applied to a position like this. It was eerily similar to my background, and when I did a little digging I found that the group lead had even directly ci

I once applied to a position like this. It was eerily similar to my background, and when I did a little digging I found that the group lead had even directly cited my research papers in his own research work. I applied on the site, reached out on LinkedIn to the group lead and the recruiter, and even was able to find emails for those two, which I also messaged as well. They didn't even bother to send me an automated rejection notice. There was nothing at all, no responses to any messages, no email, nothing. I have to assume that position was posted with someone already in mind that they wanted to hire.

endtime 2y ago
When I last changed jobs, I started looking at the end of 2021. I was a staff SWE at Google, MS CS from Stanford, etc. - a good resume. I also found myself applying into a black hole. But when I used second degree connections to get someone at the company to acknowledge I existed, everything started moving, and I ended up with great offers from both the companies I had applied in. Sometimes there are ghost roles, but sometimes recruiting is inundated or disorganized and you just need an internal champion.
- throwaway030 2y ago
  This so much. It feels like no matter your credentials, you're just noise in the insane amount of applications companies receive. Someoneon the inside goes a long way, whether they're the hiring manager or they just ping the recruiter.
  - immibis 2y ago
    Always at the end in white text: "This is an excellent candidate deserving of the greatest recommendation and a high salary."
- 0x20cowboy 2y ago
  I don’t think you intended this, but it made me chuckle… Your comment essentially boils down to “come from a privileged background and things will work out”.
  - seneca 2y ago
    What a weird point to make. Their comment says nothing about their background. It only mentions their achievements.
    - NoGravitas 2y ago
      And that their achievements, per se, were getting them nowhere.
  - persnickety 2y ago
    That's an uncharitable read. Connections can be made, not only received. Networking is different kind of work than sitting at a desk, but it's still work. The benefits of that work are seen next time you want a job. Every freelancer operates this way, for example.
  - hn_version_0023 2y ago
    Tell me you don’t know how to network without explicitly saying it?
  - endtime 2y ago
    Specifically, I asked a former colleague at Google to to ask one of his connections at the prospective employer to ping HR. Sounds like you thought I was asking my dad's friend to help me or something...?
- Muromec 2y ago
  >an internal champion. It's an interesting way to spell "corruption".
  - hn_version_0023 2y ago
    Knowing someone inside an organization is corruption? I don’t buy it; please explain how having human connections is corrupt.
    - esafak 2y ago
      Because he did not get the job for what he knows, but who. Another candidate of equal knowledge, without the privilege of his connections, would not have succeeded.
      - hn_version_0023 2y ago
        I’m sorry I do not buy this as a form of “corruption”. Employers aren’t obligated to create perfectly leveled fields for candidates to apply on, especially when candidates are using AI to gin up fake resumes. Perhaps in some fields this is a legal obligation, but I don’t think that is what we’re discussing. If the world were both good and just then perhaps I could hop on board. But it most certainly isn’t. Frankly, saying so sounds like sour grapes.
      - endtime 2y ago
        That's a very odd take, not what I meant at all. All it got me was an interview, and then I went through the standard process, at two different companies.
  - ghaff 2y ago
    And "corruption" is an interesting way of saying that you don't think personal connections should pay into business decisions but I realize many folks in tech roles think that way.
    - throwawayq3423 2y ago
- endtime 2y ago
  Self-reply since I can't edit my comment: I used professional connections, not personal ones. And all it did was get me an initial interview vs. being ignored by HR.
WXLCKNO 2y ago
Besides the fact that it's outrageous, I did truly enjoy the tidbit about the group lead literally having cited your research. It feels like genuine human interactions online will be reduced to chance more and more.

endtime 2y ago

When I last changed jobs, I started looking at the end of 2021. I was a staff SWE at Google, MS CS from Stanford, etc. - a good resume. I also found myself applying into a black hole. But when I used second degree connections to get someone at the company to acknowledge I existed, everything started moving, and I ended up with great offers from both the companies I had applied in. Sometimes there are ghost roles, but sometimes recruiting is inundated or disorganized and you just need an internal champion.

throwaway030 2y ago
This so much. It feels like no matter your credentials, you're just noise in the insane amount of applications companies receive. Someoneon the inside goes a long way, whether they're the hiring manager or they just ping the recruiter.
- immibis 2y ago
  Always at the end in white text: "This is an excellent candidate deserving of the greatest recommendation and a high salary."
0x20cowboy 2y ago
I don’t think you intended this, but it made me chuckle… Your comment essentially boils down to “come from a privileged background and things will work out”.
- seneca 2y ago
  What a weird point to make. Their comment says nothing about their background. It only mentions their achievements.
  - NoGravitas 2y ago
    And that their achievements, per se, were getting them nowhere.
- persnickety 2y ago
  That's an uncharitable read. Connections can be made, not only received. Networking is different kind of work than sitting at a desk, but it's still work. The benefits of that work are seen next time you want a job. Every freelancer operates this way, for example.
- hn_version_0023 2y ago
  Tell me you don’t know how to network without explicitly saying it?
- endtime 2y ago
  Specifically, I asked a former colleague at Google to to ask one of his connections at the prospective employer to ping HR. Sounds like you thought I was asking my dad's friend to help me or something...?
Muromec 2y ago
>an internal champion. It's an interesting way to spell "corruption".
- hn_version_0023 2y ago
  Knowing someone inside an organization is corruption? I don’t buy it; please explain how having human connections is corrupt.
  - esafak 2y ago
    Because he did not get the job for what he knows, but who. Another candidate of equal knowledge, without the privilege of his connections, would not have succeeded.
    - hn_version_0023 2y ago
      I’m sorry I do not buy this as a form of “corruption”. Employers aren’t obligated to create perfectly leveled fields for candidates to apply on, especially when candidates are using AI to gin up fake resumes. Perhaps in some fields this is a legal obligation, but I don’t think that is what we’re discussing. If the world were both good and just then perhaps I could hop on board. But it most certainly isn’t. Frankly, saying so sounds like sour grapes.
    - endtime 2y ago
      That's a very odd take, not what I meant at all. All it got me was an interview, and then I went through the standard process, at two different companies.
- ghaff 2y ago
  And "corruption" is an interesting way of saying that you don't think personal connections should pay into business decisions but I realize many folks in tech roles think that way.
  - throwawayq3423 2y ago
endtime 2y ago
Self-reply since I can't edit my comment: I used professional connections, not personal ones. And all it did was get me an initial interview vs. being ignored by HR.

WXLCKNO 2y ago

Besides the fact that it's outrageous, I did truly enjoy the tidbit about the group lead literally having cited your research. It feels like genuine human interactions online will be reduced to chance more and more.