The Broken Job Search: Why Applying to Big Tech is a Trap

If you're applying to hundreds of jobs and hearing nothing back, it's not just you. The system is broken.

Big companies dominate job boards like LinkedIn because they pay for premium placement. A single listing at a major corporation can get over 1,000 applications. Your resume, no matter how strong, has almost no chance of being seen by a human. Most applications are auto-filtered within seconds. You're competing against thousands of people for positions that are often filled internally or through referrals before anyone looks at the application pile.

The Ghost Job Problem

Many major companies have hiring freezes but keep their job postings live. They're playing an optics game. Removing hundreds of job posts signals weakness to competitors, investors, and Wall Street. So they leave them up to maintain the illusion of growth.

Every application you send to these frozen roles goes nowhere. You're spending hours applying for jobs that managers have no budget or permission to fill. Some companies even send automated coding assessments or personality tests for these non-existent positions. You might think you're progressing to the next round, but there is no next round. The posting is active because nobody bothered to turn it off, not because anyone is actually hiring.

Where the Real Jobs Are

Companies that recently closed Series B or Series C funding rounds are actually hiring. They've raised significant capital specifically to scale their teams. These aren't companies maintaining appearances—they're using fresh funding to grow as fast as possible.

The applicant pool at these startups is much smaller than at major tech companies. They're lean enough that every job posting represents a real headcount need. They've already proven product-market fit with Series A and now they're in scaling mode. Your application actually gets reviewed by someone who needs to fill the position.

A Different Approach

Adjust the filters on your job search page for companies that announced Series B or C rounds in the last few months. Go to their websites directly, not just LinkedIn. If you know anyone connected to these companies, reach out. A referral at a 100-person startup carries more weight than at a 10,000-person corporation.

The traditional advice to "apply everywhere" wastes time. Focus on companies with clear growth mandates and actual hiring budgets.

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