# ATS + Shortlisting (Resume, targeting, referrals)

Your goal at this stage is simple: get into the interview loop.

Hiring teams are trying to answer two questions quickly:

1. _Is this person plausibly qualified for this level and role?_
2. _Do we have evidence they can deliver impact in our environment?_

## What actually works

### 1) Targeting beats volume

If you spray 200 applications, you will get filtered like spam.

- Pick 1–2 roles (e.g., Backend L4/L5, MLE L4).
- Pick 1–2 archetypes (FAANG vs enterprise vs automotive) and tune for their signals.
- Tailor the first half-page of your resume for that lane.

### 2) Evidence beats claims

Replace “worked on X” with evidence:

- Scale: QPS, p95 latency, dataset size, model inference cost
- Reliability: SLOs, incident reduction, rollout safety
- Ownership: requirements, tradeoffs, stakeholder management
- Impact: revenue, cost savings, conversion lift, time saved

### 3) Use the recruiter’s mental model

Recruiters aren’t judging your “potential”; they’re matching you to a requisition.

- Mirror the job posting vocabulary (without keyword stuffing).
- Put the relevant tech stack and scope where it’s hard to miss.
- Make level obvious via scope: project size, ambiguity, leadership.

## Checklist (15 minutes)

- One-line headline: role + domain + level target (e.g., “Backend Engineer (L4/L5) — distributed systems + reliability”).
- Top 3 bullets: your _best_ measurable wins.
- Skills: keep it short; list only what you can discuss deeply.
- Projects: include one “end-to-end” project if you lack industry experience.
- Remove “fluff”: buzzwords without proof.

## Common rejection reasons

- No measurable outcomes (reads like responsibilities).
- Mismatch: applying for backend but bullets are mostly dashboards.
- Too broad: five roles in one resume.
- Level mismatch: staff-level words with junior-scope evidence.

## Cross-links

- Resume/LinkedIn/GitHub guidance: [08-CAREER/01-Resume-LinkedIn-GitHub.md](../08-CAREER/01-Resume-LinkedIn-GitHub.md)
- Applications + networking: [08-CAREER/02-Applications-and-Networking.md](../08-CAREER/02-Applications-and-Networking.md)
- Recruiter screen playbook: [03-INTERVIEWS/01-Recruiter-Screen-Playbook.md](../03-INTERVIEWS/01-Recruiter-Screen-Playbook.md)

## Grounding sources

- Tech Interview Handbook: interview guide + screening emphasis: https://www.techinterviewhandbook.org/software-engineering-interview-guide/
- GitLab hiring handbook (process design goals like predictability/inclusivity): https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/hiring/