Interview Preparation

The Job Search System

The whole job search as a system - resume and ATS, LinkedIn and GitHub discoverability, referrals, projects, applying at scale, interview logistics, offers and negotiation, and the first 90 days.

Beginner70267 lessons24 free lessonsjob-searchcareerresumelinkedinreferrals

The Job Search System

Most job searches fail for reasons that have nothing to do with skill. This course treats the search as a system you can actually run - and fixes the parts that quietly lose you offers.

Thirteen modules cover how the hiring pipeline really works and how recruiters screen, building a discoverability stack, writing a resume that survives ATS and AI screening, when cover letters matter, LinkedIn and GitHub as inbound channels, referrals and networking (including as an international candidate), projects that stand out, where and how to apply, managing multiple interview processes, understanding compensation and negotiating offers, protecting your mental health through the search, and setting yourself up in the first 90 days.

Written as a dialogue with a career coach, so every recommendation comes with the reasoning and the trade-off.

Early modules are free to preview. The full course is a one-time purchase with lifetime access.

What you will learn

• Understand the hiring pipeline and how recruiters actually search and screen
• Write a resume that survives ATS parsing and AI screening - and reads well to humans
• Turn LinkedIn and GitHub into inbound channels instead of dead profiles
• Get referrals reliably, including with no existing network
• Choose and present projects that interviewers actually care about
• Run many applications and interview loops without losing track or burning out
• Read a compensation package properly and negotiate an offer with leverage
• Handle rejection, plan the first 90 days, and land well once you accept

Prerequisites

• No prerequisites - useful whether you are a student, switching roles, or job searching after a layoff

Course outline

Module 1: How Hiring Actually Works

How Hiring Actually Works - 4 topics.

• Why Most Job Searches Fail 12 min read
• The Hiring Pipeline: How Companies Actually Hire 13 min read
• How Recruiters Search and Screen 14 min read
• The ATS Reality and How AI Screens Your Resume 14 min read

Module 2: Your Discoverability Stack

Your Discoverability Stack - 3 topics.

• What Is a Discoverability Stack? 13 min read
• Mapping Your Current Stack 14 min read
• The Discoverability Stack by Career Stage 13 min read

Module 3: The Resume

The Resume - 9 topics.

• The Anatomy of a Tech Resume 12 min read
• The 6-Second Review: What Interviewers Actually See First 11 min read
• Writing Impact-Driven Bullets 10 min read
• ATS Optimization Without Losing Readability 11 min read
• The Experience Section: Telling Your Professional Story 11 min read
• Projects, Skills, Education, and Everything Else 11 min read
• Tailoring Your Resume Per Role 10 min read
• Resume by Career Stage 10 min read
• Gaps, Switches, Layoffs, and Special Cases 10 min read

Module 4: Cover Letters

Cover Letters - 2 topics.

• Cover Letters: When They Matter and When They Don't 11 min read
• Writing a Cover Letter That Gets Read 11 min read

Module 5: LinkedIn

LinkedIn - 6 topics.

• How Recruiters Actually Find You on LinkedIn 10 min read
• Headline, Photo, and Banner: The Billboard 10 min read
• The About Section: Your Professional Story 10 min read
• Experience, Featured, and Projects 10 min read
• Skills, Endorsements, and Recommendations 10 min read
• LinkedIn Content Strategy for Engineers 10 min read

Module 6: GitHub and Personal Brand

GitHub and Personal Brand - 7 topics.

• When GitHub Matters (and When It Doesn't) 10 min read Pro lesson
• The GitHub Profile: README, Pinned Repos, and Contribution Graph 10 min read Pro lesson
• Building Standout Projects 10 min read Pro lesson
• Documenting and Deploying Projects 10 min read Pro lesson
• Open Source: Why, Where, and How 10 min read Pro lesson
• Portfolio Websites and Technical Blogging 10 min read Pro lesson
• Personal Brand for Introverts 10 min read Pro lesson

Module 7: Referrals and Networking

Referrals and Networking - 7 topics.

• Why Referrals Win: The Numbers 10 min read Pro lesson
• Mapping Your Existing Network 10 min read Pro lesson
• Asking for Referrals Without Being Awkward 10 min read Pro lesson
• Cold Outreach That Gets Responses 10 min read Pro lesson
• Coffee Chats and Informational Interviews 10 min read Pro lesson
• Networking as a New Grad With No Network 10 min read Pro lesson
• Networking as an International Candidate 10 min read Pro lesson

Module 8: Projects That Stand Out

Projects That Stand Out - 5 topics.

• What Makes a Project Stand Out to Interviewers 10 min read Pro lesson
• Project Ideas by Career Stage 10 min read Pro lesson
• Writing Project Case Studies 10 min read Pro lesson
• Connecting Projects to Interview Answers 10 min read Pro lesson
• The Capstone Project Strategy 10 min read Pro lesson

Module 9: Applying: Channels and Strategy

Applying: Channels and Strategy - 8 topics.

• Where to Apply: Job Boards, Company Pages, and Hidden Channels 10 min read Pro lesson
• Targeting Companies: The 3-Tier Strategy 10 min read Pro lesson
• Cold Emailing Recruiters and Hiring Managers 10 min read Pro lesson
• Application Tracking: Treating Your Search Like a Pipeline 10 min read Pro lesson
• Managing Volume and Rejections 10 min read Pro lesson
• The Recruiter Phone Screen 10 min read Pro lesson
• Signaling Competing Interest 10 min read Pro lesson
• The Global Job Search 11 min read Pro lesson

Module 10: Managing Interview Processes

Managing Interview Processes - 4 topics.

• What Happens After You Apply: The Internal Process 10 min read Pro lesson
• The Recruiter Call: What They're Really Asking 10 min read Pro lesson
• Preparing for the Technical Screen 10 min read Pro lesson
• Managing Multiple Interview Processes Simultaneously 10 min read Pro lesson

Module 11: Offers, Compensation and Negotiation

Offers, Compensation and Negotiation - 5 topics.

• Understanding Tech Compensation: Base, Bonus, Equity, and Benefits 10 min read Pro lesson
• Salary Negotiation Fundamentals 10 min read Pro lesson
• Evaluating and Comparing Offers 10 min read Pro lesson
• When to Take a Non-Ideal Offer 10 min read Pro lesson
• Declining Offers Gracefully 10 min read Pro lesson

Module 12: Staying Sane Through the Search

Staying Sane Through the Search - 4 topics.

• The Mental Health of Job Searching 10 min read Pro lesson
• Building Resilience Without Toxic Positivity 10 min read Pro lesson
• The Rejection Debrief System 10 min read Pro lesson
• Knowing When You're Ready 10 min read Pro lesson

Module 13: The First 90 Days

The First 90 Days - 3 topics.

• The First Week: Orientation, Setup, and First Impressions 10 min read Pro lesson
• The First 30 Days: Building Context and Quick Wins 10 min read Pro lesson
• The 90-Day Plan: Setting Up for Long-Term Success 10 min read Pro lesson

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