Back in your inbox with a behind-the-scenes look at what's really going on after you hit apply (part 2 coming next week).

(You probably know me from one of my freebies (resume templates, interview prep, questions to ask your interviewer), or maybe from social media. 👋🏾

Either way, I'm glad you're here.

500+ applications.

100+ cold DMs.

100+ referrals.

Here's what I've learned from being in the hiring seat (because some of it surprised even me).

This week, I’ve been reviewing resumes, scheduling interviews, and wading through tons of cold outreach messages.

Here's what you may not know:

1. The shortlist happens fast 😨

By day 3 of the posting, we already had a strong list.

That didn't mean we stopped reviewing — but we were already scheduling, screening, and backchanneling.

If a role feels right, don’t wait.

In this job market, the window is tighter than you think.

2. I didn't see every app, and it wasn't because of resume bots screening them out

I'm at a large tech company.

My open role got 500+ external applications (130 came with referrals), and 50+ internal applications.

There is no humanly way to review them all.

So here's what happened:

• My recruiter planned to send me just 5 external candidates. 🤯
• I asked her to add 10-15 more: people who were advocated for internally, sent a standout cold message, or were former colleagues.
• That became my final "bin" to review in our Applicant Tracking System (my employer uses iCIMS).

Translation: Of the 500+ applications, only 60 or so even made it to my desk — and that’s higher than usual because I pushed for more.

And yep… most of them were internal. 😢

The reality is that highly qualified people will get filtered out, not by AI, but by bandwidth and urgency.

Note: ATS can be configured to auto-reject based on specific criteria, but those decisions are made by humans.

3. Internal hiring pressure is real

Even when we post externally, there’s often a strong preference to hire internally. Why?

• It's faster,
• There's less risk of losing the headcount
• The candidate already knows the company

The external candidates that did make it on my radar were being advocated for internally.

Otherwise, I’ll be honest — a lot of great apps just blended together.

❔A subtle way to ask if the hiring team is prioritizing internal candidates: “Is the team actively looking externally, or prioritizing internal candidates?”

👀 What does this all mean for you?

I'm not sharing this to discourage you, but to help you play smarter.

Next week, in Part 2, I'll walk through what actually made external candidates stand out even if they didn't have a connection on the inside.

🔥 For now, here are your takeaways:

✅ Apply fast. Waiting even a few days can cost you.
✅ Your resume matters — but don't rely on it alone.
✅ No internal connections? No problem. Part 2 drops next week.

Talk soon!

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