Source: https://www.zhihu.com/question/638539558
First, a general path.
- Education
With a standard bachelor’s, in principle you shouldn’t be auto‑screened — but lately some HRs hard‑filter by degree/school; it comes down to luck. Try anyway.
- Stepwise moves
- Small company → leading small company
- Leading small company → mid‑size company
- Mid‑size company → big tech
This is the safer route, but it’s long and you might miss windows of opportunity.
- Resume
Write it well. Have friends review; tailor for each role. Otherwise you may fail the resume screen outright. Prepare a couple of projects you can speak about in depth — they should look interesting and solid at a glance, and hold up in conversation.
- Referrals and advocates
Get people to vouch for you. Hiring folks don’t mind fishing for resumes. If a friend forwards yours, I (for example) will at least look and reply honestly about fit. If it looks good, I’ll put in a good word to get you a shot.
Be thick‑skinned and meet people online; there are always ways. Avoid “referral brokers”; you’re just a transaction to them. Friends are more likely to care and follow up. Be polite widely and offend few; someone will help.
- LeetCode + “eight‑legged essays” (fundamentals Q&A)
No way around it — some companies like them. Practice; muscle memory helps. As for rote theory grilling, it depends on the company. Some places overdo it; be prepared.
Easter egg: so he didn’t even call me “Bao‑ge”…