Learn about the business & find something that interests you

I looked at the business, the product, the team, and the industry, to make sure I’d be interested in the company, not just the job.

I also didn’t apply to things that I wasn’t excited about or at least interested in – for instance fintech or crypto.

Make a script that you refine

I wrote down an introduction and a few questions to ask.

Throughout the process, I iterated on the script and made it more concise. Eventually I ended up with two versions: the full intro and a the TL;DR versions.

With a bit of practice I was able to convey more and better information in less time.

Point out complementary experience

Industry experience matters but for some jobs I was interested in, I didn’t have it. But I did have complementary experience.

For instance, an insurance broker might have marketplace components as well which I’ve done previously.

Don’t take rejection personally

I was prepared to face rejection.

First, easier said than done, I knew not to take it personally.

But secondly, I got rejected for many reasons beyond just skill. For instance, requiring remote work or not being able to sponsor a visa.

And of course, it might be that someone else was just a better fit overall.

Be responsive

Just like in e-commerce where conversion rates drop off with every second of delay, the same is true for hiring.

I think being responsive positively correlates with your chances of getting the job.

But it also made sure that the part of the process I could directly control went as quickly as possible and I was never the bottleneck.

This means doing things like replying to emails as soon as you receive them, choosing the earliest possible interview slot, doing the take-homes (if any) as soon as possible, and so on.