💡 Why I Wrote This#
I’ve been gathering advice from friends who currently work at Amazon, Huawei, and NVIDIA — people who’ve been through the tough recruiting process or are now helping hire interns and engineers themselves.
This short post is part of my journey to FAANG, where I’ll later share what strategies worked best for me.
🧠 What Recruiters Actually Look At#
The eye-tracking image above shows how recruiters visually scan a resume.
They don’t read it word for word — they hunt for patterns and impact.
Here’s what typically grabs their attention:
- The top third of the page (name, title, short summary).
- Numbers and impact statements.
- Bold keywords and job titles.
- The first few lines in each section — not entire paragraphs.
Recruiters don’t read resumes — they skim for signals of success.
🗣️ Real Advice from Friends Inside Big Tech#
Here’s what my friends shared from their own experience:
🇨🇳 Huawei#
“Referrals help, but preparation matters more.
- Get your resume reviewed by 2–3 people who’ve already interned or worked there.
- Do mock interviews with friends.
- Track your applications in a spreadsheet.
- Stay in touch with recruiters and follow up.
- Build a small project that fits the role.
- Customize your resume for each position.
- If you don’t know anyone, reach out on LinkedIn.”
🇺🇸 Amazon#
“Use Overleaf to format your CV properly.
Always include numbers and measurable impact.
Apply to multiple locations and similar roles — one team might skip you, another could invite you for an interview.
Behavioral interviews at Amazon are a bit different — I can share tips later.”
🇺🇸 NVIDIA#
“Apply within the first 24 hours — that’s more effective than most referrals.
Every day after that exponentially lowers your chances.Referrals only matter if:
- You truly know the person.
- They’re in a team that’s hiring.
- They’re senior or have a connection to management.
As an intern, my referral isn’t useful — but timing and relevance are.”
🧩 Bonus Tip from a Google Recruiter (11 Years Experience)#
She shared the XYZ Formula for resume bullets:
Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z].
Example:
“Improved onboarding efficiency by 30% by automating account setup.”
Start with impact and metrics, then add context.
🎯 My Key Takeaways#
- Always quantify your achievements.
- Customize your resume for every job.
- Apply early (within 24 hours of posting).
- Build genuine relationships — not random referrals.
- Keep your formatting simple and scan-friendly.
🚀 What’s Next#
Next, I’ll share the results — which of these tactics actually helped me get interviews at FAANG companies, and what I’d change next time.
Stay tuned for the next chapter of my FAANG journey.
📷 Eye-Tracking Example#
