Tech Job Secrets: Insider Tips from a Big-Time Recruiter

Learn how to master the tech job market with insider tips from a seasoned recruiter. Get actionable advice to land your dream tech role.

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You’ve just finished a grueling interview process with your dream company. You crushed the coding challenges, nailed the system design, and even built a solid rapport with the hiring manager. Then, the email comes in: “We’re sorry, but we’ve decided to move forward with another candidate.”

Frustrating, right? You wonder: What went wrong?

Or maybe you’re on the other side, staring at a job offer and wondering, Am I leaving money on the table if I don’t negotiate?

If you’ve ever felt like the hiring process is full of unanswered questions—like why some candidates make it through, and others don’t—you’re not alone. Blake Stockman gets it. As a tech recruiter for companies like Google, Meta, and Uber, he spent 12 years helping people land roles and watching how hiring decisions are really made behind the scenes.

Now, he’s sharing what most recruiters won’t tell you:

• How to navigate tech job negotiation like a pro (without accidentally lowballing yourself).
• Why recruiters sometimes go to bat for you—and when they don’t.
• What really happens in those mysterious post-interview debriefs?

In this article, we’re breaking down Blake’s advice, as shared on The Pragmatic Engineer podcast, to help you navigate tech hiring like a pro—stand out, negotiate confidently, and make smarter career decisions.

Ready? Let’s get into it.

1. How to Negotiate a Tech Job Offer (and Why You Shouldn’t Go First)

Negotiation is one of the most nerve-wracking parts of the job search. But here’s the truth: almost every offer has wiggle room, even if the recruiter doesn’t say so upfront. According to Blake, “If any company isn’t willing to give you an offer because you didn’t state your expectations upfront, they’re probably not the right company for you anyway.”

Here’s the key takeaway: never give your salary expectations upfront. Why? Because that’s where recruiters will anchor.

Let’s break it down:

• If you say you’re looking for $100K, and the company’s range is $110K-$140K, you’ve just set a low anchor. Even if they bump you to $110K, you’ve left tens of thousands of dollars on the table.
• Instead, let the company make the first move. Respond with:
  “I’d like to see an offer that reflects the value I bring to the company.”

Blake also explained how recruiters typically handle tech job negotiation internally. If you’re the right candidate, they’ll advocate for you with the finance team to get you the best possible package. But recruiters don’t make the final call—so give them something to work with. If you have competing offers, share the details respectfully, and let the recruiter try to match or beat them.

Pro Tips for Tech Job Negotiation:

1. Do Your Research: Use sites like Levels.fyi or Blind to understand typical salary bands for your role, company, and location.
2. Take Your Time: Don’t feel pressured to accept an offer on the spot. Let the recruiter know you need a few days to evaluate.
3. Leverage Multiple Offers: If you have competing offers, frame them as leverage, but don’t come off as arrogant. A simple, “Company X offered me this, but I’m really excited about working with your team. Is there any flexibility in the package?” works wonders.

2. Are Recruiters Really on Your Side? (It’s Complicated)

Here’s the hard truth: recruiters work for the company, not for you. Their job is to fill roles, not to be your personal career coach. That said, a good recruiter will still advocate for you if they genuinely believe you’re the right fit.

Blake shared how he personally went out of his way to push borderline candidates he believed in:

“If I thought someone would be a great hire, I’d go to bat for them—even challenge hiring managers during debriefs to make sure they were getting a fair shot.”

But this kind of advocacy is rare. Most recruiters won’t put themselves on the line unless you’ve built trust with them. Here’s how to do that:

• Be authentic: “Don’t be a robot,” Blake said. Let your personality show.
• Be respectful: Recruiters juggle dozens of candidates. Make their job easier by being responsive and professional.
• Don’t overshare: While transparency is good, avoid disclosing salary expectations, internal doubts, or anything that could be used against you.

Red Flags to Watch For:

• If a recruiter pressures you to accept an offer quickly or seems vague about compensation details, that’s a sign to tread carefully.
• If they ghost you after promising follow-ups, it’s fair to send a polite nudge, but don’t chase endlessly.

3. Hiring Committees: How Decisions Really Get Made

You might think nailing all your interviews guarantees an offer, but Blake revealed how hiring decisions often come down to messy, behind-the-scenes trade-offs. At companies like Google or Meta, hiring is a committee-driven process with multiple layers of approval. At startups, it’s more streamlined but still subjective.

Here’s how it typically works:

1. The Debrief: Interviewers gather to share feedback—yes, no, or on the fence. Written notes are reviewed before live discussions to avoid groupthink.
2. The Trade-Offs: Rarely is a candidate perfect. If you didn’t ace every round, the hiring manager weighs your strengths against team needs.
3. Final Call: At startups, the hiring manager has the final say. At big tech, it might go to a higher-level committee for approval.

Blake emphasized that most offers aren’t black-and-white decisions:

“The best hires are often borderline cases where we made trade-offs. Maybe they weren’t the fastest coder, but their system design skills and culture fit were top-notch.”

What This Means for You:

• Don’t stress if one interview felt shaky. The hiring process looks at your overall potential, not just one moment.
• If you get rejected, it doesn’t always mean you weren’t good enough. Sometimes, it’s just about timing or team fit.

4. What Recruiters Look for on LinkedIn

A LinkedIn profile is your digital first impression. According to Blake, most recruiters aren’t looking for essays or fancy buzzwords—they just want the basics.

What to Include:

1. Job Titles and Dates: Make it easy to understand where you’ve worked and for how long.
2. Technologies and Skills: Highlight the tools and frameworks you’ve used, especially ones relevant to your target roles.
3. Impact: Instead of generic descriptions, focus on results. For example:
   • Bad: “Worked on backend services.”
   • Good: “Built a scalable backend system that reduced processing time by 30%.”
4. Human Touch: Add a short summary about what excites you in your work—whether it’s solving tough problems or building user-friendly apps.

Blake’s #1 tip regarding the networking aspect of tech job search: Be approachable. “If you sound like a human being instead of a résumé bot, you’re way more likely to get messages.”

5. Finding Great Startups (and Avoiding the Duds)

Blake shared his top tips for finding promising startups:

• Y Combinator’s Job Board: WorkAtAStartup.com is a treasure trove of YC-backed companies actively hiring.
• VC Portfolio Pages: Many top venture capital firms, like Sequoia or Andreessen Horowitz, list their portfolio companies. These are startups with strong financial backing.
• Networking: Referrals still dominate startup hiring. Reach out to your network, and don’t be afraid to cold-message founders directly on LinkedIn.

When evaluating a startup, focus on two things:

1. The People: “Startups are like going to war,” Blake said. “You need to trust the founders and your teammates.”
2. The Numbers: Ask about the company’s runway (how long they can survive without new funding) and how equity is structured. If they can’t answer, that’s a red flag.

6. Desperation Leads to Bad Hires—Here’s Why

Blake didn’t mince words about the risks of desperate hiring. Whether it’s pressure to hit headcount quotas or ship a product, making a hire just to fill a seat almost always backfires.

At Uber, Blake witnessed managers grappling with the dilemma of hiring borderline candidates just to avoid losing unfilled headcount. The result? Teams often ended up regretting the hire and had to fix issues later.

Advice for Candidates:
If you sense desperation in the hiring process—rushed interviews, vague role expectations—it might be a sign the team isn’t thinking long-term. Be cautious.

Final Takeaways: Navigating Tech Hiring Like a Pro 

1. Negotiate As You Mean It: Let the company make the first move, use competing offers to your advantage, and remember—there’s almost always room to negotiate.
2. Build Real Connections: Authenticity matters. The stronger your relationship with a recruiter or hiring manager, the more they’ll advocate for you.
3. Do Your Homework: Don’t just chase the name, whether it’s a big tech company or a startup. Look into the people, mission, and stability of the business.
4. Play the Long Game: Careers aren’t built in a single job. Focus on roles that align with your long-term growth and help you build the relationships you’ll need down the line.

Tech hiring is full of challenges, but it’s also full of opportunities—if you know how to navigate the process. So, go get that dream job. And hey, if a recruiter goes to bat for you, maybe take a second to thank them—they just might remember you the next time opportunity knocks.