Focus on one company
Learn all about them. Read their blog. See what they are currently working on. For example, on the Cloudflare blog, you can see how they solve their problems. How we found a bug in Go’s ARM64 compiler. Each engineer writes about their approach to solving a problem. Contact those engineers. Solve problems for them. Improve their open-source codebase. Make a pull request. Don’t use AI. Show your real skills.
Show them how much you want to work for them
Tell them, (in your own way), “You are my favorite company. It’s my dream to work for you. If you have any aspect that could use a little help, let me do it, and I promise you it’ll thrive. I’m that passionate about this.”
Be Extraordinary
Resumes are boring. What really stands out is when someone is extraordinary. Build a personal brand on a very specific niche. Be like the expert of the field. Post daily on X. Build side projects who shows what you are capable of.
Be persistent (though succinct)
Combine phone, email, and in-person. You must use all three methods, since each has its strengths.
Always be succinct. Don’t take more than two minutes of their time. But always show your passion, and how much you can help them.
Do this every week. It’s OK to be almost annoying. Polite manners don’t prove passion.