Job interviews in tech

Looking to get a job in mainstream tech? Options galore. Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook et al are always on the lookout for the best in the business. But, does everyone get the job? No, not really. Why? Well, not many actually get called for an interview (a study says you only have a 20 per cent chance of actually getting to one) and when they do, the sheer length of the hiring process takes the better of them. Not to mention all the gruelling you have to bear witness to prior to the interview call: research companies, editing resumes, penning down appealing cover letters and what not. We've all been there, and yet getting a job gets even tougher by the day.

A new GETVOIP study tries to decipher the job hiring processes of major tech companies - based on Glassdoor reviews from software engineers - and put into perspective what exactly is going on. One of the biggest draws of the study is that an easy interview process doesn't mean a positive interview experience and vice versa. In this regard, an interview at Google - although the hardest - doesn't necessarily mean candidates have had a negative experience while dealing with it. That's right, Google's the hardest to crack, ladies and gentlemen, as per the study. But, 56 per cent of people have had a positive experience while at it. Kudos, to them and house Google!

The same cannot be said about micro-blogging company Twitter. The study shows while an interview at Twitter is what they call moderate, the process involved is downright harrowing for the interviewees. As much as 42 per cent have had a negative experience while giving an interview at Twitter.

As for the interview timeline, companies like Cisco, Yahoo, and Uber had the shortest interview process -- of two weeks - tech honchos Apple and Google had the longest (four weeks). That being said, lengthier interview processes did not take a toll on the majority.

Although the report in question deals specifically with software engineers, it does give some interesting insights into how the whole thing actually works. On that note, fire up that resume, sharpen that all-important cover letter and send in your application. Remember, interviews are a part of life, and life's not fair always.