A Life Engineered Tech Interview Expert: AI Isn’t Killing Careers, But THIS is
55 snips
Feb 2, 2026 
Stefan Mai, former senior manager at Meta and Amazon and founder of Hello Interview, helps engineers master modern hiring. He discusses how AI changes application and interview workflows, new IDE-style coding rounds, and assessing candidates beyond outputs. He also covers standing out amid AI-driven resume noise and how engineers must blend technical skill with business judgment.
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AI Changed Hiring Workflows, Not Volume
- AI hasn't reduced hiring volume dramatically; hiring fell from COVID peaks and stabilized at a new normal.
- AI mainly changed processes: companies now face overwhelming candidate inputs and shifting interview formats.
AI Interviews Blur Output And Skill
- New AI-assisted interview formats (e.g., AI coding in an IDE) change what interviewers can assess.
- Traditional signals like finishing a problem now conflate prompting skill with engineering ability.
Get Referrals By Building Real Relationships
- Build real relationships and a network instead of spray-applying everywhere to get interviews.
- References from engineers who can vouch for your work dramatically increase hiring and in-process leniency.
