How to Get Hired for Microsoft AI Roles Without Applying in 2026 using Recruiter Inbound Playbook - w/ Shrey

Shrey Shah never applied to Microsoft. Microsoft executives watched him give a talk on AI coding workflows, then reached out. Meta came knocking not long after, asking for something similar. Here's the part that stings a little: that wasn't luck. It traces back to a decision he made years earlier, when senior engineers around him said going all in on AI-assisted coding would hurt his career. He ignored them. He was building with agents before agent jobs existed, and using Cursor before most engineers could spell it. In this episode of Ready Set Do, Shrey — now Senior Software Engineer, AI at Microsoft — walks through how inbound offers actually happen in tech, and what he did to make himself findable. We get into the interview loop too. Four rounds, two technical, zero LeetCode. One problem was so big he had to keep solving it out loud while talking to his interviewer. He explains why that format tests something the standard algorithm grind never touches. Then the harder conversation starts. Shrey doesn't believe in resumes anymore. His argument: every resume is now tailored by the same AI tools, every application lands in the same ATS pile, and the traditional job application is finished. (If you're applying into silence right now, you already suspect he's right.) So what replaces it? Visibility. Posting what you learn. Forming your own point of view on what you read. Building a public track record long before you need one. He gets specific about what to build, what to post on LinkedIn as a software engineer, and how he never runs out of things to say. He also breaks down how meetup and conference speaking invitations actually arrive. Then the technical gut-check. Most engineers using AI tools can't explain the difference between a skill, a sub agent, a hook, a rule, and MCP — or when to reach for which. Shrey can, and he lays out the architecture in plain language. We close on his 2028 prediction. He doesn't think AI takes your job. He thinks roles merge, everyone carries more scope, and the new jobs created won't line up with the ones that vanish. Worth your 45 minutes if the job market has gone quiet on you. 🎧 Timestamps: 00:00 Cold Open: How He Got Hired at Microsoft Without Applying 02:10 Hired at Microsoft Without Applying — How Inbound Offers Happen 03:42 Microsoft AI Interview With No LeetCode: What They Test Instead 09:46 Forward-Compatible Software: Building Agents That Survive Model Updates 13:29 How to Get Recruiter Inbound in Tech 20:57 Are Resumes Dead? Why AI Broke Job Applications 23:44 Personal Branding for Engineers: Visibility Before You Need a Job 27:58 What to Post on LinkedIn as a Software Engineer 30:57 How to Get Invited to Speak at Tech Meetups and Conferences 34:08 Vibe Coding Mistakes Most AI Engineers Still Make 36:08 Skill vs Sub Agent vs MCP: AI Tool Architecture Explained 42:27 AI Job Loss 2028 Prediction: Roles Merging, Not Replaced Guest: Shrey Shah — Senior Software Engineer, AI at Microsoft https://www.linkedin.com/in/shreyshahh/ Host: Naman Pandey readysetdopodcast.com Subscribe on YouTube and Spotify.