Do you think the newer companies may have a negative preconception as it relates to older big tech companies? Or that companies like Google and Facebook might operate their engineer hiring in a pipeline fashion, with adjustments only being made when a position involves big hires from similar companies? Lastly, perhaps they're bias and think that more tenured engineers like yourself possess what they might identify as bad habits that they would have to break?

I'm not agreeing with or accusing you of any of these things, I'm simply spitballing here.

Good luck.