I was contacted directly by a recruiter at Red Hat via LinkedIn in mid-August. They scheduled a phone screen for the following week. The in-person interview followed 4 days later. I was there for 3 and a half hours, where I was interviewed by various managers in succession. It was the most enjoyable interview I had ever experienced. People were friendly and relaxed, and the interview turned into more of a conversation. While knowing what you know is important, the big issue is determining if you fit in with the culture. After the interview, HR told me that I was on the short list, and that they will update me shortly. It was 3 weeks before I heard back, which was frustrating, but it paid off in the end, because they offered me the job. A side note: I've interviewed with them some time back, and while I didn't get the job, they did make sure that I was notified. If you don't hear anything, don't assume that they forgot you after the interview, but be sure to politely check in. Also, send a well-written thank you note - I can't stress how important that is.