This may seem like a silly or dated analogy, but courting companies is a lot like courting girls at a school dance. The most popular companies - like the most popular girls - are going to get many requests for dances with many different boys. There are only so many slow songs in the night to dance to, and just like selecting candidates foa a job, the popular girl has to select from her suitors to find a dance partner. The more popular a girl is, the less likely that you'll be able to dance with her. Perhaps you think you're a real stud and you're a shoo-in for a dance with the most popular girl, but really, you don't know for sure what kind of boys she likes to dance with or how she will make her selection.
The job market happens a lot like this scenario. Popular companies that have presence in the media, or a 'name brand' get the most applications and smaller companies (analogous to the lesser known, lesser popular girls) receive quite few applications. Before even considering the selection criteria, a job seeker has a far poorer chance of landing with a popular company than with a lesser known company.
To better your odds of getting a good job, apply to some lesser known firms. Your odds of being offered an interview are likely far better. The job at the lesser known firm may very well be just as valuable to you as the one with the popular firm. Not everyone can work at Apple or Google or with Donald Trump. There are great experiences to be had at smaller or lesser known firms, and they're often far more receptive to attention from applicants.
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