Ask HN: How to overcome job search exhaustion?

Tech interviewing sucks because it asks you to present linear in the interview to measure alignment but the work is anything but linear most of the time.

The phrase be so good no one can ignore you comes to mind for me, but that isn't the only or best way. There is a book by that name that might help you find things about you that you undervalue but are very unique and valuable compared to the rest.

I try to think about it in terms of "how many other candidates that you are speaking with have done x?"

While searching, spend as much time learning and building something not just with emerging tech but maybe some things you see int he job posts. Level up. Setup a Youtube channel with a daily video journal of what you're learning and keep it in line with a daily slide deck. Embed both in the resume as a link so any technical person seeing it can get to meet you and see how you communicate well before they start interviewing.

Ask for feedback on what you could add to your skillset or present differently on from each interview. Maintaining that kind of relationship will help them keep you in mind and hopefully you get some meaningful input.

Attend a lot of meetups and local groups for tech, software, or whatever in your area. You will meet employees and the more you can show and tell there as a beginner and as you get to know them they will naturally invite you to things you might be a good fit for without asking. The route of an invitation is much better than applying online.

Applicant tracking systems are pretty poor filters, and then HR also is a poor filter because they are illiterate in tech for the most part and play keyword bingo. It's true you can get in front of someone technical and work through that process, but having a warm intro and learning about the company by dropping by to meet someone for lunch, and then learning about it can go a very long way when something becomes available, or a new initiative is in place.

If you do find any of the above helpful or useful, happy to chat as peers via email (anyone). Finding and securing your next opportunity to improve your life shouldn't be this hard.

What are people's experiences? The worst cases for me is when it's an ambush. Talking about architecture or experience and then suddenly the guy wants a DP solution in python.

Somehow when it's just been a test with no person there, I've actually done fine on it. Having the person there in the interview throws me off. They take me down the wrong path, or they get impatient. I did 4 online questions in an hour once, then I thought I was through to a human being, and instead the guy didn't want to put any effort into interviewing me at all, started doing other work, no feedback or anything on a question I hadn't seen.

I've heard that some people just go nuts with the Leetcode. Hundreds of questions done. I've never thought it was a great use of time since there's always more questions you haven't seen, but I wonder how good the return on effort is there.

Frankly: You are "on tilt." Every interview you take right now, you are throwing out an opportunity.

"It looks like I will be unemployed until the next year and I have no idea how to get a job." - This is a self fulfilling prophecy.

If you believe that... stop interviewing and rest, let yourself recover from the burnout and grind of interviewing. Let yourself feel like actually wanting to interview and work again.

After that:

Go back to the leetcode grind, make sure you are RAZOR sharp. Make sure you learn from the stuff people post to brag. Start writing stuff you'd brag about.

How do I know all the above: I've tried not doing it, and doing it... I can tell you resting is MUCH better, and the market reacted MUCH more positively to me. I'm talking in terms of offers etc, not just the feedback.