How to Navigate the Job Market Without Desperation

Mid-Level Software Engineer [L4] at Taro Community2 months ago

I have 6.6 years of experience in frontend development, but I’m struggling in the current job market. I dislike my team and workplace, yet job opportunities feel scarce. When I do get interview calls, I become desperate, fearing I won’t get another chance for months. This anxiety leads to poor performance, making me feel like I’ve lost my only way out. While I’m grateful for my job, I know I’m not able to give my best here. With many people not receiving calls for three months or more, how can I break this cycle and approach my job search with confidence?

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Discussion

(3 comments)

1
Jonathan C
•Employee @ Robinhood
2 months ago
The main thing I'd call out is mentality. A lot of the engineers I've noticed who are struggling/not doing as well are waiting for something to be given to them before they succeed. Unfortunately, nearly all opportunities aren't given and almost always requiring some action on our part to initiate.

There's never really any perfect circumstances, but there's always an opportunity to make it better. Instead of accepting the circumstances, look for opportunities to improve something you don't like. Then there's a clearer path towards painting a narrative that you're someone who's proactive about improving their environment, but your current enviroment won't let you improve things as fast as you like.
1
Alex Chiou
•Tech Lead @ Robinhood, Meta, Course Hero
2 months ago
Mentality takes time to fix, and the journey is largely self-driven. What I can do right now though is give you some pointers and perspective to help out:

You are currently employed - You are already doing better than hundreds of thousands of engineers who have been laid off. The market continues to be rough, especially after the recent US election. Take comfort in the fact that you always have this cushion to fall back on.

You have a lot of experience - With 6.6 years of experience, you are firmly out of the "early-in-career" bucket. The market isn't the best for mid-level engineers, but it's doable, unlike for junior and early mid-level engineers. If you play your cards right, you could probably land a senior offer as well.

Stop caring - This is the big unlock that I've seen drastically change the vast majority of folks struggling on their job search. Ironically, the more you care, the worse you'll do. The less you care, the better you'll do. And the cool thing here is that you have the tools to not care as you still have a job right now. I break this down in depth here: https://www.jointaro.com/course/ace-your-tech-interview-and-get-a-job-as-a-software-engineer/having-the-right-mentality/

I recommend going through the entire job search course. I think it'll help a lot: Ace Your Tech Interview And Get A Job As A Software Engineer
0
Charlie Vuong
•Eng @ Taro
2 months ago

When I do get interview calls, I become desperate, fearing I won’t get another chance for months. This anxiety leads to poor performance, making me feel like I’ve lost my only way out.

I would try to focus on being more interview prep oriented. Your prep is within your control. When you are going through the interview, there is a lot that's out of your control, like the questions you get asked, how you are feeling that day, etc. After the interview is over, you can reflect and use the feedback to update where you spend your practice resources.