Spent 2.5 months unemployed and applying aggressively. Finally landed 2 job offers around the same time, here was my timeline and thought process if interested /u/HarveyDentBeliever CSCQ protests reddit

Senior SWE with 8+ YoE, primarily .NET/Java/JavaScript/SQL. Was laid off in the fall, didn’t waste much time before jumping back into the market. Routinely applied to places for .NET/Java remote jobs primarily through hiring.cafe but also some on LinkedIn (which has gotten far worse since the last time I used it years ago).

As I applied and interviewed I started to realize that being a generalist no longer cut it. Usually being a hybrid .NET/Java dev was a good thing for me but in this market I was always getting edged out by someone with slightly more .NET or Java on their resume. Especially for mid/senior level. I was really tired of wasting time in interviews where I was the afterthought candidate and someone else already had a better resume going in. So I re-tailored it.

I had much more professional .NET than Java experience and made that clear on my resume. Started a .NET side project to fill in any gaps and learn some essential frameworks I hadn’t worked with yet, added those to the resume as well and could speak to them. Basically did whatever I could to look more like a .NET specialist with JavaScript/SQL competencies, and exclusively spammed applications to .NET postings none of the other stuff. From there on out it was only a few more interviews and I had my offers.

tl;dr since companies have so many candidates to choose from now you want to be “the best”, not just one of the distant possibilities. Refine your resume down to the exact tech ecosystem you are most familiar with, hone in on those kinds of postings and stop wasting your time on others.

Also not sure if anyone else has noticed but the entire world has learned Java at this point and you are competing with them too. Probably a good time to go a different route language wise and find those niches, I noticed a fair amount of Ruby postings and even got to interview for one without any Ruby experience, seems like the posting to applicant ratio is healthiest as of now.

Senior SWE with 8+ YoE, primarily .NET/Java/JavaScript/SQL. Was laid off in the fall, didn’t waste much time before jumping back into the market. Routinely applied to places for .NET/Java remote jobs primarily through hiring.cafe but also some on LinkedIn (which has gotten far worse since the last time I used it years ago).

As I applied and interviewed I started to realize that being a generalist no longer cut it. Usually being a hybrid .NET/Java dev was a good thing for me but in this market I was always getting edged out by someone with slightly more .NET or Java on their resume. Especially for mid/senior level. I was really tired of wasting time in interviews where I was the afterthought candidate and someone else already had a better resume going in. So I re-tailored it.

I had much more professional .NET than Java experience and made that clear on my resume. Started a .NET side project to fill in any gaps and learn some essential frameworks I hadn’t worked with yet, added those to the resume as well and could speak to them. Basically did whatever I could to look more like a .NET specialist with JavaScript/SQL competencies, and exclusively spammed applications to .NET postings none of the other stuff. From there on out it was only a few more interviews and I had my offers.

tl;dr since companies have so many candidates to choose from now you want to be “the best”, not just one of the distant possibilities. Refine your resume down to the exact tech ecosystem you are most familiar with, hone in on those kinds of postings and stop wasting your time on others.

Also not sure if anyone else has noticed but the entire world has learned Java at this point and you are competing with them too. Probably a good time to go a different route language wise and find those niches, I noticed a fair amount of Ruby postings and even got to interview for one without any Ruby experience, seems like the posting to applicant ratio is healthiest as of now.