I’m in a very tough spot, and I could really use some guidance or words of wisdom from anyone who’s been through something similar. I’ve been grinding hard for months now—applying to jobs, prepping for interviews, trying everything I can to get back on track—but things just aren’t clicking.
Here’s some context: I’m a software engineer with about 4 years of experience. I’ve worked at companies like Amazon, and before that, I was in finance. My resume isn’t bad—I’ve led projects, worked with machine learning and scalable systems, done front-end and back-end dev, and even worked internationally. But despite all this, I’m barely getting interviews, and when I do, I end up rejected after what seemed like good recruiter conversations. It’s crushing.
The hardest part? I had to leave my job at Amazon about a year ago because my father was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I went overseas to care for him, and thankfully, he’s doing better now. But I’ve been job hunting for 6-7 months, and nothing seems to be working. It’s getting extremely depressing, and I’m terrified I’ll never find a new job.
I’ve shifted my focus to startups and YC companies because big tech feels like it only wants the “perfect candidate”—Harvard PhDs or people with a flawless, uninterrupted career path. But even the startups seem to want senior-level folks with a laundry list of experience for entry-level pay. It feels impossible to break in again.
And as if that wasn’t enough, I keep seeing articles about AI taking over jobs. I get it—we’re not there yet—but missing a year of work, dealing with personal responsibilities, and then seeing nothing but closed doors when I try to get back has left me feeling desperate and unsure of what to do next. Fortunately I have some more runway but NOT much left and it’s getting scary. After having not worked for a year, seeing my peers and friends succeeding, it’s hurting my ego and just making me depressed every single day.
Has anyone been through something like this? How did you keep pushing forward when it felt like everything was stacked against you? Any advice or guidance would mean the world to me right now.
Thanks in advance.
submitted by /u/lucidtokyo
[link] [comments]
r/cscareerquestions I’m in a very tough spot, and I could really use some guidance or words of wisdom from anyone who’s been through something similar. I’ve been grinding hard for months now—applying to jobs, prepping for interviews, trying everything I can to get back on track—but things just aren’t clicking. Here’s some context: I’m a software engineer with about 4 years of experience. I’ve worked at companies like Amazon, and before that, I was in finance. My resume isn’t bad—I’ve led projects, worked with machine learning and scalable systems, done front-end and back-end dev, and even worked internationally. But despite all this, I’m barely getting interviews, and when I do, I end up rejected after what seemed like good recruiter conversations. It’s crushing. The hardest part? I had to leave my job at Amazon about a year ago because my father was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I went overseas to care for him, and thankfully, he’s doing better now. But I’ve been job hunting for 6-7 months, and nothing seems to be working. It’s getting extremely depressing, and I’m terrified I’ll never find a new job. I’ve shifted my focus to startups and YC companies because big tech feels like it only wants the “perfect candidate”—Harvard PhDs or people with a flawless, uninterrupted career path. But even the startups seem to want senior-level folks with a laundry list of experience for entry-level pay. It feels impossible to break in again. And as if that wasn’t enough, I keep seeing articles about AI taking over jobs. I get it—we’re not there yet—but missing a year of work, dealing with personal responsibilities, and then seeing nothing but closed doors when I try to get back has left me feeling desperate and unsure of what to do next. Fortunately I have some more runway but NOT much left and it’s getting scary. After having not worked for a year, seeing my peers and friends succeeding, it’s hurting my ego and just making me depressed every single day. Has anyone been through something like this? How did you keep pushing forward when it felt like everything was stacked against you? Any advice or guidance would mean the world to me right now. Thanks in advance. submitted by /u/lucidtokyo [link] [comments]
I’m in a very tough spot, and I could really use some guidance or words of wisdom from anyone who’s been through something similar. I’ve been grinding hard for months now—applying to jobs, prepping for interviews, trying everything I can to get back on track—but things just aren’t clicking.
Here’s some context: I’m a software engineer with about 4 years of experience. I’ve worked at companies like Amazon, and before that, I was in finance. My resume isn’t bad—I’ve led projects, worked with machine learning and scalable systems, done front-end and back-end dev, and even worked internationally. But despite all this, I’m barely getting interviews, and when I do, I end up rejected after what seemed like good recruiter conversations. It’s crushing.
The hardest part? I had to leave my job at Amazon about a year ago because my father was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I went overseas to care for him, and thankfully, he’s doing better now. But I’ve been job hunting for 6-7 months, and nothing seems to be working. It’s getting extremely depressing, and I’m terrified I’ll never find a new job.
I’ve shifted my focus to startups and YC companies because big tech feels like it only wants the “perfect candidate”—Harvard PhDs or people with a flawless, uninterrupted career path. But even the startups seem to want senior-level folks with a laundry list of experience for entry-level pay. It feels impossible to break in again.
And as if that wasn’t enough, I keep seeing articles about AI taking over jobs. I get it—we’re not there yet—but missing a year of work, dealing with personal responsibilities, and then seeing nothing but closed doors when I try to get back has left me feeling desperate and unsure of what to do next. Fortunately I have some more runway but NOT much left and it’s getting scary. After having not worked for a year, seeing my peers and friends succeeding, it’s hurting my ego and just making me depressed every single day.
Has anyone been through something like this? How did you keep pushing forward when it felt like everything was stacked against you? Any advice or guidance would mean the world to me right now.
Thanks in advance.
submitted by /u/lucidtokyo
[link] [comments]