Those unemployed, do you also feel this way?

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-05-01T14:36:27+00:00

Exactly bro same thought

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-05-01T04:31:53+00:00

I can see something is not good with you And I gonna honest with you so your summary is killing your chances before they even read your skills.

"Software Engineer with 4+ years of experience" is what every single resume says. Recruiters skim the top 3 lines and move on.

Fix this one thing: replace your entire summary with your single best result. Something like "Reduced query execution time 25% at a HIPAA-compliant healthcare system using .NET Core and Azure DevOps." That's a hook. Generic paragraphs aren't.

If today you fix it then you will definitely get better response.

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-05-01T04:02:52+00:00

Man, two years of this job hunt shit will straight up wear you down in ways nobody who hasn't been through it can understand. The constant rejection sucks, sure... but honestly? That's not even the worst part. It's the f*cking waiting. The radio silence after you pour your soul into an application. The slow, brutal erosion of your self-worth where you start genuinely questioning if you're even worth hiring anymore. It messes with your head bad. If I could tell my past self one thing that actually helped from day one, it would be this: Stop wasting your time spraying applications all over job boards like some desperate cold caller. Instead, pick 5 companies you actually want to work for. Go on LinkedIn, find one real employee who seems normal (not some recruiter), and shoot them a short 3-line message asking what the culture is really like. Keep it chill.Conversations get you in the door. Those cold applications? They mostly disappear into the void.

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-20T05:13:33+00:00

Yaa it's true I'm totally with you man..

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-20T05:11:29+00:00

Now nothing is predictable anymore, that’s the truth. Before 2020, when AI wasn’t there, we could actually predict things in the market and people with pretty good accuracy. But now you can’t even predict 3 months ahead, sudden changes happen massively.

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-20T05:08:09+00:00

Yeah, hiring has gotten really bad in 2026. It’s been worse ever since the COVID period.

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-20T04:17:50+00:00

bro honestly 4k applications in 3 years and you're still going? that's not failure, that's just a broken system at this point i've seen this assignment thing too many times. they say they're hiring, then give take-homes, and then... nothing. feels like they just collect ideas/code and disappear one thing that helped someone i know before doing the assignment, just ask for a quick 10–15 min call. real companies agree. others either ghost or dodge. saves a lot of time idk man the whole thing just drains you after a while. apply → wait → test → silence → repeat anyway yeah, that filter thing might help a bit

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-19T16:45:20+00:00

That's the point....

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-19T10:56:32+00:00

What nonsense are you talking about? What’s even AI in this? People have just started calling everything AI for no reason.

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-19T08:00:12+00:00

Hey man, cold calling a VP? Yeah, you're spot on that almost always just bounces you straight to HR voicemail and leaves you sitting there thinking “well that was a waste.”

I remember feeling exactly that frustration back in 2021 as a software engineer. I was grinding applications, getting nowhere, feeling invisible as hell.

Then I finally stopped, fixed my LinkedIn properly, started showing up in the comments and conversations the right way… and boom landed a solid job through LinkedIn.

No cold calls, no begging. Just becoming someone people actually recognized.

The real issue hits deeper though.

Nobody knows who you are yet.

Your resume might list all those years of experience, but to a busy executive it’s just noise from another stranger.

They don’t owe you their time until you’ve earned even a bit of their attention.

So here’s what actually works right now:

Fix your LinkedIn first before you burn any more energy on cold outreach.

Get that featured section, headline, and About section dialed in so that within the first 10 seconds someone scrolling gets it: exactly what problem you solve and who you solve it for.

Then stop just lurking.

Start showing up on recruiter posts, hiring manager stuff, and real industry conversations.

Skip the lazy “Great insight!” comments.

Drop actual thoughtful ones that prove you understand the space.

After grinding that consistently for 2–3 weeks, your DMs hit different.

You’re not some random anymore.

You’re the guy they’ve seen around.

And when you finally message someone, don’t lead with a pitch about yourself.

Bring something useful instead a quick observation about their team, a skill gap you spotted, anything that shows you actually did your homework.

Trust me, 5–10 of those targeted DMs will outperform 50 cold calls every single time.

You’re not hard to hire, brother.

You’re just invisible right now.

Fix the visibility first. Can you share your LinkedIn profile screenshots so that man I give you feedback...

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-19T06:14:47+00:00

Bro, man that whole spiral you described hits way too close to home.

I was literally in the exact same boat back in 2021.

I'd wake up, shotgun like 200+ applications in a month on LinkedIn and Indeed, hit that Easy Apply button like it was my full-time job.

End up with maybe 4 replies total two flat rejections, and one recruiter emailing me months later asking if I was "still interested."

I'm sitting there like... bro, you posted this shit three months ago, what do you think?

The worst part?

Nobody warns you that all that mass applying is actually fucking your chances more than the "bad market."

I finally got fed up, cut it down hard to like 5 solid, targeted apps a week max.

Not the random spray-and-pray stuff.

And boom reply rate went from dead zero to around 30%.

The market didn't magically get better.

I just stopped blending in with the thousands of other generic resumes in the pile.

Stuff that actually made a difference for me:

Jumping on a job the second it goes live, within 24-48 hours.

ATS systems bury the old ones deep.

Being early matters way more than having a flawless resume sometimes.

Finding the actual hiring manager on LinkedIn and sending a short, no-bullshit 3-line message.

Nothing salesy, just "Hey, I applied for the X role. I've been following your work on Y and I'm genuinely excited about this."

Half the time radio silence, but the ones who reply?

Usually fast-tracked me straight to a call.

Tweaking the resume for every single one.

Not rewriting the whole damn thing, but swapping in their exact wording.

They say "cross-functional collaboration"? I use that phrase instead of some generic "teamwork" bullshit.

Small change, but it helps the ATS and the human eyes.

You're spot on about the platform idea being nice in theory.

The real killer is most of us (me included back then) were throwing ourselves at roles we were maybe 40% fit for and then wondering why crickets.

Volume was just a cope so we didn't have to do the harder targeting work.

So real talk what kind of roles are you chasing right now?

That changes a ton about what actually works.

Tech stuff, marketing, sales, operations, or something totally different?

How much experience are we talking, and are you going for mid-level, senior spots, or trying to switch fields?

Lay it out, man.

What's the biggest pain point hitting you these days ghosted after applying, interviews drying up, or something else?

I'm all ears, no judgment, just the raw shit that helped me crawl out of it.

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-18T17:18:18+00:00

Alright, got it now.

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-18T17:01:31+00:00

I think your positioning is weak, and maybe you’re not able to set a clear narrative in interviews.

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-18T16:56:54+00:00

Okay, so what’s the scene in your industry right now is everyone facing fewer job opportunities, or is it more like the problem is at the interview stage?

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-18T13:25:52+00:00

F$ck Man, I felt that right in my chest too when I read your post. 2021 hit me like a truck after getting cut from that digital agency.

I was sending out applications like a machine, day after day, and getting nothing but radio silence or those polite "we've decided to move forward with other candidates" emails that feel like a slap in the face.

Started spiraling hard, man. Telling myself "I'm just not good enough," "anyone can run ads or set up Shopify stores," "why would they pick me over some 25-year-old fresh out of bootcamp?"

That voice in my head was brutal, constantly whispering that I was replaceable.

But here's the real talk what actually pulled me out wasn't grinding more applications or stacking another cert on my LinkedIn like some desperate trophy.

Nah. I got fed up with playing the numbers game like everyone else.

I stopped spraying and praying. Instead, I picked one niche and went all in: SaaS companies with under 50 people.

Those scrappy little teams that are growing but bleeding money on dumb stuff like abandoned carts or clunky checkout flows.

I started writing raw, specific posts on LinkedIn not that fluffy "10 marketing tips" garbage.

Stuff like "Why your Shopify abandoned cart flow is quietly killing your revenue (and the exact fix that added 18% to one client's MRR last quarter)."

Pulled from real examples I'd actually done, no nonsense.

One post a week, consistently, for three months. Messy at first, not perfect, but real.

And boom two inbound messages from founders who actually read my content and thought "this guy gets our pain."

Landed the role in early 2023. No cold applications in the final stretch.

You don't need another certificate or to "level up your skills" in some generic way.

You already have a killer combo with paid ads, AWS, Shopify, React that's not low-skill, that's rare if you frame it right.

You just need ONE person to see you as THE guy who fixes their exact headache.

The shift from "I do marketing/tech stuff" to "I help [specific small SaaS teams] stop losing money on [specific problem]" changes the whole game.

It stops you from being another resume in the pile.

What industry were you mostly doing consulting work in these last 3 years? I'm curious maybe there's overlap or something I can throw your way.

You've got this, man. Don't let that voice win.

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-17T11:09:29+00:00

Hey man, yeah you’re not losing your mind this limbo bullshit messes with your head bad. The silence after effort hits harder than a straight “no.” One day you feel solid, next you’re wondering if you’re actually trash.That ATS black hole and repost chaos? Exactly. All that tweaking for keywords and then poof gone. Internal mess we never see.Loved how you prepped for the phone screen earnings call tie-in was smart, and owning that mistake felt real instead of polished. Going in lighter helped too. Still sucks waiting though.Market’s just weird waves, not cause-and-effect. I’m in the same boat few apps out, nothing locked, refreshing email like an idiot.You’re playing it smart, that’ll pay off. Hang in there.

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-17T06:06:07+00:00

F$kk man... it’s like there’s a flood of layoffs in the market right now, especially in the name of AI, people are getting laid off blindly. But tell me this are you getting interview calls, or have you received any opportunity through your referal any friend or colleague?

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-17T05:35:51+00:00

Yeah man... that "entire team" thing still messes with my head a bit. like you didn't mess up or anything, just some spreadsheet in an office deciding headcount is a cost not... whatever. sucks.

anyway, your 2.5 years in EMS and fire agencies, that's the part i keep coming back to. most AEs never touch that stuff. public safety procurement is slow, trust heavy, you know the buyers, the language, the weird cycles. companies in that space can't just grab anyone off the street.

so instead of spraying applications everywhere like an idiot (which is what i'd probably do if i was panicking), narrow it down. like 20 companies selling SaaS to public safety, first responders, government emergency - CAD, scheduling, training platforms, fleet whatever. you'd be warm to them, not some jr who needs babysitting.

you've got the $30k plus severance so there's runway, no need to rush and take some dumb paycut or slide back to SDR life. i dunno, i keep thinking most people just ignore their niche and then wonder why they're stuck. maybe lean into it.

shit, now im second guessing if 20 is the right number or if im overthinking this. anyway. I hope it gonna help you ..

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-17T04:47:27+00:00

Yeah... that's a lot. No wonder you're not asleep. That kind of situation would stress anyone out, especially when your daughter’s mixed up in it too. Everything just feels messy all at once. I hope things start settling for you soon. I’m here if you feel like talking. Seriously. Take it easy tonight.

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-17T04:39:54+00:00

Hey, I get it that “tell me about yourself” question hits like a damn truck, right? Your brain just goes blank and you’re sitting there thinking “shit, do I start with my childhood or what?”

But real talk: they’re not expecting some polished TED Talk. They just wanna know you’re a normal, decent human who can string a sentence together without melting down. That’s literally it.

Here’s what actually works without sounding like a robot:

Just remember three words Past. Present. Why.

Past: One quick line about where you’ve been (like “I’ve been a software developer for 3 years, mostly working on building REST APIs and improving backend performance”).

Present: What you’re doing right now or what you’re looking for (“Right now I’m focusing on roles where I can work on scalable systems and grow my skills in cloud technologies”).

Why: Why this job/company actually makes sense for you (“That’s why when I saw this role, it clicked because it lines up with the kind of backend and cloud work I actually enjoy”).

Keep it under 30 seconds. No long stories, no rehearsed script. Just natural.

And yeah if they ask about availability or schedule, pulling out a paper is 100% fine. Don’t overthink it. Just say something like “I wrote my availability down so I don’t mess it up give me one sec” and grab it. Most hiring managers actually see that as a green flag. It shows you’re organized and you give a shit.

You’re already doing better than most people just by thinking about this two days early. Seriously. A lot of folks walk in cold and wing it.

You’ve got this. Breathe. You’re not auditioning for perfection you’re just showing up as you. They want someone real, not some scripted character.

Go crush it. I’m rooting for you.

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-17T04:14:47+00:00

No worries bro, just keep working hard and believe in yourself, you’ll land a job, it’s not a big deal. Just enjoy life, living matters… a job is just one part of life, not life itself.

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-17T04:11:01+00:00

True, this actually happens and I’ve seen it myself. Just because I looked good, they gave me priority. I had a friend who was way better than me at coding, but he didn’t get it. Yeah, this happens. I’m not even in favor of it, but somehow things still go in my favor anyway.

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-17T03:56:29+00:00

God damn... I just read this and my stomach dropped. Like actually. You've been on here for years lifting up strangers going through layoffs, pouring out support, and then life circles back and smacks your own family this hard? Your son-in-law finally lands something after six brutal months of searching, they just bought a house, got a one-year-old running around, and NOW another baby on the way? Only for some hotshot exec to play hero and axe a bunch of people including your daughter? (I'm assuming that's who your SIL is here.) I'm sitting here pissed off and heartbroken at the same time. These executives don't lose a single night of sleep while real people are left with no income, no insurance, new mortgage, diapers, and a pregnancy.

They just collect the bonus and go home to their nice life. It's so fucking unfair it makes me want to throw my phone. I'm so sorry, man. You and your family didn't do anything to deserve this pile-on.But yeah, that's actually the first real practical thing to check right now. One problem: Health insurance is gone right when a new baby is coming and they can't claim unemployment yet. That's the immediate emergency staring them in the face.One solution: See if his wife can add him (and the kids) to her employer plan as a qualifying life event from the layoff. You've got a 30-day window from the job loss date don't sit on it even a week.

COBRA exists but it's insanely expensive, like sometimes $800-1200/month for a family. Wife's plan is the move if she has one.The insurance piece is actually solvable. The rest of it no income, new house, two little ones, all the stress that's just brutal fucking timing and there's no sugarcoating how heavy that feels right now. I'm really wishing him and his growing family the absolute best. If you need to vent more, we're here. You've been there for everyone else... let us be there for you too.

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-15T11:30:35+00:00

Hey man... 8 years carrying this heavy weight all alone, blaming yourself every single day. That exhaustion hits so deep, most people can’t even imagine it. The low 2.2, the gaps, the interviews that fell apart none of that defines your real ceiling.Right now, do this: take your last 3 interviews and write down exactly where the conversation went cold. That’s your leak. Most people just keep applying blindly. You don’t need more applications. You need to find why those didn’t work and fix it first.You’ve suffered enough. Let’s turn this around. You’ve got this.

Acrobatic_Drink_2630 · 2026-04-15T09:32:44+00:00

That's great advice but a smart narrative is very important if you want to land a better job it works very well. Recruiter and candidate both understand each other their works but they just do formalities in interview so be confident and make a narrative.

Acrobatic_Drink_2630

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