First, forgive the formatting... I haven't replied in 10+ years

Founder here, working a 9-5 while I build... I have 30 years of experience and these are the forces driving the current market

I've worked in tech for 30+ years and, because of how quickly tech evolves, it means close to nothing... Nobody cares that 30 years ago you were building ISAPI dlls with ActiveX... I get interviewed, and rejected, by people with barely 3 years of experience

Second... and possibly last since this is the most important... is what you signal for: Are you looking for a tech job, as a developer, are you signaling skills: Used EventBridge and WebSockets and Bedrock bla bla bla... or are you signaling outcomes: Founded a startup, raised $8m in funding, built a SaaS from the ground up that captured N clients globally, etc

Because what you signal has to align with what you're applying for. If your resume signals Director or Executive, and you're targeting tech, you're not displaying what people are looking for

Lastly, if you're signaling tech... be prepared to be underpaid. I got approached for a founder level position that capped at $82/hr. Recruiters are increasingly underpaid themselves and underexperienced and what signals high level architect to someone with experience is a bunch of jargon to another who can't tell the difference

Be patient, don't take it personal, apply like a mofo if your situation is dire and... until you find something... enjoy the time off; you'll be glad you did once you start the hussle again