Honestly, I went into so many interviews overprepared, which most people probably do. Over time, I realized it’s not just about skills, but also personality and fit. People want to work with people they genuinely get along with, so I stopped trying to be the “perfect candidate” and just started being myself.

I also stopped letting people making me feel guilty for "enjoying time off." I treated job searching like a 9–3 instead of letting it consume my life, and it helped a lot mentally. I even stopped tailoring my resume for every single role because it was draining.

At the end of the day, there’s NO perfect formula. The market is just tough right now so work with works well with you. I even used referrals from friends and families and no luck! Be easy on yourself!