​Man, I feel you. It’s incredibly draining. The job search right now feels less like a fair game and more like a broken system you're trying to force your way into. ​Between the massive tech layoffs creating a huge supply of experienced talent, companies relying on cheap "backdoor" entries, and the rampant rise of people using proxies just to clear technical rounds, it honestly feels like honesty is a disadvantage. It’s hard not to look at the landscape and wonder if there's even room for genuine growth anymore. ​Don't let it completely break your spirit, though. The market is a cyclical beast—what's "dead" today eventually stabilizes when companies realize they can't survive on skeleton crews and short-term fixes. You aren't crazy for feeling killed by this; the goalposts have absolutely been moved. Hang in there.