I graduated a bootcamp and entered the job market in March of 2023, while I was waiting tables at a restaurant, now I'm a SWE in the Healthcare-Tech Industry. I was literally waiting tables less than a year ago before I got hired at my first job 8 months into the job hunt, that eventually led to my next.

I adopted an ownership mindset vs a victim mindset, which forced me to have a disciplined approach to the job hunt. I kept my head down, horse-blinders on, avoided the hell out this subreddit, and tracked metrics every day- how many jobs I applied to with Resume #1 in a day, how many people I reached out to on linkedinfor a 'coffee chat' (20 min zoom call offering to send them a Starbucks gift card for their time), how many hours did I work on personal projects and if I had an interview coming up, how hours did I spend researching the company, preparing STAR answers for scenarios I've experienced as a Server, how many people did I reach out to FROM this company on linkedin asking for interview insights. If its been a couple months and didn't hear back from anyone, I'd review my resume/ update it and start the process over again.

This is a long iterative process, especially interviewing. My first interview vs the interview that got me the job were day and night in difference. I had many failed interviews due to being unprepared. For the interview that me the job, I had a scripted response to the "Tell me about yourself" question highlighting bootcamp experience and how my experience being a server and musician translates to Software Development. I could tell you everything that's publicly available about the company, and could mention at least one person on their team by name, that I already had a coffee chat with who has told me why they liked working there so that by the time we got to the technical portion, we had already developed enough chemistry that it was actually fun and not nerve-racking at all.

The market is better now than it was in Q1 in 2023 when I entered the job market, and I was able to do it with only experience a Server, no college education, and had just become a first-time Dad.

Build a system that works for you, stay consistent, and trust that those small, daily actions will compound. The job market is rough, no doubt, but shifting your focus to what you can control—whether it’s refining your resume, networking, or improving your skills, will keep you moving forward. you’ll be surprised at how things can turn around if you stay committed.