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Exhaustion From Tech Hiring Process

Sam on November 24, 2021

The Update Thus Far Hey everyone! I know it's been quite a minute since my last blog post , but I will do my best to update and write he...
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Gracie Gregory (she/her)

@aliofonzy43 thank you for sharing your experience. Clearly, any company would be lucky to have a passionate, dedicated, and sensitive person like you on their team. I know the interviewing process is excruciating but it will result in good things for you. In the meantime, all of us at DEV are honored that you felt safe enough to share your thoughts here. We all benefit from this kind of vulnerability. Thank you.

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Sam

I am in tears reading these responses. This means the world to me to see my story heard and be validated, especially all that I have going on right now. Thank you for giving me the platform to express myself freely and allow it to be known to people.

Thank you <3

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Ben Halpern

That is great to hear Sam

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Ben Read

😭😭😭 this is so sad. Please allow me to assure you, that this is not your fault. Our industry has for too long set ridiculously high expectations and used the interview process as a gatekeeping exercise rather than an actual hiring mechanism. It’s starting to change here in the UK now, but we must do better. I’m so sorry.

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squidbe

Wow. You're willingness to be vulnerable is really admirable. Know that you are not alone. I'm very different from you -- a white male with 20 years experience -- and I'm actually struggling currently in my interview process as well. My circumstances are totally different from yours, yet the struggles of going through lengthy processes just to be rejected really do take their toll. I am also tired 😐.

It's so sad to me to hear how you feel your race and gender create roadblocks for you. I'd like to believe that people in tech are more enlightened than that, but I realize being in tech doesn't prevent someone from being racist/sexist. I'm sure many people aren't overtly so, but they probably don't consciously consider their biases.

I truly hope you find an employer who is able to see your passion and desire for the real assets they are. Back when I was on the other side interviewing lots of candidates, I was lucky to interview and work with many young people (my last team included 3 college grads with no prior experience), and I saw first-hand how that passion/desire made them great team members.

Thank you for sharing your experience. Like I said, you're not alone.

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Jack Keller

Oh my, it sounds as though you've been doing all of the right things (even going well above and beyond). Getting a foot in the door is difficult early in your career, but it shouldn't be this difficult. I feel as though the tech interview process these days is broken, like really broken. I recently went through a number of interviews where I felt as though I was jumping through flaming hoops, and I've been in this industry for twenty years!?

In the past, I always had a knack for knowing where I stood after an interview, but now I'm not so sure. I would end an interview and feel like "Yeah, I nailed that" and also get untimely rejection emails. I'd ask for feedback, but that never comes, it seems. Keep your head up; your passion and determination will hopefully yield results sooner than later. 

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tiff

PREACH!!!! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

I'll write a response to this when I'm setup at my desk again.

I've been lurking here for a bit and not posting, the job hunt was brutal and my life literally fell apart in the span of 5 months. I'm still struggling to keep my head above water but plan to jump back in here. I have so much to say.

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Hans.Castorp • Edited

Have you tried this: join a open source community (something that been used by a lot of peoples for examples one of apache's projects), i hope in a few months you could fit in and from there you can apply for a company that is using that project heavily.
P.S: I just know some people that got some sort of reputation that way

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moreginger

One of the things that can be frustrating about interviews is the lack of feedback. Assuming there is no prejudice involved, this is crucial so that you can identify what quality it is that people want (or don't want) to see. Perhaps you'd find Pramp useful (I did), especially as it lets you try both sides of the interview?

Good luck Sam, everybody deserves a chance.

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huhu08

This is detailed article about how tough it is to find developer job. I read it & I felt as if you are talking about me . I have moved to a new country and have been unable to find a job there.
Once I read a quote that “ the rejection letter isn’t for you , it is for your application “ and this quote made it easier for me to accept it.
Wish you the best in this journey.

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Fatiima-Ezzahra

wow how I deeply relate to this, I feel your pain but you have no choice but to keep going. I wish you good luck and hope you soon find peace and calm

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Anatolii Likutin

It took me several months to work for food in Russia to get experience and get a competitive developer. I wish strength to anyone who is starting, it's the hardest thing