The latest articles on DEV Community by Edwin (@emaj7b5). https://dev.to/emaj7b5 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F777805%2F7a8c048a-afaa-42fe-8b17-a68fc00e315d.jpg https://dev.to/emaj7b5 en Edwin Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:24:18 +0000 https://dev.to/emaj7b5/the-many-layers-of-job-hunting-hell-2kd3 https://dev.to/emaj7b5/the-many-layers-of-job-hunting-hell-2kd3 <p>I've been unemployed for over a year. This post might seem a rant, and probably it is, I just want to vent out my experience in this jungle called job hunting. I was laid off last year among a few other colleagues following a reorganisation that wiped off half of the development team, a year from it I am still the only one who hasn't been able to find a suitable role.</p> <p>I come from a place where one of the main export products is outsourcing, and within my nationals I was able to do quite well in the RPA and automation space, nailing senior and architect roles, sometimes with multiple simultaneous offers. Until I moved to Europe, I was able to find a role at a medium-large company, the role was way less senior as roles I had back home, it felt like a relief as I got rid of a ton of stress that represented an architect role coming from working for U.S. Corporate. </p> <p>While the role was not that demanding, I had quite a few other demons chasing me, the language, the work culture, being neurodivergent and facing migration, plus other personal issues derived from the process. Still managed to make it work.</p> <p>Fast forward to the lay off, we had ups and downs as normal but over time we started getting less and less tasks, which lead me to believe something was cooking so I started scouting the market around 6 months before the official notice, then it all felt sudden, the notice, the rise of AI, the market shifting and me finally adapting to a new country left unemployed and up to some point underskilled.</p> <p>I have been trying to land new roles ever since, gaining knowledge, improving my language domain, but still have a huge sense that the market is broken, and is really easy to feel not enough. I've been struggling to maintain my mental health and developed new coping mechanisms.</p> <p>In this journey I learned quite a few things, my goal is to share my perspective and challenges, wins and coping strategies so far.</p> <p><strong>Challenges I've found</strong></p> <ul> <li>I feel over experienced for entry roles, yet under skilled for more experienced roles</li> <li>It feels like many job posts are looking to find a finely tuned skillset leaving little to no room for skill transferability </li> <li>Language barrier, even when all internal communications are in english</li> <li>There are recruiters/companies who are just douchebags. Quoting a recruiter "Let's face it AI can do what a person can, and if AI is going to make mistakes, but people also make mistakes, it is cheaper to make mistakes with AI", was hiring for an "AI Strategist"</li> <li>Hiring managers not able to elaborate what they need</li> <li>Rejected from roles, that are filled and reopened later</li> </ul> <p><strong>What I've accomplished and learned</strong></p> <ul> <li>How to build a CV that gets interviews</li> <li>Loose the fear of speaking on a language that I don't fully dominate</li> <li>The value of networking</li> <li>How to allow myself to feel vulnerable</li> <li>How to be humble, loose the ego</li> <li>How to ask for help</li> </ul> <p><strong>How I've been coping</strong></p> <ul> <li>Music</li> <li>Gaming</li> <li>Sport</li> <li>Taking time for myself</li> <li>Acknowledge that I can't do everything myself</li> <li>Taking time to rest and reset</li> <li>Talking about my problems</li> </ul> <p><strong>My focus</strong></p> <ul> <li>Improve my portfolio</li> <li>Keep upskilling</li> <li>Improve my presentation and negotiation</li> <li>Networking</li> </ul> <p>It's been painful, but I'm doing my best to stay resilient. I know the right role is waiting for me, even if it involves a 180 degree shift. I hope my experience helps someone out there who is also struggling.</p> career mentalhealth Edwin Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:21:09 +0000 https://dev.to/emaj7b5/one-year-unemployed-the-market-is-shifting-and-i-just-dont-know-how-to-keep-up-1igj https://dev.to/emaj7b5/one-year-unemployed-the-market-is-shifting-and-i-just-dont-know-how-to-keep-up-1igj career mentalhealth Edwin Mon, 21 Jul 2025 18:55:27 +0000 https://dev.to/emaj7b5/ive-working-on-rpa-for-quite-some-time-to-the-point-that-i-have-become-very-senior-but-is-no-4hmo https://dev.to/emaj7b5/ive-working-on-rpa-for-quite-some-time-to-the-point-that-i-have-become-very-senior-but-is-no-4hmo rpa cloudcomputing career discuss