I have a spreadsheet of my job hunts since 2008 across 8 times I was looking for a job. I was working at my first two jobs between 1996-2008
I’ve been rejected three times once I started the interview process. I have also always gotten interviews from companies where external or internal recruiters reached out to me and I submitted my resume.
All three times I’ve gotten rejected was post mid 2023.
It was clear from one within 10 minutes that I wasn’t what they were looking for. I’m not sure why I didn’t get hired for the second one after going through the rounds even though I have my suspicions.
The third I got ghosted after the HR screen where the representative from the target company’s investor interviewed me.
So by 2008, I was 34, starting over and applying for enterprise CRUD jobs where I was competing against people with a lot less experience and maturity. I was cheap labor. That held true in 2008 and 2012 and I was digging my way out of the “expert beginner” years.
It wasn’t until 2014 when I was actually starting to be recruited for strategic positions. In 2014, 2016 and 2018 I was an early strategic hire by a then new director/manager/CTO to lead major initiatives.
My interviews were two adults talking about strategy. By 2014, I was 40 years old.
2020, a remote position at AWS Professional Services fell into my lap. I was 46 then.
Now looking for a job in 2023 and 2024 targeting full time roles at cloud consulting companies, can you imagine how easy it is for a 50 year old who knows how to communicate decently, with 25+ years of development experience, 6 years of AWS experience including 3 at AWS to get a job at those companies?
Now when you take AWS away from me, I am just another enterprise Dev with above average communication and project management skills.
Two of my three rejections were at product companies even then the interviews were behavioral. It does concern me a little that I got rejected from product companies that were looking for “architects”.
My title right now is “staff software architect” at a consulting company.
I’ve been rejected three times once I started the interview process. I have also always gotten interviews from companies where external or internal recruiters reached out to me and I submitted my resume.
All three times I’ve gotten rejected was post mid 2023.
It was clear from one within 10 minutes that I wasn’t what they were looking for. I’m not sure why I didn’t get hired for the second one after going through the rounds even though I have my suspicions.
The third I got ghosted after the HR screen where the representative from the target company’s investor interviewed me.