Consider Supply and Demand. The probability of being hired depends on available supply of applicants. Graduated from UC Berkeley, Regents Scholar, Computer Sc

Consider Supply and Demand. The probability of being hired depends on available supply of applicants. Graduated from UC Berkeley, Regents Scholar, Computer Science. Depths of the 1989-93 recession, I graduated in 1991. Had 4 job offers! All 4 were scut work jobs. But I got my foot in the door when the rest of the economy was AWFUL. "Dang, I was the top of my class in CompSci (software) at Berkeley, yet I cannot get a better coding job offer than these 4?" LATER I REALIZED: The recession started in 1988-89. By 1991 when I graduated there were a lot of HIGHLY EXPERIENCED and TALENTED software engineers looking for work. The Supply of engineers was high; and demand was low. So yeah, I got 4 scut job offers because firms had their pick of great, experienced talent. The fact is, I was lucky in 1991 to have gotten 4 offers at that time; George Bush the 1st lost the election in '92 because of the bad economy. The 1989-93 recession was BAAAD. Not as bad as 2008-09 but lots of homes in foreclosure, hiring was zero. When 1993 rolled around, the supply of talent had been TAKEN, the tech economy was hiring. It became MUCH easier to switch to an area of software completely unrelated to my old job. But then 1999 rolled around -- the big crash, the Dot-Com Bubble Burst. Now, despite 8 years of experience, again the supply of engineers was very high and it became difficult to get a position. If the Supply of Talent looking for work is High -- 12 in-person interviews and no job is MUCH more likely than in boom times. Take off the blinders people. If it feels like it suddenly has become more of an effort to get a job, MAYBE the supply of talent on the market has increased. When I hire and the talent pool has swelled, I can sit back and be picky. I have the leverage. I am the Demand for talent. You are the Supply of talent. If it seems harder/longer to get hired all of a sudden despite what you've described -- "highly relevant experience" and a few years in the industry -- it's quite possible that you're competing with MORE ENGINEERS for that position just now. And as I hiring manager, I know dam well the resume quality has jumped and there are more quality resumes than I've seen in the recent past. "Ah-HA! I finally have some leverage over the applicant pool! I'm gonna be picky!"