Pre-COVID, a cornerstone of my career progression has been "go where the money is". You can also say that as "go where the jobs are". That only gets you so fa

Pre-COVID, a cornerstone of my career progression has been "go where the money is". You can also say that as "go where the jobs are". That only gets you so far, but it can get you pretty far relative to where you started. I think that advice still applies, but maybe less so now than say 18 months ago. To speak to OP's point, I'd suggest not confusing a lack of opportunity w/ a lack of ability. Interviewing is inefficient, as is trying to impress people you don't know. It's hard to find a good job where there's a ton of opportunity, and I'd struggle with the thought of having to compete for relatively few jobs, too.