I feel incredibly lucky that I haven't actually applied for any programming job since my first. I've walked through the back door into my last 4 employers throu

I feel incredibly lucky that I haven't actually applied for any programming job since my first. I've walked through the back door into my last 4 employers through my network. I'm 20 years in. Don't get me wrong, I'm still interviewing, but the process has moved incredibly fast for me every single time I put it out to my network that I was open. Just this year, in fact, I put it out that I was looking, on a Tuesday, and I had multiple phone screens set up by that Thursday and Friday. Interviews with 5 companies the following week, followed up by additional interviews that same week, and ultimately I had 3 offers and accepted a new position inside of 10 days. I wish everyone could have this sort of experience because I have the sense that (from my own personal experience, to some degree, but especially anecdotes like the OP) that it's a really, really rough out there for most people.