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Anecdote: I'm at a 0% hit rate over ~60 applications the last month. I'm not really actively looking so I'm not hand-tailoring each app, just moreso looking to

Anecdote: I'm at a 0% hit rate over ~60 applications the last month. I'm not really actively looking so I'm not hand-tailoring each app, just moreso looking to interview to keep those skills sharp. This is down from a ~75% hit rate on cold applications, also not hand-tailored, pre-pandemic. It's still rough out there.

Ancalagon 3y ago
Also seeing this. Thats with 7 solid years of experience (granted, non-FAANG). Whats really deceiving is I am actually getting tons of inmail. I respond to most with my contact info, times to talk, and my resume, and almost none progress beyond a initial phone call with the recruiter, if even that.
- neilv 3y ago
  Recruiters need to be recruiting, even if they don't currently have job openings, or even clients. Your resume is the product. Right now, if an initial contact is from a recruiter, rather than management at the company, I'm probably not going to take it very seriously.
- dutchCourage 3y ago
  Similar experience here. I thought with about 10 years of experience working on the web, and 5 of those working on large React projects, I could finally be more picky with my next role. I was wrong, I'm struggling more now than as a junior.
neilv 3y ago
I wish the frequent advice to interview even when not actively looking, to keep interviewing/Leetcoding skills sharp... would stop. It's bad for the people at the company. And it's bad for the people who are genuinely job-hunting. And it's bad for people who do it, because they'll surely end up spending commensurate time in purgatory. If we all apply only to places where we're genuinely interested, that's good for everyone.
- Ancalagon 3y ago
  Ok but how does that benefit me though? By not interviewing I don't keep my skills sharp, so that if and when I lose my current job I'll need more time to ramp back up those leetcode skills. I also might be missing out on a good job market or pay raise if I haven't checked my market value in a while.
  - neilv 3y ago
    I think this is partly the fault of our utterly BS dysfunctional industry culture around interviewing. Maybe the individuals who want to bad-faith or casual interviewing... could limit themselves to the companies that are bad-faith on their own end?
- jwestbury 3y ago
  The problem, of course, is that interviewing is a separate skill from doing the job in our industry (and in others, but it's especially bad in tech). That means the only way to keep your interview skills sharp is to interview.

Ancalagon 3y ago

Also seeing this. Thats with 7 solid years of experience (granted, non-FAANG). Whats really deceiving is I am actually getting tons of inmail. I respond to most with my contact info, times to talk, and my resume, and almost none progress beyond a initial phone call with the recruiter, if even that.

neilv 3y ago
Recruiters need to be recruiting, even if they don't currently have job openings, or even clients. Your resume is the product. Right now, if an initial contact is from a recruiter, rather than management at the company, I'm probably not going to take it very seriously.
dutchCourage 3y ago
Similar experience here. I thought with about 10 years of experience working on the web, and 5 of those working on large React projects, I could finally be more picky with my next role. I was wrong, I'm struggling more now than as a junior.

neilv 3y ago

I wish the frequent advice to interview even when not actively looking, to keep interviewing/Leetcoding skills sharp... would stop. It's bad for the people at the company. And it's bad for the people who are genuinely job-hunting. And it's bad for people who do it, because they'll surely end up spending commensurate time in purgatory. If we all apply only to places where we're genuinely interested, that's good for everyone.

Ancalagon 3y ago
Ok but how does that benefit me though? By not interviewing I don't keep my skills sharp, so that if and when I lose my current job I'll need more time to ramp back up those leetcode skills. I also might be missing out on a good job market or pay raise if I haven't checked my market value in a while.
- neilv 3y ago
  I think this is partly the fault of our utterly BS dysfunctional industry culture around interviewing. Maybe the individuals who want to bad-faith or casual interviewing... could limit themselves to the companies that are bad-faith on their own end?
jwestbury 3y ago
The problem, of course, is that interviewing is a separate skill from doing the job in our industry (and in others, but it's especially bad in tech). That means the only way to keep your interview skills sharp is to interview.