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Hey fellow dev, The job search has been rough these past couple of months. Ever since the H1B visa tax changes, I’ve seen an uptick in interview requests, but landing offers is still proving to be a real challenge. Many companies have packed interview calendars, which makes scheduling and momentum tough. Out of all the interviews I’ve done, I’ve only made it to one on-site so far. In one case, an interviewer even called in sick mid-interview, so I had to reschedule. One company had me go through three phone interviews. The recruiter later told me they’re considering down-leveling me because I don’t have experience with Java Spring—even though I’ve been solid on the technical side. They want one more phone round to “get more signal.” I’ve noticed a pattern: when the phone screen is purely technical, I tend to do well—about half the time I make it to the onsite. But I’ve never cleared a hiring manager screening round in my entire career. Ironically, I’ve passed hiring manager interviews during onsites, probably because they’ve already seen strong technical feedback by then. Over the past month, I’ve been working on STAR-formatting my past impact stories and aligning them with the usual “ideal corporate teammate” attributes. Still, I’m not sure if I’m hitting the mark. One recent hiring manager screen was especially tricky. It was a 30-minute video call. The first half was standard—what I’ve worked on, what technologies I’ve used. Then came the curveball: “Is there anything you don’t like about your current company or would want to change?” I figured dodging it would tank the interview, so I answered honestly. I said that if I were to start a company, I’d invest more in engineering processes and development environment, since I currently spend about 20% of my time firefighting. He followed up by asking what I’ve done about it. For the record, I had raised concerns with my manager (who brushed them off). I told the interviewer that I’ve been pushing for simplification in all aspect. I’ve seen this pattern before—where the interviewer asks what language I prefer for the next step in the interview process (I said Python), and it feels like a setup to give me false hope. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but these interviews are really tough when you’re not naturally social or charismatic. I guess I’m wondering: am I overthinking this? Or are hiring managers just extra picky right now? I’d love to hear how others have navigated this, especially if you’ve struggled with the same kind of behavioral hurdles. Thanks for reading. ------------------------------------ I've been employed a lot. I have an internship follow by 4 full time positions. ------------------------------------ For future Redditors... I just pass my first hiring manager screening in 2025. This year the job market is horrible so made me overthink. 1. Simile and look at camera. 2. Talk slower (don't be neverous). 3. Don't over think. If you are trying to the best of your abilities and they still reject you it's okay. 4. Bring a slide deck of projects to make communication easier.