I recently had another tough experience in my job search as a software engineer with over 6 years of experience. I just failed an interview where I couldn't recall key definitions like 'stateless' in a REST API or 'consistency' in the CAP theorem, despite having worked with these concepts regularly. I rely heavily on my notes because I struggle to retain information, and it's frustrating when I prepare for interviews by studying various topics like JavaScript or SQL syntax, only to forget the basics during the actual interview. I've been interviewing for over a year and have faced rejections from more than 40 companies. This time, I felt completely relaxed, but it still didn't go well. I initially thought it was just nerves, but now I believe it's something deeper. I've received job offers, but they were from chaotic private equity firms with poor ratings or early-stage startups where the expectations seemed lower. I'm starting to feel resigned to the idea that I might have to settle for less desirable positions because I can't seem to land a role at a reputable company.