I'm currently navigating the job search process for a software engineering position. My niece, who started as an intern software engineer a few years back, has had quite the journey. She was offered her internship without needing a CS degree, which was impressive given the rigorous selection process. Since then, she's been pursuing her CS degree online and is set to graduate at the end of this year. During her time at the company, she quickly climbed the ranks from intern to intermediate engineer and then became a functional owner, making her the first intermediate engineer to achieve that status. In just two years, she was promoted to senior software engineer and then to lead software engineer. However, her experience has mostly been with legacy backend systems, which she feels limits her exposure to modern technologies. A few months ago, she decided to seek out a position that would allow her to work with more contemporary tech, specifically one that utilizes AI for coding. The application process has been intense, involving numerous interviews, assessments, and even a project submission. Initially, she applied for an intermediate position, but her application was later upgraded to a senior role due to her performance in the earlier stages. She had her final interview last week, but since then, there's been radio silence from the company. This uncertainty is weighing heavily on her, and honestly, it's stressing me out too. The job search landscape has changed so much since I was looking for work; back then, it was much simpler with just one interview to determine your fate. Now, it feels like a marathon.