Since January 1 of this year, I've been actively job hunting and have gone through a series of interviews and work tests, but the results have been disheartening. With just one year of full-time work experience, I've managed to get past the application stage with 16 organizations and am currently in progress with one more. Here's a breakdown of my journey so far: - I completed a work test but was rejected afterward. - I also went through a paid work test, which ended in rejection. - I faced a short screener with a founder and was rejected. - After passing three rounds of online tests, I was rejected after the first interview. The feedback was that my alignment with the role was good, but other candidates were deemed more correct and insightful during the problem-solving portion. - I had to decline an interview for a traineeship due to start date conflicts. - I was rejected after a first interview for a part-time job. - I passed a work test but was rejected after a one-way asynchronous interview. After these experiences, I decided to invest in interview coaching to improve my chances: - I received an internship offer after three interviews but declined it due to the interviewers badmouthing the company, an insultingly low hourly rate, and the fact that it wasn't a permanent position. - I was rejected after a first interview with a hiring manager who hadn't even read my resume. - I was told they would circle back for an autumn hiring cohort, but ultimately, that didn't lead anywhere. - One interview ended early due to start date and location requirements. - I faced another rejection after an HR screener. - I was praised for my interview and work test performance, but ultimately rejected because they thought I’d be a better fit elsewhere, citing my lack of direct experience in their specific work environment. - I faced multiple rejections after HR screeners and first interviews. - The organization that said they would circle back eventually rejected me after a second interview, stating they couldn't see the underlying analysis behind my recommendations in a case-style interview. - I passed a work test but was rejected after an HR screener. - Finally, I passed an HR screener and took a work test, only to be rejected because they opted for candidates with more experience. All these roles were generalist and non-technical, and honestly, this bottlenecking makes me feel like I may never get my life off the ground.