I’ve been feeling incredibly discouraged lately about my job search. I live in a high cost of living city and have been out of work for nearly a year after being laid off from my engineering role. Despite having a diverse background and experience in tech, I’ve sent out over 1000 tailored resumes and have recently started applying for non-tech jobs like retail and customer service, which I used to do. Unfortunately, I’m getting little to no response, and even after interviews, I often get ghosted. I’ve had a few positive experiences, like a test shift at a production line where I performed well, but I still haven’t heard back about a hiring decision. It’s frustrating because I feel like I could get hired much faster if I were an inexperienced college student rather than someone in my early 30s with a varied background. I’ve been trying to network, but the connections I’ve made haven’t led to much. The only job opportunity that came up was with someone I’m dating, which I’m hesitant about due to the potential complications. I feel stuck because my experience doesn’t seem to fit neatly into either tech or non-tech roles, and I’m losing my savings as I continue to search for work. I’ve considered going back to school, but it feels like a long shot at this point, especially since I’d need strong letters of recommendation that I’m struggling to obtain. I know I need to keep pushing forward, but it’s hard to stay motivated when I feel so fundamentally flawed in the eyes of potential employers.