just-ferment-it-101's journey

I’ve been on quite the rollercoaster in my job search as a senior product designer in NYC. Over the past 15 months, I've made it to the finalist stage 9 times, which is both impressive and disheartening. Each time, I feel like I'm so close, yet I walk away empty-handed. I know I've stumbled a bit during some onsite interviews, especially with whiteboard challenges and behavioral questions, but I can't help but feel that there's something more at play. The competition is fierce, and it feels like the hardest job to land, especially when I see others who have worked at big names like Amazon and Meta seemingly moving up the ladder without much trouble. I’ve been in this industry for 7 years, and I’m starting to wonder if I’m missing something crucial in my approach. If anyone else is going through a similar struggle or has any advice, I would really appreciate it. I just want to feel validated and know that I’m not alone in this challenging job market.