I’ve been feeling pretty desperate lately. After moving to the EU to pursue my passion in the games industry, I landed my first job at 35, which felt like a victory at the time. I left a stable but unfulfilling tech job in California, thinking I was making a positive change. However, now I find myself eight months unemployed, and the job market in Germany for games is virtually non-existent. The impact of AI and post-COVID greed has really shaken things up in the industry. I’ve noticed more job opportunities in neighboring countries, but they often require relocation or are hybrid roles that I can't pursue since I’m married and my life is here. I’ve had a few recruiters reach out about relocating, but that’s just not an option for me. It’s disheartening to think I might not even qualify for a job at McDonald's given how tough the situation is. I’m trying to broaden my search into product management, as my experience in gaming has involved owning various product areas, even if I’ve never held the official title. Unfortunately, my CV seems to get rejected right away, or I’m left waiting with no response. Right now, I’m anxiously waiting to hear back from two potential opportunities after months of silence, but I’m not feeling very confident about them. If they don’t work out, I’ll be back to square one, and I really don’t know what to do next.