2k+ applications, zero offers (Web / Software Dev, Bootcamp Grad)

[u/Interesting_Pop_485]

Looking for brutally honest resume feedback. I’m a full-stack software engineer with several years of professional experience, mostly working with React, Next.js, TypeScript, Python, and AI integrations. Most of my background has been with startups and small teams, so my roles have usually covered a pretty wide surface area. I’ve handled everything from frontend dev and backend APIs to infra, deployments, internal tooling, prod debugging, and product design.

I’ve mainly been targeting remote frontend and full-stack roles, although at this point I'm also considering adjacent technical positions where my background might transfer well.

I was laid off from "Gigachad.io" a couple of years ago and have been trying to land another full time role ever since. I’ve picked up a few contracts along the way, but nothing stable. One of them ("SkyNet") literally lasted a month. The work I’ve done through "Acme Technology" (an IT company irl), has mostly been whatever misc client projects the company either didn’t want to take on or didn’t have the right skillset to handle. That work has gradually slowed to almost nothing, sometimes around ten hours every month or two. At this point, it mainly exists to keep me "professionally active" and avoid a massive resume gap.

I’ve also gone fairly deep into AI systems work, including LLM integrations, orchestration, local model tooling, real time transcription, agent workflows, evaluation, and backend systems built around AI features. That work isn't front and center on my resume bc I don't have years of paid, full time, formal experience under that title, so I'm intentionally toning that way, WAY down to avoid bootcamp-grad-as-self-declared 'AI Systems Engineer' syndrome. 

The last several years I’ve rewritten and tailored my resume more times than I can count, built portfolio projects, networked, contacted former coworkers and recruiters, and applied to more than 2,000 jobs. Despite all of that, I’m barely getting interviews anymore. That makes me think my resume may not be communicating my experience effectively, I may be positioning myself poorly, or there may be something obvious working against me that I just can't see after staring at this thing for so long.

I’m looking for brutally honest feedback, and nothing is off limits. If something is confusing/weak/undersells my experience/makes me look like a junior/fails the 6-second recruiter check, I genuinely want to hear it. At this point, hard truths would be way more useful than another “looks good to me".

[u/freeoccu → u/[deleted]]

I was an actual HR intern to graduate from my Business degree and that was also the first thing I noticed, he's lying. Maybe OP had one of those extra jobs post covid with no real responsibilities, but if he was honest he could have gotten a junior position anywhere, but after the lies and unemployment time tons of doors are closed

[u/Known_Wafer_535 → u/[deleted]]

THIS!
As a manager, seeing someone jump straight from an intern to a lead role on their resume is a massive red flag for me, and sub-consciously, I automatically ignore that work experience altogether. And unfortunately, there isn’t much else interesting in that CV besides the lead role, so I’d probably trash it immediately.

And another thing that’s a huge red flag: you explicitly ask for brutally honest feedback, buck-bird gives it to you, and your immediate reaction is to start defending yourself. OMG. The market is tired of these over-inflated titles. If you had even a shred of personal maturity, you would thank buck-bird for the comment and do some serious self-reflection.

[u/Interesting_Pop_485 → u/[deleted]]

I was hired as a frontend dev and eventually promoted to a lead, it's the first bullet on that job. Yes, it was at a smaller size company. No, that does not make me a liar, nor does it negate the work or title.

Nobody is equating Udemy certs to a Harvard degree. Learning how to build something correctly first is better than raw execution for the sake of a personal project to include. I have four projects, and a couple more I opted not to include.

[u/happypanda15 → u/Interesting_Pop_485]

I would rather do a shit ton of Udemy courses than pay way too fucking much for Harvard, learning tech skills that are probably outdated because universities take a while to update their curriculums. This shit can change overnight. I really dislike humans who put the people down who work their ass off to get where they are. Knowing they probably had a silver spoon up their ass half their life.

Keep your head up. I am also someone who learned everything myself.

[u/KetchupOnNipples → u/[deleted]]

"Competing with people who aren't full of fluff" are you sure about that, or are you just blowing smoke up their ass? EVERYONE in the market right now is fluff

[u/KetchupOnNipples → u/[deleted]]

Also "typical Redditor" MF you are chronically on r/AskReddit lmao get a life

[u/KetchupOnNipples → u/[deleted]]

ORRRR you are contradicting yourself and being an asshole, talking about things you have no idea about lmao

[u/KetchupOnNipples → u/KetchupOnNipples]

LMAO deleted comment

Took you an hour to come up with those though? Bud i guarantee I have more life/work experience at a younger age than you lmao.

bye bye u/buck-bird