TL;DR
We usually see a job search as applying, interviewing, and hopefully getting an offer. But there is a lot happening around those steps that...
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Good post about job searching! 😄 In Japan, using AI for job searches is common among both employers and employees. Recently, some people also use AI during interviews, and this is becoming a problem. I think the job search process will change because of AI. 🤔
Ohh yes, I actually heard about AI being used during interviews when I was in the US too. And I agree, I think AI is already changing the job search in a lot of ways, not just how people apply but the interviews themselves too. It’ll be interesting to see how this keeps changing over time 😄
Great detailed post about job search! My guidance is KISS
I focus on final decision:
My past experience on Job search thenkfully happend more than 3 years ago before the AI area. I also talk with lot of company, and the finall decision which one is selected, is based on my further goals speciel until that I am working hungarian company, talk with hungarian language which is very lazy for me, bu I would like apply a international company to learn english on the spot ( I am 53 years on that moment and my communication skill, how to say: very limited ). So I choose the TCS, where this possibility was given.
Right now I summarize my CV in one line with one line mental map. Plus give a tons of publush where can check how I thinking, what I can maded. Thats why I put dev.to posts to my github profile
I can show my coding skill any time with my terminal
Thank you, Peter! Ohh TCS, I actually didn't know they were hiring where you are. I'm from India, so TCS is a very familiar name here 😀
And I loved how you have your dev.to posts on your GitHub! I never thought of adding them there, but now your GitHub profile is giving me some inspiration 😄
Lot of my collegue from India of curse
Hema, I liked how you took what actually stood out to you from Alisa's article rather than turning it into a summary. The behavioral interview part especially caught my attention. It’s easy to think that knowing your own experience means you’ll automatically be able to talk about it in an interview, but finding the right example when you're put on the spot is a different thing altogether. I also liked how you brought the emotional side into the post instead of focusing only on interview preparation. 🙂
Thank you Shubhra 😃 Yeah, the emotional side was something I really wanted to include. I feel like we talk so much about preparing for interviews and getting a job, but I don't see people talk about the emotional part as much.
And especially when you're searching for a job, I think it's very easy to feel like you can't stop or rest because you haven't found a job yet. I really wanted to say that it's okay to take a break too. You still matter even while you're searching 💙
This really captures something people often underestimate: getting the interview and being ready for the interview are two different problems.
One thing I’d add from my own perspective is that job searching can become a feedback loop if you treat every interview as data. After each round, note what you struggled to explain, which questions exposed weak areas, and where you were confident. Then use that to prepare for the next one instead of starting from zero every time.
I also liked the point about preparation not becoming your entire life. It’s easy to turn every free hour into “I should be applying or studying,” but that usually becomes unsustainable very quickly.
Good article. The parts around stamina, incomplete information, and the emotional side felt especially realistic.
Yeah, so true! Treating each interview as data is such a good way to look at it. We can actually take something from each one instead of just thinking about whether we got the job or not.
And the “I should be applying or studying” feeling is so real. It can become unsustainable very quickly if we don't give ourselves a break too. Thank you for sharing this 😀
Hema, thank you for this one. Point 2 matched my own year. Some outcomes depend on the other side of the table. This year a role I applied for said no because of my location. It was not about my skill. My cover letter named the location question directly. The answer stayed the same. I learned to state the obstacle early, then let the result go. Your point 16 is right too. The emotional side is real work.
Sometimes we can do everything from our side and it still depends on things we have no control over. Sorry that happened with the role, Daniel. Also, “state the obstacle early, then let the result go”, I think that's something a lot of us need to remind ourselves of during a job search.
"You can know something and still not be ready to demonstrate it." That line right there. That is not you being underprepared. Your subconscious decides how safe you are through a filter called the RAS. A panel, a timer, and a job riding on it reads as a threat, so it clamps, and what you know gets stuck behind the alarm. More prep does not unlock it by itself.
You cannot logic that open with one more mock interview. Your brain is a neural network trained on every room where being evaluated felt dangerous. Old data says brace. New experiences are the only update.
So train outside the prep doc too. Genuine compliment to a stranger. Cool shoes, nice jacket, whatever you actually notice. When that is easy, add how's your day going. Does not matter how it lands. The action is the win, not the offer letter. When one room gets easy, find a harder one. That is how interview stamina stops being a fight with your own body and what you know actually shows up.
Yeahh, so true 😀 I started putting myself out there more too, instead of trying to prepare for everything. It helped a lot with the overthinking, and I could actually focus on what was happening instead of worrying about what might happen.
That's it right there. Putting yourself out there is what tells your brain the room isn't a threat, so the overthinking has nothing to grab onto and you can actually be present. Keep stacking those reps.
If you have been through a job search yourself, I would love to hear about your experience too. What did you learn along the way? What helped you? What do you wish you had known earlier? Feel free to share it in the comments so others can learn from your experience too ❤️
Here goes one of my tips, actually 2 of them 😄
First, please take care of yourself through the process. Whatever is happening with your job search, remember that you matter too. Love yourself a little extra during this time ❤️ I know this is very easy for me to say from my side, especially when you are actually going through it, but please try to do it. Take a break when you need one, get some sleep, eat properly, talk to people you love, and don't be too hard on yourself.
Second, keep some kind of tracker for your job search. A Notion page, Google Sheet, or honestly anything that works for you. I know this is probably one of the most shared tips out there, but I still think it is one of the best ones.
Some interview processes can take months, and after a while you may not remember everything. Who you spoke to, what happened in each round, what you wanted to follow up on, which recruiter said what, or even what you struggled with in an earlier interview. Having your notes and everything in one place can really help.
These might sound like very simple things, but I think they can make the whole process a little easier.
hema, this is beautiful. i’m 12 so i’m not job hunting yet, but point #6 and #17 hit me hard as an indie builder.
"you can know something and still not be ready to demonstrate it." i built an ai ecosystem on my $150 phone, but until i started writing these dev.to articles and defending my architecture in the comments, it was just code in my head. demonstrating it to the world is a totally different muscle.
and point #17 is the reality check i needed today. i’m in kunnathur for a family holiday and i’ve been glued to my screen shipping features all morning. i need to put the phone down and actually enjoy the current chapter.
thanks for writing this. the emotional side matters, even for builders. 💙🐯
Aww, thank you Harun 🧡 And honestly, building all that on a $150 phone is pretty impressive 😀
And yes, please put that phone down for a bit and enjoy your family holiday 😄 The features will still be there when you get back. Hope you have a really good time in Kunnathur!