Comment by wmeredith

> The front door is poisoned right now

This is so true. Automation and LLMs have made trying to hire right now a total shitshow and getting hired is even worse due to the above factors + the unstable economic climate. Referrals are 10x more important than they have ever been, and they were already pretty important. It's always been mostly about who you know. Now it is even more so.

*Anecdotal Data*

I (18 YOE) just went through a 14 month job search after being laid off in 2024. I applied for 176 roles. Of those, I estimate 60% were a great fit, 40% were good and the rest were throwing stuff at the wall. I got 6 interviews, 6 follow ups, 2 completions of the entire interview process, and 1 job offer which I took and is thankfully amazing.

All interviews landed, excepting one, I had referrals for. The cliff to get the interview is the steepest it's ever been. Past that stage things seem to be about the same.