“I have applied to over 850 companies… but I have no motivation to prepare for interviews.”The quote, shared anonymously on Reddit, resonated with thousands of software engineers and recent graduates in one of the toughest hiring markets in recent years.This article isn’t just about rejection. This reflects something many young professionals are quietly struggling with — burnout that comes with the job search itself. Hundreds of applications, months of uncertainty, interviews that don’t follow any predictable pattern, and the constant fear of falling behind have left many wondering if they’re preparing themselves with the right skills.
850 job applications for software engineers spark debate in today’s hiring market
Eight months, hundreds of applications, and only eight interview calls
The software engineer, who has about a year of internship experience and six months of full-time back-end development experience, said he has applied to more than 850 companies.Of these, only eight companies responded.Some interviews result in an offer, while others end without any communication from the recruiter. He claimed that he ultimately received job offers from organizations whose work-life balance did not meet his expectations.The experience made him question everything.He admitted that he had gradually stopped practicing Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) because most interviewers paid little attention to them.Instead, interviews revolve around practical, role-specific discussions.“They didn’t even ask any questions about the projects on my resume,” he wrote, adding that the interviewers were more interested in basic logical thinking, back-end concepts and simple low-level design discussions than competitive programming questions.For someone who has spent months preparing for traditional technical interviews, the experience can be confusing.
‘The recruitment manual appears to be broken’
The post quickly attracted hundreds of comments from engineers, recruiters and job seekers who said they faced similar struggles.An experienced software engineer observes that the industry is currently facing a strange paradox.“On the one hand, companies are not finding quality candidates to fill their positions. On the other hand, candidates are not getting callbacks or job offers because their skills don’t match the company’s expectations. Our situation is very strange.Some users believe there is no single formula for cracking interviews anymore.Some companies emphasize DSA and system design. Others focus almost entirely on practical knowledge relevant to the role. Startups may prioritize problem-solving skills, while larger organizations often evaluate communication, ownership, and teamwork alongside technical expertise.Many commenters believed that this unpredictability itself has become one of the biggest challenges for applicants.
“Don’t let eight interviews define the market”
Perhaps the most encouraging responses came from professionals who had been through a similar phase.One recently laid-off engineer admitted that repeated rejections after multiple rounds of interviews left him mentally exhausted.Another user summed up the uncertainty of today’s recruiting landscape with a simple message:“Move on. It all changed on a random Tuesday night.”The original poster was also reminded that eight interviews are not representative of the entire job market.One commenter advised him to take the best opportunity, keep applying elsewhere and keep preparing for interviews without putting too much pressure on himself.Some community members also shared lists of remote work platforms and international job sites, encouraging him to broaden his search rather than relying solely on traditional job portals.
What students and recent graduates can learn
For engineering students and recent graduates, the discussion provides an important reality check.Preparing for programming interviews is still valuable, but recruiters are increasingly looking to more than just LeetCode scores. Practical skills, internships, communication, back-end concepts, cloud technologies, debugging abilities and understanding of real-world software systems have become equally important in many organizations.Another lesson is psychological.Today’s job search is no longer a numbers game, and every application is guaranteed a response. Rejections often reflect market conditions, hiring freezes, or changes in business priorities rather than the candidate’s ability.Career experts often advise graduates to continue learning, continue building projects, seek feedback after interviews when possible, and remain flexible about their first role.Your first job may not always be the ideal job, but it can be a stepping stone to your dreams.The anonymous Reddit post may have started out as a plea for help, but the responses it received served as a powerful reminder to the thousands of young professionals who read it: In today’s job market, resilience can be as important as technical skills.Disclaimer: This article is based on a public discussion on Reddit. The experiences shared are the personal opinions of individual users and may not represent the hiring practices of all companies or the broader technology industry.
