How I "Love" the Hiring Process :)

Background:

It's no secret—the tech job market today is rough. You've probably seen tons of posts, tweets, and videos about it. Let’s quickly break down what caused this mess:

• COVID-19 hit, and everyone was locked inside—people and companies became more reliant on digital services.
• Central banks started printing money to stimulate the economy, and much of that flowed into tech companies.
• Tech companies scaled up massively, launching new products and hiring way more people than needed (I personally know folks hired in 2021 to Big Tech companies whose skill levels were honestly below average).
• Inflation hit, thanks to all the printed money and disrupted production.
• Central banks raised interest rates and stopped printing cash to fight inflation.
• Tech companies began massive layoffs, cutting many of the roles they had overhired for.
• Now, those laid-off folks—especially from big or mid-size tech—are competing again in an even tighter market.

Young Industry:

We shouldn’t forget that the IT industry is still relatively young—only about 20 years old in terms of large-scale production. Compared to more established industries, it’s like a young person: full of strong emotions, dramatic highs, and hard falls.
As a result, hiring processes, work conditions, and production methods are still dynamic and fragile, often lacking the maturity and experience found in older industries.

Inner Tech World:

Open YouTube and you’ll see endless videos glamorizing tech jobs—how amazing it is to be a software engineer earning $1M/year, chilling at work, and “changing the world.” Add to that the wave of tech influencers working at big firms who showcase the “real” life of engineers, all pushed to the top by the algorithm.

Big tech companies benefit from this hype. The more people rushing into tech, the more supply there is—so salaries can stay low, even as projects get more complex (shouldn’t that raise pay instead?).

On another note, some senior developers treat others with arrogance and toxicity, especially noticeable in parts of Eastern Europe. They act like you’re speaking to Turing, Korolev, or von Braun himself.

And then there’s the fallout: HR and managers, after dealing with enough developers with this “elite” attitude, often approach hiring with a twisted mindset. They know senior dev salaries are high, so they exploit junior and mid-level candidates instead, often with the help of senior devs. So, devs treated this way often repeat the pattern as seniors, creating an unbroken cycle.

Free internships? Sure.
Psychological tests that seem like they’re from the 19th century? Why not.
Multi-day take-home tasks with zero feedback? Of course.
I could keep listing these all day.

Also, I should mention the filters based on gender, name, age, and nationality. For example, if you have a passport from country X, but you’re originally from country Y, and you’re competing with someone from X for a job in X — even if you’re better in every way, they’ll obviously hire the local candidate.
And even if you’re half X and half Y, that won’t necessarily help either.
How I “love” all this... HAHAHA!

Of course, there are many great tech companies with supportive cultures and amazing people but those teams often fill up fast without even needing to post job ads. And let’s be honest: in toxic environments, people leave quickly. In healthy ones, they tend to stay.

How Candidates Navigate the Hiring Maze:

First of all—and most obviously—many add nonexistent experience to their résumé (anywhere from 1 to 3 years) just to avoid being filtered out by experience requirements. As I mentioned earlier, many mid and senior devs have been laid off. Imagine competing against someone from Expedia for an entry-level job.

It’s also common for newcomers to start with jobs related to tech—like sysadmin, QA, or even call center roles—just to get their foot in the door and eventually apply for internal job postings. (Many companies post jobs internally first before going public.)

People also:

• Buy courses and look for mentorship (from “great” or actually great devs).
• Pursue a master’s degree if they already have a CS bachelor's.
• Start a YouTube channel or write on platforms like Dev.to (as I do) to build your brand and attract better job offers.

Oh, I almost forgot—like many others advise, starting your own startup is another path. Yes, it’s much harder than it seems, but sometimes it feels easier for my mental health than dealing with the tech job hunt. Honestly, it can feel like you’re a homeless person begging for donations from potential employers.
I even realize we might reach a point where tech job seekers have to pay companies monthly just to get a chance—something I’ve seen happen in some countries based on personal experience.

What's Next:

Yes, as I mentioned earlier, the market is dynamic and fragile, so it will obviously change. With AI integration, more projects will emerge, increasing the need to hire people to maintain these systems and write the complex parts of the code—just like the invention of manufacturing machines created more jobs in factories.
Hopefully, things will get better :)

These are just my thoughts based on personal experience—I don’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings.
Hit the reaction that match how you feel — and follow me to explore more!

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