[666b20753a29]

Nothing– I was under the assumption that 'the job market was on fire' and 'there is an endless need for devs' and that 'just keep going, you'll make it!'

Up until today, I was following naively optimistic advice from recruiters on my bootcamp's alumni network, without considering where their incentives lie.

I now realise that they're incentivised to encourage their alumni beyond truth, to never give up, because persistence is on average the best heuristic for getting a job (or doing anything, for that matter).

What I failed to consider was the nuance in my particular situation. I didn't research much, I just leaned into the job search, always trying to avoid inaction and premature optimization like a cancer. I 'put my head down' and 'kept grinding'. I now can see the dogma of persistence and how futile the last few months have been. Thankfully, this isn't much time in the grand scheme of things. C'est la vie.