[ostenning]

The markets, along with the world economy are undergoing substantial change.

Its crunch time for lots of people in the west - and if you have a bog standard web development job with little specialization, you will be competing with huge numbers of people to get work, including all of those recent juniors entering the market because of the boot camps they did a couple of years ago when things were frothy. These jobs still exist - but competition will be more fierce.

There are many things you can do proactively - and its important to stay proactive, even if you feel defeated. Maybe getting another FTE job isn't for you right now, then sidestep, find a side-hussle, or train up another skill and diversify in yourself so you can build back better and not be left vulnerable next time this happens.

I think developers generally speaking overly invest in just development and computer-science, but there are metric shit-tonnes of ways to make money in this world. If you don't know any other way, learn some other way. Find some other domain of knowledge you always wanted to learn, and learn it, then figure out ways to create small businesses to monetize on it.

[notsurenymore]

> If you don't know any other way, learn some other way. Find some other domain of knowledge you always wanted to learn, and learn it, then figure out ways to create small businesses to monetize on it.

I can “learn” anything. What I cannot do is synthesize years of experience in some other domain. Most jobs are not like web development. They are not interested in outsiders or people who lack traditional credentials and experience in their exact field.

[jstarfish]

> What I cannot do is synthesize years of experience in some other domain. [...] They are not interested in outsiders or people who lack traditional credentials and experience in their exact field.

This is the third thread about this same topic that you've posted. I get that you're desperate, but what else are you doing with your time?

You say employers are ghosting you and you express belief that it's because you're not ticking the right boxes. What are you doing to make yourself more marketable so you can tick those boxes?

"Years of experience" is arbitrary and negotiable. Employers routinely make dumbass demands like 5+ years of experience in tech that only launched last night. If you really can "learn" anything, you're going to have to step up your showmanship and convince them of that during the interview. On paper you're competing with people falsifying and exaggerating such backgrounds altogether.

(If you're serious about becoming an airplane mechanic, consider the military. They're hurting for recruits, and your lack of a degree would ironically put you on the vocational track. They also provide housing.)

[kridsdale3]

Have you considered taking out student loans, living meagerly for a few years, and getting the credential? At that point, you've cleared a very selective automated filtration mechanism holding you back and your prior experience would launch you. Plus, by then, the economy will be better.

[swsdsailor]

Agree. Things are very unstable and undergoing significant change. I don't think anything will coalesce until after November 2024 at the earliest. Even still, plan for long term uncertainty.

1) stay hopeful and positive, and preserve existing relationships. 2) expand your social network by attending free in-person clubs, events, etc. this is where you'll find your job. anything where people gather repeatedly over time, so you can make real connections. 3) lower financial expectations and take any job. cash flow is important in times like this.

Keep looking online also, but I suspect you'll find your next opportunity through old fashioned in-person networking.

It may not seem like it, but skilled developers really are hard to find. You want to be that lucky break for someone.

[tayo42]

> learn some other way. Find some other domain of knowledge you always wanted to learn, and learn it

This is a multi-year commitment. Look at how long it is to go to school for a degree