Moving forward, and being hopeful

I’m approaching the six-month mark since leaving my last job (design manager at a software consultancy), a decision driven by my wife’s new job opportunity in a different city. Everything people say about the current tech job market is true—it’s apocalyptic. There’s no point in listing how many applications I’ve submitted; just know that it’s a lot. Currently, I’m struggling to get past recruiters. I often get an initial response, but rarely move on to the next phase.

The frustration brewing inside me stems from the black-box nature of this market. How does one stand out? One person suggests posting more on LinkedIn, while another dismisses it as contributing to the pile of AI-generated sludge that clutters the platform. After conversations with recruiters, I’ve asked for feedback on how I could improve, only to be met with silence. Some recruiters even ghost me entirely after initial discussions.

Adding to the complexity is the question of what a design portfolio should be in today’s market. Should it be a straightforward, vanilla presentation of my work? Or should it reflect not only my skills as a designer, but also who I am as a person? Does anyone even care about that? How much time do hiring managers actually spend looking at portfolios? When I was hiring, my time spent reviewing portfolios was fairly limited.

Everywhere I turn for advice, there’s an overwhelming trove of information—but much of it is contradictory or detached from reality. For instance, we’re told to reach out to hiring managers after submitting applications. Yet, out of all my attempts, only one has ever responded. I continue to write cover letters and genuinely try to personalize them, but I can’t help but wonder: do they even get read?

Despite all this, I refuse to lose hope. I will find something. I have no choice but to keep pushing forward and not give up.