The Journey Begins

I know I’m not alone in this. There are millions of others in even tougher situations, facing higher stakes than I am. By all standards, I have an amazing life—a strong support system, a wonderful circle of friends, and a mentor who has invested his time and energy in helping me grow. My friends keep an eye out for opportunities for me, and a fiance that has made life brighter and more wonderful each and every day that has passed. I say all of this not to brag, but to really emphasize that I am actively taking inventory of my blessings and I do not take them for granted in the slightest.

And yet, 157 job applications over the past six months—countless cover letters, endless scrolling, and constant résumé tweaks—only to be met with rejection, or worse, silence, is wearing on my spirit. It’s tough to hold onto optimism and self-worth while navigating this automated job market.The other day, I heard a radio ad from a recruiting firm boasting about their “improved hiring process, streamlined with AI technology.” Translation: “We’ve reduced human involvement in hiring, meaning fewer humans hiring humans. Oh, and those we laid off? They’re now just more competition in an already oversaturated market.”

It’s tough out there. So what do we do with that?

Finding Hope in a Shifting Market

While I’m struggling to land my first tech job, I see others launching new companies and initiatives—creating the very opportunities I’m searching for. As mid-level and senior programmers re-enter the job market, they bring experience, resilience, and the drive to succeed. That’s exciting. The more small companies that emerge from this shift, the more opportunities open up for everyone.

The Importance of Persistence

If you truly want to succeed, you will. It’s just a matter of time. How much time do you spend on side projects or portfolio work? Do you create things just for fun? After the hardest semester of my collegiate career, I needed a reset. So, I built a ridiculous website: https://johalloran01.github.io/MeatyCanyonEyes/ . I got a chance to combine my own sense of humor with some really cool math and graphics! It was a reminder that I love what I do, when I get chances to do it. I know I will succeed. It will just take time. While patience is difficult, it’s not impossible to master.

This is a longer entry, but I wanted to document my feelings at the start of this journey. One day, I’ll look back and see how right (or spectacularly wrong) I was. Either way, I’ll have grown.