it sounds like i was in your position almost 2 years before covid hit and i think that mattered because i cluelessly decided to pursue software development and i was told by a few hiring managers in interviews that they were scraping the bottom of the barrel in hiring software developers during covid. in my ignorance i didn't realize how difficult it is to get a software developer position and i think covid is the only thing that ended my 2 year long job search; given the lack of responses in my applications over the last year.

ever since then, i've learned that it's more unstable career field if you don't have faang or ivy league or really good connections on your resume. if i had the ability: i would engage in much more networking.

i had to move away from silicon valley to a place where the bar was low enough to let me get a software developer position and also where corporations were being enticed by low taxes rates that created an artificially bigger need for software developers: austin, texas. the bar was low during covid and the bar is still lower compared to silicon valley, but getting narrower seemingly.

i'm also finding out that the almost 20 year old work history in my resume in IT & Software Development is atleast getting some people's attention when I apply now a days to IT jobs; but not in the tech hubs of this country and most of their pay rates haven't been updated since 2008.

silicon valley work tenures tend to run so much shorter than the rest of the country's that it becomes a problem for employers far away from silicon valley if you list your work history past 5 years.