Ask HN: Who's getting their job applications rejected?

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Software engineers and other tech workers report widespread rejections, ghosting, and lowball offers despite strong credentials, reflecting a sharply tougher hiring climate than during the 2021–2022 boom. Commenters point to factors such as post-bubble overcapacity, higher interest rates, remote-enabled global hiring, stricter retention expectations, and overwhelming applicant volumes that push companies toward crude filters and “take it or leave it” offers. While some hiring managers confirm they are swamped with qualified candidates for fewer roles, others argue this is a cyclical correction from an abnormal bubble rather than a permanent collapse in tech opportunities.

State of the Job Market

  • Many report a sharp deterioration vs. 2021–2022: fewer roles, more applicants, lower offers, more ghosting.
  • Several describe “employer’s market” dynamics: take‑it‑or‑leave‑it offers, frozen or reduced salaries, and long funnels (100+ applicants → ~1 hire).
  • Some see this as a normalization after a ZIRP‑fueled bubble and over‑hiring; others say it feels like a recession specifically for tech.
  • A minority argues macro data still looks “fine” and that expectations were distorted by boom times.

Candidate Experiences

  • Senior engineers, PMs, ML/quant specialists, and sysadmins with strong pedigrees report:
    • Dozens to hundreds of applications with few responses.
    • Multiple interview loops ending in rejection, nitpicky coding‑test feedback, or last‑minute lowballing.
    • Ghosting at every stage, including after final rounds and even with referrals.
  • Some juniors and mid‑levels feel squeezed out by more experienced candidates now in the same pool.
  • Remote‑only preferences and short job stints can trigger automatic rejections in some orgs.

Hiring Manager & Company Perspectives

  • Many companies have hiring freezes, backfills denied, or strong pressure to “do more with less.”
  • Inbound volume is overwhelming (hundreds–thousands of applicants per posting), driving:
    • Crude filters, ATS use, and “first X resumes only.”
    • More emphasis on tenure and perceived long‑term commitment.
  • Some blame poor retention on companies (pay, growth, culture); others filter out frequent job‑hoppers.

Remote Work, Offshoring & Compensation

  • Multiple founders/managers say they now hire in Eastern Europe/LatAm/India for a fraction of US/UK salaries, often via contractor models.
  • Some see remote work as having backfired on Western devs by globalizing the talent pool and compressing salaries.
  • Others note prior outsourcing waves often under‑delivered, so long‑term impact is unclear.

AI, Skills & Roles

  • A few argue AI reduces need for juniors and rewards senior, architectural, and domain skills; others fear near‑term unemployability.
  • Sysadmins and “fixers” feel devalued relative to cloud/devops/web‑stack checklists but are advised to upskill (cloud, Terraform, React, etc.).

Advice & Coping Strategies

  • Common suggestions: massively widen application funnel, lean on networking/referrals, tailor resumes, build visible projects, consider non‑glamour geographies or even career pivots.
  • Some urge starting a business or side projects—though others note that’s only realistic with savings or support.