On March 20th I was fired from my previous job. I was not overly stressed since I had an offer for freelance work for a startup company for better pay.
I did some work for that company in March, got paid (eventually, in May) but still didn't get a contract to sign. I didn't hear anything back from them since the beginning of April. Since I have no idea what's the status on the startup I've since begun looking for a job in earnest.
I have redone my CV to reflect my enhanced skill set (since it was last updated in 2016 and I have learned a lot since then), I have reworked my Linkedin profile and joined lots of Facebook groups dedicated to hi-tech jobs.
I look at the jobs on Linkedin and Facebook daily but I only send out a handful of applications.
Part of the problem is that I'm not completely certain what it is I'm looking for. I have a wide skillset but its progression is nonlinear and I lack a degree in computer science that seem like the basic requirement in a lot of the jobs I'm looking at.
It doesn't help that I have 8 years experience as a programmer but in a language hardly anyone has heard of (Progress 4gl for an ERP company). I cannot count myself as a junior with that kind of experience but neither am I a senior since I lack the years of experience in full-stack for example. Since I'm looking for a full-stack job (JS, Node.js, React, MongoDB) it puts me in a bit of a disadvantage even compared to people who have just finished their BCS (Bachelor of Computer Science) degree.
I also have a background in art, design, and education. Ideally, I would like to find a job that would allow me to express all these facets of my skills.
To date, I only had one interview. It went well but did not blossom into a position - they were instructed to hire someone younger, inexperienced for half the pay.
As time goes on I feel the usual self-doubt that a lot of job seekers experience. Am I good enough? Do I have the skills required to even send out my CV for this position? Is my CV properly reflecting my skills and job history? Can I make it or my profile better in some way?
I have already reached out to friends and sent out CV's to be passed along to their respective HR (if applicable). Now it's just a waiting and numbers game of sending out enough CV's to hopefully find the right position for me.
I really hope to find a good, well paying, interesting job soon. Sitting at home and looking for a job is exhausting and the pay is suboptimal.
If you have any advice or know of a position that might fit my unique set of skills I'll be happy to hear it.