'I've applied to 850+ companies': A software engineer's Reddit post captures the reality of today's job market

A Reddit post by a software engineer who applied to over 850 companies in eight months has highlighted the emotional toll of today’s competitive job market. Receiving only eight interview calls, the engineer questioned conventional interview preparation as recruiters focused more on practical skills than coding problems. The discussion prompted widespread responses from professionals urging resilience, continuous learning and flexibility, while reminding job seekers that market conditions and changing hiring practices often shape outcomes.