A software developer who lost his job during probation has shared how he managed to bounce back and secure a new remote role after weeks of uncertainty. His story, posted on Reddit's r/developersIndia forum, has resonated with many job seekers navigating a challenging technology hiring market.
Just six weeks before receiving the new offer, the developer said he was struggling to come to terms with being laid off and having no source of income. The situation felt bleak at the time. Today, however, he says he has landed a fully remote job, even if it comes with a pay cut.
How the developer landed a new job
In his Reddit post, the software engineer recalled how difficult things felt immediately after losing his previous role.
"Laid off during probation, zero income," he wrote.
The developer said he recently accepted a fully remote position that pays around 30 per cent less than his previous job. Even so, he was happy to have secured employment again.
"That's enough for me right now," he said.
Sharing details of his job search, the techie explained that he built a custom job scraper that automatically collected openings every four hours from platforms including LinkedIn, Naukri, Instahyre, Wellfound and Uplers.
He then applied consistently and at scale, submitting applications every day instead of spending too much time analysing individual openings.
The developer also contacted recruiters and hiring managers directly through LinkedIn messages and emails after applying. Most of those messages never received a response. Some did. And those few responses ended up creating interview opportunities.
Networking also played a role. He said former colleagues and even Reddit users helped him improve his interview skills during the process.
According to the developer, his earlier Reddit post attracted attention and led to three or four interview opportunities through direct messages.
"Couldn't crack them but the practice helped a lot," he admitted.
Reflecting on the interviews he attended, the software engineer said almost every company wanted candidates to demonstrate familiarity with artificial intelligence tools. However, he noted that interviewers generally focused on practical usage rather than expecting deep expertise.
He also argued that many candidates overcomplicate their preparation.
"For DSA just do Arrays and Hashes. I'm not kidding. 90% of my interviews stayed right there," he wrote.
According to him, many software engineers spend too much time studying advanced topics that rarely appear during interviews.
Despite ongoing conversations about AI changing workplaces, the developer observed that hiring processes remain largely familiar. Most companies still rely on online assessments, coding rounds, system design interviews and behavioural discussions.
Alongside his job hunt, he continued building projects involving Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems and MCP servers. He also worked on a personal side project.
He said staying productive helped him maintain momentum during periods when applications were not producing results.
Developer shares advice for job seekers
The developer also urged professionals not to depend entirely on a single source of income.
"Start building a second income source now. Not when things settle," he wrote.
He ended his post with a message for others facing a difficult job market.
"The market is brutal. But you just have to keep showing up. Every single day."
The post attracted significant attention from readers, many of whom described the advice as practical and useful. Several users congratulated him on finding a new role after a difficult period, while others asked for more details about the DSA questions and preparation strategies that helped him during his job search.
For many readers, the post stood out because it offered a detailed look at what worked, what did not, and how persistence eventually paid off.
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