Looking at the HN history, it's been a better part of a decade, if not longer, since people have been complaining about the hiring process.
It doesn't seem like much has changed except that it's worse, in the sense that you're usually asked to spend several hours on a coding project for screening AND have a subsequent whiteboard/leetcode interview or 10.
When you take into account all of the 'signals' that you're supposed to provide to even get a job, let alone be successful, maybe this isn't a good profession to be in anymore? Example:
- Several hours - several days coding projects. Some are screening tests.
- Having to practice leetcode continuously in order to keep it fresh in your head, because you never use it in actual work.
- Robust open source portfolio is highly encouraged, in some places required.
- Constantly keeping up with new libraries, frameworks and languages. It's unusual to get to learn these on the job, usually you have to do this on your own time.
Let's face it:
When you take into account all of that extra time, it seems like Software Engineers are not being paid very well.
Especially if you value your leisure time.
Why is it like this? Maybe it's just too competitive, too many Software Engineers applying for too few positions. Whatever the reason, it doesn't sound at all what it used to be, and maybe it's time to get out.