Yet one thing does seem different for anyone who just missed the dotcom crash, is that the roles available have fallen off a cliff while the numbers looking for roles seem to be up, at least in the UK. The UAE is even worse. I've spent 20 years hiding from recruiters and now they're all leaving me on read. Karma, maybe.
After every downturn ends, there comes a sudden hunger for engineers, and companies can’t seem to get enough. Some companies will even hire engineers just so other companies don’t hire them. Be ready.
But, to be honest, I do miss the "just after dotcom crash" period, there were lots and lots of interesting things people were working on back then, and the majority of it didn't involve making money. Maybe this is just nostalgia, because I first became a paid programmer in 2005, but that's how it feels 20+ years from that time.
I'd only once in 20 years been turned down for a job I'd applied for. Every other job I applied for I was offered. I've applied for over 600 roles in the past year and barely had a handful of interviews. That certainly feels different.