Been Unemployed for 5mo. what should I do next?

Question

I have 4yoe at startups and one faang and spent the past year (yr 5) working as a technical product manager. I think my multiple 2yr stints has made me un-hireable even as someone who isn't necessarily a "junior" engineer anymore.For some reason I thought this would broaden my options however, the startup I was working for went under in early 2023. I've been getting by on contracting work for a friend's startup however it's just not enough.I've made it to the final round of three TPM interviews but none converted.Feels like I'm starting to lose hope, considering just driving a UPS truck or getting an electricians license. To call this a low point is an under statement.Curious if anyone here has advice?

h2odragon · Accepted Answer

> getting an electricians license.I suspect you may be surprised by what's actually involved in that. Some locations it may not be a big deal, others it really is.

sf4lifer · Answer

Hang in there. These 5 months rank among the worst times to get a job in software. Things will pick up in a couple of months. Make sure you're working on an interesting side project

coldtea · Answer

What about the thousands upon thousands of regular programming jobs for people with less than FAANG experience? Between "driving a UPS truck" and getting a TPM job, there are lots of options in between.And have you tried programming gigs (including remote)? Or it does absolutely have to be TPM or UPS?