I feel you on this. The market is rough right now, especially for remote roles in the UK/Europe. A few things that helped me and others I know:
1. The "hidden job market" is real - most roles never get posted publicly. LinkedIn connections and warm intros close more doors than cold applications.
2. Consider targeting specific niches where your Rails/Node/Go stack is highly valued. Fintech and healthtech companies often prefer experienced engineers who can ship reliable code over "move fast and break things" types.
3. Don't underestimate smaller companies (50-200 employees). They often pay competitively but get far fewer applications than FAANG-adjacent companies.
4. Your GitHub looks solid. One thing that sometimes helps is having a few short-form technical posts on your own site or blog - it helps establish expertise when hiring managers Google your name.
The market will turn. 10+ years of shipping real products is valuable, and companies that recognize execution skills will find you. Keep pushing.
1. The "hidden job market" is real - most roles never get posted publicly. LinkedIn connections and warm intros close more doors than cold applications.
2. Consider targeting specific niches where your Rails/Node/Go stack is highly valued. Fintech and healthtech companies often prefer experienced engineers who can ship reliable code over "move fast and break things" types.
3. Don't underestimate smaller companies (50-200 employees). They often pay competitively but get far fewer applications than FAANG-adjacent companies.
4. Your GitHub looks solid. One thing that sometimes helps is having a few short-form technical posts on your own site or blog - it helps establish expertise when hiring managers Google your name.
The market will turn. 10+ years of shipping real products is valuable, and companies that recognize execution skills will find you. Keep pushing.