u/spoopypoptartz

looking for honest perspective from people who've been through a few cycles.

i'm about 5 years in, all of it at a single large, well-known tech company. my experience splits between SDET / test infrastructure work and data engineering, and I've been targeting SDET, Developer Productivity, and Platform roles. i'm bracing for a long search, but I want to calibrate my expectations against reality instead of just doom.

two things I keep chewing on:

1. for those hiring or searching at the mid-level right now, how rough is it actually? is the slow, low-response experience I'm having normal for this market, or a sign I'm doing something wrong?
2. does having only one employer on my resume read as narrow or risky to hiring managers, even when it's a recognizable company? i can't tell if that's a real disadvantage or just anxiety talking.

not looking for a resume review, just candid takes from people further along.