Unemployed programmers, how are you doing?

I’ve earned a 6-figure salary at each of the 3 jobs I’ve had since I moved here 8 years ago.

In a week, I’ll have been unemployed 2 years. I have about a decade of experience in the field. I even worked at Microsoft for a while.

I “didn’t need the help,” and my next job was “right around the corner,” so I’ve been putting it off (actually not even entertaining the idea until this week), but I just got approved for an EBT card today. In the office, there were signs up about free showers and not doing drugs in the bathroom or mistreating public servants. To say I felt out of place would be an understatement.

I have more to say, but I’ll leave it at that for now. My income was high enough that, given unemployment compensation and a few lucky breaks, I was able to look for work unsuccessfully for 2 years, but that has now changed, and I’m applying for jobs that have nothing to do with my programming degree. But I still have a Seattle lease to worry about.

I made this post because I figure I can’t be the only one wallowing in how good my last job was and how I can’t seem to get another one, no matter how long I search or how many leetcode problems I solve.

Are you folks okay? How are you getting by?

Edit: Please don’t misunderstand; I appreciate any helpfulness folks have, but this post was not meant to find a thing that I’m doing right that I could just fix and get a coding job next week, or anything along those lines.