After taking some time off to focus on self-care, I realized that creating a schedule of daily tasks would help me become better suited for today’s competitive tech job market. Here are the tasks that I’ve found most helpful:

File for Unemployment (weekly)

I should have filed for unemployment in the first week after losing my job, but unfortunately, I waited several months before completing this task. However, since then, filing for weekly benefits has been a tremendous help. It has allowed me to devote time to practicing my algorithms, brushing up my resume, and honing my skills in system design.

Work on Passion Projects (as needed)

Now is the perfect time to work on passion projects. As a big fan of Habitica, I discovered some open tickets on their GitHub page and decided to contribute my skills here. In addition, I write about my experiences and thoughts on my personal blog here. Contributing to the apps that I care about not only allows me to show potential employers my ability to size tickets appropriately, create an action plan to complete them and complete them successfully, but also helps me stay up-to-date with real-world practice.

Practice Leetcode Problems (daily)

After spending years at Zola, I realized that while I had become an expert in the algorithms they used, their codebase, and their best practices, I had become rusty at anything else. Therefore, I decided to work on Leetcode problems daily to improve my skills and become a more versatile engineer for the current job market.

Read Hacker News (daily)

I read Hacker News daily to better understand the tech space, learn about new projects other companies/people are working on, and gain insights into how people overcome obstacles in their day-to-day work. While working for a company, I tend to focus on the specific tech stack that they use, so reading Hacker News helps me become a more well-rounded generalist in my field.

Apply to Jobs (asap)

It’s true what they say: you can’t win if you don’t play. Applying for jobs takes a lot of time and effort, from searching for current open positions to doing coding challenges and participating in multiple rounds of interviews. Therefore, I apply for positions as soon as I see them, as I understand that it can take a long time to receive replies, schedule interviews, and study in between. While I do get rejection emails, I view each rejection as an opportunity to improve and become a stronger candidate for hire.

Believe in Yourself (constantly)

It may sound cheesy, but it’s crucial to stay positive even when facing financial challenges and constant rejection. As Tom Hanks once said, “This too shall pass.” Remember that every setback is temporary and that by staying positive and persistent, you can achieve your goals.