I had a call this week with a senior product designer.

He’s about six months into a job search.

He has two kids.

One is around three.

He’s done what most people would do.

He applied to roles online.

He took a portfolio course during the search.

He kept adjusting his resume and approach.

Then November hit.

He had 11 interviews across four companies.

He reached the final round in all four.

Zero offers.

He told me it felt like “throwing darts in the dark.”

A lot of effort.

Very little feedback.

Here’s the part that matters.

It wasn’t a skills issue.

It wasn’t a portfolio issue.

It was clarity.

Too many possible roles.

A story that shifted depending on who he spoke to.

No sharp picture of what he was actually aiming for.

After enough final-round rejections, doubt creeps in.

Not just about the job search.

About the career itself.

That’s what I’m seeing a lot right now.

Tomorrow, I’ll share what we worked on first.

It wasn’t another tactic.

Joseph