I've heard quite a few anecdotal reports of FFQ being slow on certain websites. I've had no such issues, and in fact really like Quantum. I've used FF for a long, long time. I may be biased.
Edit: Had no slow-downs or hang ups on any of the mentioned sites (including the whatsapp linked below)
This x1000.
Before you plan the next 10 years of your life in a certain direction, spend some time ensuring thats actually the direction you want to take.
Edit: Will also add, for entry-level success in the corporate world, learn to do what your told, without hesitance or question.
I can't specifically speak to this, but I would like to chime in with one thing:
A lot of your post reminds me of the common traits of Imposter Syndrome [1]. Even if you are actually below the norm, you may be exaggerating the gap through Imposter Syndrome.
My personal opinion backed by absolutely 0 scientific evidence would be to provide warm lighting with individual (desk based) dimmer switches - allowing the individual to adjust light levels to their own optimum comfort level. The closer the light mimics natural light, the better.
It's hard to make any recommendations without a bit more information.
1) Where do you find your view of the phone interview going from optimistic to feeling it's gone awry?
2) Are the positions you are applying for well within your skillset, related to last positions? Are they a level above or below your past experience? Lateral?
3) How much research do you put into your interviews?
4) Do you have a set of questions prepared for the interviewer? I have found (both interviewing, and being interviewed) that a single unique and well thought question can be a game changer in the interview process and can lead to better conversation with the interviewer.
5) Do you practice interviews / questions with yourself or a friend?
I also would suggest really putting yourself in the interviewers shoes, for each position. What do you think they are looking for? If you were interviewing, how would you want certain questions answered?
Most of the time I work a solo dev at the companies I've been in. Which to be more specific means, maybe I'm not always the only dev in the company but more often than not, the only dev in a project. The big exception was my remote job of over a year, where all the devs worked on the same project.
A lot of my correspondence involves talking to non-technical people such as project managers, so I have gotten to figure out how to communicate many things to non-tech people.
1) I usually don't. Unless I really bombed on a problem and am stuck on solving a problem for so long, I really can't tell true negatives from false negatives by the tone of someone's voice, or what they say to me.
2) I apply to mid-level jobs. I used to apply to senior positions (have held 5 jobs) but as I'm getting so many rejections, I've lowered the bar since.
Going by the phrase, "walk before you run" I consider myself still in the walking phase for many skillsets, yet even if I apply to jobs that are less challenging to get into, many people assume I have enough experience to run and say I cover lots of ground but not a lot of depth to have an exceptional strong point. And this is coming from someone with a lot of experience in small companies, where "running" is the norm. I thought years of experience is just a number? Many people learn at different rates, and have a diverse set of work histories.
3) I do some research in questions I should ask, and what I should know about the company beforehand. Typically would be able to find some work they're doing and bring it up.
4) My go-to questions to ask interviewers is "how long have you been working at this company and how have things changed since then?", "What is a typical team size for engineering/development?" and "What is the onboarding process like for new hires?"
5) Interview practices are almost impossible with a friend because I don't know any close friends in the industry, or with any experience interviewing people in general. More of a homebody so I don't talk to many of them. Because of that, I don't believe a mock interview with a random friend is a good substitute for a real interview, because they will not have actual experience in hiring developers.
This is terrible advice in the general. I've known lots of people following this advice, to peruse a career in a field that doesn't really pay much. Ended up struggling and stressed.
I feel really sorry for you and your friends who spend your lives doing what you don't enjoy for the sake of some 0's on your bank account. Also, I'm not saying go pick flowers for a living. But you should at least enjoy what you do, which fosters continual growth (to become an expert, you must grow).
Most people don't enjoy struggling and the stress of not being pay the bills.
Trust me, that's more stressful than a job fairly your fairy 'meh' about. It's much more likely to burn you out.
Most passions, when you turn it into job, just ruins the passion(Having done this myself). You go from something that's creative into something where cost, and timelines matter and you have very little personal input.
I understand where your coming from and I'm sure theres a happy medium. Doing just money or just enjoyment wont work as well as a proper balance.
But, to play devils advocate... Having worked in a high paying, crap job and moving into a job with lower pay but much more aligned with my passion I am MUCH happier
That makes a lot of sense. I have been battling with the paradox of choice. Everyday I try to start a new project but instead I just keep on googling Angular vs React, Asp.net vs Django.
I have a windows computer and visual studio seems like the best tool I can use , so simple to set up. I enjoy working with it, maybe I should take the risk and just dive into that technology.
Build a simple project with asp as the backend and react on the front end. Then swap the backend to something else you have been considering vs asp.net, like rails or Django or node.js. Then swap the front end to something else like angular2. If the project is simple, you can do each of these swaps in a few days, and then you will have a better understanding of each, instead of just wondering.
What is questionable, imo, is this worldview which you and another have mentioned.
What a sad way to live, fulfilling other peoples needs in exchange for 0's, instead of trying to fulfil your needs for intellectual growth, joy, etc. while _also_ supplying an end product or service of some sort.
You realize you can enjoy what you do, love what you do even, and still exchange a product/service for money? In fact, you'll likely do better as people will sense your _passion_ about what you are selling, as opposed to seeing you chase the 0's
Edit: Had no slow-downs or hang ups on any of the mentioned sites (including the whatsapp linked below)