IT, How's the Job Market? A Personal Experience of 3.5 Months of Searching

Introduction

This is a personal account of my job search from October 2025 to January 2026 — three and a half months that completely changed my understanding of the modern IT labor market. I'm writing this not as a career coach or HR expert, but as a regular specialist who went through this meat grinder and wants to share what actually works and what's just noise.

How the Market Has Changed

The IT job market in Russia has undergone fundamental shifts compared to the golden years of 2021-2023. Here's what I've observed firsthand:

Salary Compression

Salaries have decreased approximately 25-30% compared to the peak levels of 2023-2024. What used to be offered to a Middle developer is now expected from someone at a Senior level. The salary multipliers of 3-5x above market average that some specialists enjoyed are gone — and they're not coming back.

Extended Timelines

Finding quality employment used to take 1.5-3 months. Now it requires 3-6 months minimum. A single vacancy can receive anywhere from 200 to 2,000+ applications. One position I applied for had over 2,000 responses.

Domain Specialization — The "Guild" System

The market has fractured into specialized domains: fintech, edtech, e-commerce, proptech, medtech, martech. Transitioning between these "guilds" has become significantly harder. Employers want candidates with relevant domain experience, not just technical skills. If you've been in fintech for five years, don't expect an easy move to medtech.

Systemic Dysfunction

The recruitment process feels broken. Automated rejection systems dominate, genuine human contact is rare, and the gap between job descriptions and actual requirements has widened. Many positions are posted as "exploratory" with no real intent to hire soon.

The Numbers: A Brutally Honest Breakdown

Here are my personal statistics across 3.5 months of active searching, investing 4-8 hours daily:

• ~1,500 applications submitted
• 13 screening calls — that's a 1% conversion rate
• 7 actual interviews — 0.5% conversion
• 1 job offer — 0.07% conversion

For comparison: just 1.5 years earlier, 500 applications had yielded 3 offers with minimal effort. The contrast is staggering.

Strategy #1: Network-Based Search (What Actually Works)

The old methods are ineffective. Submitting applications through job boards and waiting for callbacks is like playing the lottery. The primary strategy that works is reaching actual people — not platforms.

Building Your Contact Database

Start by mining your existing network:

• Dig through your messaging archives — Telegram, LinkedIn, email — for every HR person and recruiter you've ever spoken with
• Contact former colleagues and friends in the industry
• Check automatic rejection emails — they often contain recruiter names you can reach out to directly
• Browse LinkedIn company pages filtered by HR roles to find the right people
• Check company career sections for direct contact information

Create a spreadsheet tracking names, companies, previous positions, contact information, and messaging history. Treat these contacts carefully and appropriately — don't spam. Send 20-30 personalized messages daily.

Strategy #2: Resume and Application Optimization

Your resume needs to pass both automated screening systems (ATS) and human reviewers. I used AI tools with a structured "Role-Context-Task-Format" prompt approach to optimize my CV. Key principles:

• Optimize for ATS keyword matching while maintaining authenticity
• A single well-crafted template is better than creating unique resumes for every vacancy
• Use AI tools for cover letter generation, but always review and personalize
• Keep it concise — recruiters spend 6-10 seconds on initial screening

Strategy #3: Interview Preparation — The STAR-T Method

For behavioral interviews, I developed a structured approach based on the STAR-T framework:

• S (Situation): 1-2 sentences setting the context
• T (Task): What problem needed solving or what goal was set
• A (Action): 3-5 sentences describing your personal contribution
• R (Result): Concrete metrics and outcomes
• T (Takeaways): What you learned and how it applies to the new role

Prepare 7-10 stories targeting key competencies from job descriptions. Keep each response to 1-2 minutes. Practice out loud — it makes a massive difference.

Platform Effectiveness: Where to Focus Your Energy

Low Effectiveness

• Russian job boards (HH.ru, Habr Career, GetMatch): Good for market research and salary benchmarking, but callback rates are minimal. Don't rely on them as your primary channel.
• Telegram job channels: High noise, low conversion. Hundreds of candidates respond within minutes.

Medium Effectiveness

• Company career websites: Check weekly or biweekly for fresh postings. Direct applications sometimes bypass the ATS flood.
• Dream Job: Useful for company reviews and salary data to inform negotiations.

High Effectiveness

• LinkedIn: Especially for international opportunities, but increasingly for domestic Russian companies too.
• Direct recruiter contact: The single most effective channel. Personal messages to HR professionals you've identified.
• Company-specific Telegram channels: For rapid response to fresh openings before they hit public boards.

Financial Survival During the Search

Preparation

• Build an emergency fund before you see market disruption signs — don't wait until you need it
• Negotiate severance when leaving a position (2-3 months is standard under Russian labor law)

Cost Reduction

• Cut discretionary spending immediately: dining out, clothing, subscriptions, gym memberships
• Retain only essentials: food, utilities, childcare, transportation
• Target reducing expenses by 2-3 months' worth to extend your financial runway

Debt Strategy

• Close short-term debts before starting your job search
• Research bank deferment options for mortgages and auto loans
• Avoid microcredit at all costs — high rates create debt traps

If savings are running low, consider part-time, temporary, or freelance work to maintain cash flow while continuing the search.

Psychological and Emotional Management

Job searching is also work — exhausting, demoralizing work that requires sustained effort and mental stability. Here's what helped me:

• Meditation and physical exercise after daily job search sessions — essential for processing rejection
• Information diet: Curate what you consume. Avoid excessive negative news and doom-scrolling
• Gratitude practice: Maintain perspective on what you have, not just what you're lacking
• Accept support: Take help from your network without shame — everyone goes through rough patches
• Visualization: Picture successful outcomes to maintain motivation

Avoid using alcohol or other substances as coping mechanisms. Don't exceed a productive capacity of 20-30 targeted applications daily — beyond that, quality drops and burnout accelerates.

Unconventional Tactics

• Announce your job search across all social media platforms — you never know who's watching
• Post stories on messaging apps (this was unexpectedly effective)
• Consider paid resume promotion on job boards (HH.ru charges about 700 rubles/month)
• Attend career coaching webinars for networking opportunities, not just content
• Use the downtime to learn new skills — AI/ML, new frameworks, or domain-specific knowledge

The Macro Picture: Why This Is Happening

The current market difficulties aren't random — they're driven by specific macroeconomic pressures:

• High interest rates and lending constraints squeezing business budgets
• The impact of the special military operation on economic priorities
• Approximately 20,000 sanctions affecting business cycles and international operations
• Resulting staff reductions and project cuts across the industry

Reasons for Cautious Optimism

• Total digital transformation continues across all industries — even mining, agriculture, and metallurgy now have IT divisions
• Vacancy volume remains substantial (1,500-2,000 PM positions were available during my search)
• Recovery is expected in 2026-2027 as interest rates normalize
• Niche opportunities are growing in AI/ML, robotics, autonomous vehicles, and emerging markets (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Southeast Asia, MENA, Latin America)

Final Thoughts

You are not alone. The market disruption affects all candidates simultaneously — it's not a personal failure. The changes are permanent: the salary bubbles won't return. But a new equilibrium is emerging within 1-2 years, and those who adapt their strategies now will be positioned to benefit.

The single most important lesson from my 3.5-month journey: relationships matter more than applications. Build genuine connections, maintain your professional network, and approach the search as a marathon, not a sprint.

I want to thank my wife Olga for her unwavering support, Vitaliy Nagorny from Yandex recruiting for his guidance, and my colleague Nastena Tyukhova for keeping my spirits up during the darkest moments of the search.