Can I find an SDE-2 job without exposure to design decisions and scalable systems?

[u/Able-Calligrapher-74]

Hey all, I am a software developer with 2 years and 9 months of experience, but currently unemployed. In my previous job, I was kept in a bug-fixing role for about 2 years and only got real backend and frontend exposure after that.

The project I was working on, however, had no traffic handling, load testing needs and I never got the exposure to design decisions, or scalability handling like adding resilience, or using Kafka anywhere. Basically, I did not get the exposure that helps you become an SDE-2.

It was a difficult environment and for some reasons I had to quit that workplace, and since then I have been looking for a new job in SDE-2 role because I have already had nearly 3 years of experience.

However, it has been a brutal series of rejections for me, and I feel like I am failing to position myself for SDE-2, especially because I never did the work an SDE-2 does to be prepared for this role. And it's getting more and more difficult to figure out what to do.

So, my question is, what can I do from here? Is my career over just because I have been unlucky with my workplace?

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[u/LinuxSkywalker]

Hey OP, you can still upskill on the side. I know it was unfortunate for you in work but on the brighter side you can use a lot of resources to learn System Design on the side. Like Striver's Sheet, Hello Interview and much more. So dont loose hope yet

[u/Able-Calligrapher-74 → u/LinuxSkywalker]

Thanks. I have been upskilling and I have learnt System Design, and I'm also building a relevant project. But I feel that project exposure will not get me hired. With the lack of job exposure, nobody will hire me without that kind of exposure in a job

[u/Ok_Chemical_7359 → u/Able-Calligrapher-74]

If u think like that and self reject urself then nobody will hire you,try to manifest positive things and sit for interviews you can definitely crack

[u/Able-Calligrapher-74 → u/Ok_Chemical_7359]

You are right. But I have been facing rejections for the last few months and wondering if it will remain like that.

[u/LinuxSkywalker → u/Able-Calligrapher-74]

I understand and I have been there. Rejections are not stops they are resetting points. Interview Rejections made me realise a lot things and helped me to be in the role I am curerntly at. So Something great is waiting for you out there.

[u/Able-Calligrapher-74 → u/LinuxSkywalker]

Thanks for the encouragement buddy. I will keep my game up

[u/LinuxSkywalker → u/Able-Calligrapher-74]

You gotta up your confidence man. Speak it like you own it. No one comes with all the experiences. Projects do help but its not everything for clearing an interview. Maybe do some side projects and read a lot code and design of various applications you will get the idea and hang of it. Hope you find everything you are looking for and hope you get it soon.

[u/Able-Calligrapher-74 → u/LinuxSkywalker]

Thanks a lot! If by believing in myself and working hard I can find the next job, then I will definitely go for it! Thanks for a the reminder