I'm tired of coding interviews. I don't think I will ever land a full-time software engineer job. Any pieces of advice?
Tags: discuss, beginners, career
Published: 2022-10-13 05:35:26

TL;DR; I don't think I can be employed as a software engineer but I have no other job skills for other industries. Feels like I'm a complete failure.

I just took a Codesignal online assessment for an internship position but I could only solve the first question. I used to get like 2.5 out of 4 questions on practice exams but I couldn't come up with the solutions, so I just rage-quitted the exam and feel like I'm nothing but a failure.

I graduated with a Computer Science major from a U.S university last year but had to return to my home country due to legal issues (South Korea). Anyway, I started job hunting in Korea 2 months after graduation for entry-level software engineer positions but no luck so far. I struggled a lot with Korean high school Mathematics and never enjoyed it when I was in high school. And I screwed up the Korean university entrance exam several times because of the exam stress related to Mathematics stuff. But at the university, I had no problems getting decent grades in mathematics or computer science courses. I easily got A+ when I was studying at a Korean university, and even scored first place in some math courses among all classes when I transferred to the U.S university. But coding interviews are different stories. I solved more than 400 problems on platforms like Leetcode and others. But I still struggle with coding questions. It's like 'Why the hell I couldn't come up with the solution during the interview'.

I have ADHD and take meds for more than 10 years but it's still difficult for me to solve interview questions in a limited time. I still have nightmares of failing the exam, just like I used to have in high school.

I can easily pass the coding interviews for tier-2 companies, mostly startups, but I don't think I can be accepted to Top Tier companies like Google and Korean Big Tech companies (Kakao for instance). And even I clear the first tech interview or Online Assessment of lower companies, I get rejected during the second round because the entry-level job market is much more fucked up in Korea compared to Western countries. I asked for feedback from the companies I've been rejected a couple of times and they usually responded "You have good skills blah blah.. but we had to move on to other candidates with work experience." Yes, they just say sugar-coated responses not to make an applicant annoyed so I don't give a damn.

I don't have an extreme passion or love for coding but I somehow feel happy when I get the code working. But I'm sick of solving algorithm problems and never enjoyed it, although I had no problems with Computer Science subjects and programming stuff when I was in the university.

I regret choosing a Computer Science major when I faced reality after I graduated from the university but I have no skills related to other industries.

I have quite good but not highly gifted IQ scores ranging around 130-135 (SD 15). My teachers and professors used to tell me they think I have high intelligence but now I realized all of them were lying.

I'm trying to build a SaaS myself to make some money, but I can't think of any profitable business ideas. I have no ideas how to make living as a software engineer. Honestly, I don't want to live as a software engineer for the rest of my life forever. I planned to get employed as an engineer, have some work experience of 3 to 5 years, quit the engineering job, and start my own business. But I can't even start with the first step of my career. I really hate my ADHD.