I personally regard looking for a job as a dreadful experience / roller coaster.
The only good part I can think of is the futures you imagine as the job descriptions settle into the back of your mind but that is also a bad part since most of them if not all end up being shattered. It is a kind of heart break.

I think having had a really bad experience being fired unexpectedly a while back and struggling to find work in my home country tainted the job hunting experience a little more for me than for other people.

Searching

The first struggle is trying to navigate through all these different websites (some times they look like they are from the 90s) and use the search function to try to find something you could do.
Sometimes it is similar to what you are doing and sometimes it is something you could do.

I am currently employed so this is not a desperate search which makes it a shade nicer.

When rejected or ghosted it does not hurt quite as bad as it used to, they probably were not a match for me anyway.

I did struggle some time ago trying to get into a consultancy firm (big 4 some call them) but there seemed to be a moat around them and I could not even get a phone call interview. It made me believe I was not good enough and it has taken a lot of self care and self development to get over that thought.

Finding

Then there is the work of going through the processes, sometimes without an idea of the possible compensation which makes it a waste of time both for you and the potential employer.
This includes phone interviews, aptitude tests, take home projects, culture fit interviews and team interviews (the ones that matter to you).

Now imagine 3 or 5 of these streams going on at the same time but having started at different times. My mind just goes to mush. oh, and you have to do your day to day work too and be a human being to your partner, family and friends (kids?).

I think of it as a strobe light; you get a flash of blinding light (a lot of information) about an upcoming call or interview, this makes you research their products, culture, what the internet says about their interviews and how to game them. The interview happens and then blackness.
Until the next flash of light, from the next job ad or an ongoing process.

Every employer also expects you to jump the minute they say jump and it throws your plans into disarray.

The further along I am through the process the more my mind visualizes how it would be working there and then I even start to doubt myself! is that the work I want? is that who I want to be? silly self monologue, just follow the money.

Getting

Lastly comes the curse of the winners, everybody wants to be here and might compromise their integrity to get here but once I have multiple offers my heart breaks again.

Evaluate all the pros and cons of each company vs the salary they are offering. Perks, culture, location, when do they want you to start, what that would mean to your future, what you should do for your family…

Goodbyes

If you are this far along, the worst part is over but you are not out of it yet.
Hand in your notice.
Deal with some of the most awkward situations a human can have and wait your notice period.
Deal with self doubt, am I doing the right thing? arg, its to late to back out now.

Hello!

On boarding in a new company can be fun but the “trial” period is also heart wrenching for me. 6 months where you are trying your best while not knowing much and where the company can just fire you on the spot.

It feels like a leap of faith.

I have been lucky enough that my leaps have landed up to now. I will try my best to keep that streak going.