In late August 2024, an operations manager handed in his resignation. His reasoning was solid: the Golden September Silver October hiring season was about to start — the best job-switching window of the year. If not now, when?

If you have three to five years of professional experience, you have probably lived through this cycle more than once: the hiring season arrives, you update your resume, you apply to dozens of roles, you go through interviews, you hear nothing back from most of them, you start doubting yourself, you lower your expectations, and you accept an offer that feels like settling.