I’m halfway through my 6-month sabbatical and pondering how to approach my job search. I’ve worked intensely on fitness, and am feeling refreshed and motivated again. Looking at recent Blind posts, it looks like the market is still pretty savage. I’ve worked at a large non-tech company, couple start-ups that IPO’ed and then served as an EM at a no-name start-up. Few options I’m thinking of - Grind Leetcode and apply everywhere in a couple months. - Take my time with grinding Leetcode, extend my sabbatical (am training Muay Thai in Thailand, which I can spend more time on) and apply in January when things might be better. - Take my time during the sabbatical to explore other career paths - I’ve been thinking sales engineer, or working more on social media. If it doesn’t work out, go back to SWE, but this will extend my employment gap further. Also might feel better to do this while already having a job. - Extend my travel in LCOL locations and try my hand as a freelancer. Have never freelanced before. YOE: 8 (7 as SWE, 1 as EM) Previous TC: 183K