Got an actual specific rejection email for once instead of the copy-paste. Sharing what they said.

After maybe 30 rejections that were all 'we've decided to move forward with other candidates,' one recruiter actually wrote back with real notes: my code worked but I never explained tradeoffs, and I went quiet whenever I got stuck instead of thinking out loud.

Stung for a day. But it's the single most useful thing anyone's told me in this whole search. Now I narrate everything, even the dead ends. Save your rejection emails, and it's worth politely asking for feedback — occasionally someone's kind enough to actually give it.