Software Engineer? Out of work? Not sure how to get employed? Here's what I would do in 2026 to land my dream job. 1) Start networking like crazy. Attend events. Join spaces. Expand your value IRL so everyone knows you are. Write blog posts, create content and become an expert in specific niche. 2) Contribute to open-source projects. AI makes this easier than ever, but just be careful not to feed slop to repositories or that'll kill your whole rep. 3) Cold email projects. Especially open-source ones. Find struggle areas, and craft a masterpiece on how you would add immense value. Make it easy for your potential employer and +1 your resume. 4) Offer pro-bono work to high-value startups. A few hours of free consultations or code contributions. Good startup founders are very-well connected and will either be able to offer you opportunities later on or refer you to ones in their network. Note, you can use AI to do these things en-masse, just be VERY careful. You don't want to destroy your reputation and end up in someone's CRM in a bad light. Most important: Do not get worn down. This is a numbers game with high rewards.