Hey folks, I wanted to reach out to the community to get some insight into a couple of issues that I have been facing lately. Firstly, I have been struggling with imposter syndrome during the interview process, which has been stopping me from applying to new roles. I would love to hear your thoughts on how to overcome this and what steps I can take to improve my interviewing skills.

Secondly, I'm not entirely sure how to go about searching for the role that I want. In the past, I have mainly relied on recruiters to show me open roles, but I would like to take a more proactive approach to my job search. I usually use LinkedIn or local tech staffing companies, but I often see roles with 20+ applicants and feel unsure if I am a suitable candidate. If anyone has a step-by-step process that they have used to find their ideal role, I would love to hear it.

Additionally, I'm interested in knowing how people go about choosing companies with great benefits, not just financially, but also for career growth. I've found levels.fyi a great resource for comparing salaries, but the job descriptions I see don't always reflect the additional benefits offered by the company. I would love to know how you go about finding out about these additional benefits.

Lastly, I wanted to get some feedback on my current role. I am a mid-level front-end engineer based in Boston, MA, with a yearly salary of $140K, a 401k with a 50% match up to 3%, no medical/dental benefits, and no initial sign-up or yearly bonus. I feel like I should be making more considering my experience and skill level, especially when I see other engineers with varying ranges of salaries, initial hire bonuses, stock options, and yearly raises. Am I being unrealistic in my expectations, or is my thinking justified? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your kind feedback and advice.