SF Bay Area - The job market is cooked

Lately, I’ve been wanting to vent about how rough my interviews have been. I’m still employed, but actively looking for a new opportunity where I can learn and grow. Recently, I spoke with a recruiter

Lately, I’ve been wanting to vent about how rough my interviews have been. I’m still employed, but actively looking for a new opportunity where I can learn and grow. Recently, I spoke with a recruiter about a senior-level role. They asked what total compensation (TC) would make me consider leaving my current position. I gave them my exact number, and they immediately said it was fine—they wanted to fast-track me through the hiring process. I had a conversation with the hiring manager, and it ended with him outlining the next step: a CoderPad interview. So I assumed my intro landed well. But the next day, I checked their careers page and saw the same role reposted—this time with a noticeably lower salary range. That gave me a bad feeling. Sure enough, I woke up this morning to an email saying they’ve decided to pass on me. Also worth noting: most company I’ve spoken to so far has explicitly told me they don’t ask Leetcode-style questions. And they’ve all said the final stage would be an onsite.