The more experience you have, the more difficult it is becoming

That seems logical to me. There are fewer senior level positions, and if your skills are rising to that level you’re competing with all of the others that are as well. Fewer chairs remaining for the same number of candidates.

Also, I can say that I almost never hire folks just by posting for a job. At the senior level its so important to get a candidate that actually knows what they claim because the consequences of finding out they don’t on the job are too great. This is where we reach into our networks so that any candidate comes with word-of-mouth recommendation from someone we trust.

I don’t know why it is somehow socially acceptable to talk about a candidates faults in these word-of-mouth recommendations, but its considered poisonous from raw interviews. A perfect candidate doesn’t exist, or if they do they can likely make way more doing an even more expensive project. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and if your strengths are strong enough for the particular gig, and your weaknesses aren’t too bad for it, you get the gig.

At least in my industry who know (because they themselves are trustworthy and can vouch for you) is potentially more important that what you know. This is why you’re told to network with others.