How competitive is it out there, really? (California)

Hi teachers,

I am wanting to get a sense of how competitive teaching jobs are these days, really. In California, I know a lot of districts are facing budget cuts, and I'm seeing a lot of doom and gloom about hiring outcomes. Some people are saying it takes years to get hired. I'm preparing to apply for my first teaching job for next school year and wanted to hear about how competitive the market is so that I can manage expectations.

For context on my resume, I have 4 years of experience working in elementary schools in California. Two of those years have been (paid) student teaching in a co-teacher like setting, and two of them as a specials teacher, which I was hired to do as an independent contractor. I have my California teaching credential and will have my masters by the end of this year. I also have a TESOL certification if that means anything. I want to do elementary school!!