Terrible job market for recent grads

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS graduated early from Virginia Tech with a computer engineering degree in December 2024, and has been looking a FT position since August 2024. He did internships in his sophomore and junior year. He applied over 1100 positions, received 14 interviews, and two offers. Those two offers were rescinded due to budget cut, and feels so depressed at the moment. Many of his friends who will graduate this week are still jobless who also have multiple internships. I really feel bad for them.

I'm sorry, OP. It sounds like he did everything right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has he thought about teaching at a STEM-focused secondary school? The teachers at my kid’s school seem happy working in this brainy environment.

Teaching is often thrown around as a fall-back option. There's a reason the shortage exists: it's a much harder job than people think, even at "brainy" schools like the PP suggests. A first year teacher can expect to work 65 hours a week (or more) for a salary around 55-60K. It's grueling work that can take a major hit on your self esteem during the first years.

That being said, if OP's son is up to the challenge this is a good option. I actively encouraged my DD to go into education because I knew she'd have a guaranteed job at graduation and a lot of job security. The pay may be lower, but she'll never be without options.

- teacher

[Anonymous]

Ugh I hear you OP. I have two graduating with only internships this summer (which will not turn into ft offers as they are govt and nonprofit). My DD who is graduating from a top school has had 15 first round interviews and 6 second rounds still has no offer other than an internship. She has a fantastic work history with strong internships. Just did four rounds with one firm including the CEO, only to be told she’s a finalist (well duh) and they’ll get back to her next week. She thought she had it in the bag after meeting 8 people who apparently all loved meeting her according to hiring manager. She’s feeling so dejected that she’s assuming she won’t get it at this point. My DS well he’s in policy and he’s gonna have to go to law school or something, there’s nothing out there.

Sucks BAD right now.

[Anonymous]

I’d rather be a recent grad with parents to lean onto for next few years than a middle aged man whose career is being destroyed with little prospects who has two teenagers, a mortgage and family to support and now elder care to also manage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d rather be a recent grad with parents to lean onto for next few years than a middle aged man whose career is being destroyed with little prospects who has two teenagers, a mortgage and family to support and now elder care to also manage.

True. And the grads I've talked to understand this. But knowing things could be worse doesn't really change their situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do not discount volunteering or temping. I used to hire for entry level research/data science type roles and I have hired people who were temps elsewhere in the company that were recommended to me (recent grads who were temping in admin jobs but had great work ethics/personalities so HR would ask them about their backgrounds and they would get referred to me if they were a fit for my team) into full time junior roles. I have also hired people who I met through volunteer or other groups I was in.

No volunteering opportunities for a Computer Engineering major. I work in tech and there is no such thing.

One can volunteer for something outside of CS/CE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d rather be a recent grad with parents to lean onto for next few years than a middle aged man whose career is being destroyed with little prospects who has two teenagers, a mortgage and family to support and now elder care to also manage.

True. And the grads I've talked to understand this. But knowing things could be worse doesn't really change their situation.

Also agree. It sucks, but they have time on their side.

- 2008 graduate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS graduated early from Virginia Tech with a computer engineering degree in December 2024, and has been looking a FT position since August 2024. He did internships in his sophomore and junior year. He applied over 1100 positions, received 14 interviews, and two offers. Those two offers were rescinded due to budget cut, and feels so depressed at the moment. Many of his friends who will graduate this week are still jobless who also have multiple internships. I really feel bad for them.

Tell him to seriously consider applying to DOGE. I’m being genuine. I don’t think joining would make him a sellout. A lot of the people in their 20s joining projects like that probably aren’t doing it out of conviction—they’re doing it because they’re struggling to find a traditional job. Some may be socially awkward or neurodivergent and find it hard to thrive in conventional work environments. DOGE as an idea may not be ideal, but given his skills—especially in coding and machine learning—it could be a place where he puts them to good use. He doesn’t need to act like some 20-something with an inflated ego. If he approaches it with maturity, he could actually gain a lot from the experience.
And he can always frame it honestly down the line: the job market was brutal, he didn’t want to sit idle, and he chose to stay sharp and productive. For what it’s worth, I’m 100% not a Trumper, and if he explained that rationale in an interview and came across well, I would absolutely hire him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS graduated early from Virginia Tech with a computer engineering degree in December 2024, and has been looking a FT position since August 2024. He did internships in his sophomore and junior year. He applied over 1100 positions, received 14 interviews, and two offers. Those two offers were rescinded due to budget cut, and feels so depressed at the moment. Many of his friends who will graduate this week are still jobless who also have multiple internships. I really feel bad for them.

Tell him to seriously consider applying to DOGE. I’m being genuine. I don’t think joining would make him a sellout. A lot of the people in their 20s joining projects like that probably aren’t doing it out of conviction—they’re doing it because they’re struggling to find a traditional job. Some may be socially awkward or neurodivergent and find it hard to thrive in conventional work environments. DOGE as an idea may not be ideal, but given his skills—especially in coding and machine learning—it could be a place where he puts them to good use. He doesn’t need to act like some 20-something with an inflated ego. If he approaches it with maturity, he could actually gain a lot from the experience.
And he can always frame it honestly down the line: the job market was brutal, he didn’t want to sit idle, and he chose to stay sharp and productive. For what it’s worth, I’m 100% not a Trumper, and if he explained that rationale in an interview and came across well, I would absolutely hire him.

Horrible advice. I'd never even bring in someone with DOGE on their resume for an interview, no matter their "rationale" and I suspect I'm not alone. It's the Liberty University equivalent for education on your resume. Unless you are deeply committed to a right wing career or looking at jobs where employers have few options, it's toxic. I'm a hiring manager and get 500+ resumes for every position and I would bin this so fast. Heck, I refused leave the private sector to go back to govt in a high level non political position because I didn't like the optics of taking something under Trump, the optics of going to DOGE are just atrocious long term.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS graduated early from Virginia Tech with a computer engineering degree in December 2024, and has been looking a FT position since August 2024. He did internships in his sophomore and junior year. He applied over 1100 positions, received 14 interviews, and two offers. Those two offers were rescinded due to budget cut, and feels so depressed at the moment. Many of his friends who will graduate this week are still jobless who also have multiple internships. I really feel bad for them.

Tell him to seriously consider applying to DOGE. I’m being genuine. I don’t think joining would make him a sellout. A lot of the people in their 20s joining projects like that probably aren’t doing it out of conviction—they’re doing it because they’re struggling to find a traditional job. Some may be socially awkward or neurodivergent and find it hard to thrive in conventional work environments. DOGE as an idea may not be ideal, but given his skills—especially in coding and machine learning—it could be a place where he puts them to good use. He doesn’t need to act like some 20-something with an inflated ego. If he approaches it with maturity, he could actually gain a lot from the experience.
And he can always frame it honestly down the line: the job market was brutal, he didn’t want to sit idle, and he chose to stay sharp and productive. For what it’s worth, I’m 100% not a Trumper, and if he explained that rationale in an interview and came across well, I would absolutely hire him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS graduated early from Virginia Tech with a computer engineering degree in December 2024, and has been looking a FT position since August 2024. He did internships in his sophomore and junior year. He applied over 1100 positions, received 14 interviews, and two offers. Those two offers were rescinded due to budget cut, and feels so depressed at the moment. Many of his friends who will graduate this week are still jobless who also have multiple internships. I really feel bad for them.

Tell him to seriously consider applying to DOGE. I’m being genuine. I don’t think joining would make him a sellout. A lot of the people in their 20s joining projects like that probably aren’t doing it out of conviction—they’re doing it because they’re struggling to find a traditional job. Some may be socially awkward or neurodivergent and find it hard to thrive in conventional work environments. DOGE as an idea may not be ideal, but given his skills—especially in coding and machine learning—it could be a place where he puts them to good use. He doesn’t need to act like some 20-something with an inflated ego. If he approaches it with maturity, he could actually gain a lot from the experience.
And he can always frame it honestly down the line: the job market was brutal, he didn’t want to sit idle, and he chose to stay sharp and productive. For what it’s worth, I’m 100% not a Trumper, and if he explained that rationale in an interview and came across well, I would absolutely hire him.

Horrible advice. I'd never even bring in someone with DOGE on their resume for an interview, no matter their "rationale" and I suspect I'm not alone. It's the Liberty University equivalent for education on your resume. Unless you are deeply committed to a right wing career or looking at jobs where employers have few options, it's toxic. I'm a hiring manager and get 500+ resumes for every position and I would bin this so fast. Heck, I refused leave the private sector to go back to govt in a high level non political position because I didn't like the optics of taking something under Trump, the optics of going to DOGE are just atrocious long term.

+1000

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t hire someone who worked for DOGE. I have a new colleague who has on her LinkedIn that she was part of the ‘college republicans’, I ignore her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS graduated early from Virginia Tech with a computer engineering degree in December 2024, and has been looking a FT position since August 2024. He did internships in his sophomore and junior year. He applied over 1100 positions, received 14 interviews, and two offers. Those two offers were rescinded due to budget cut, and feels so depressed at the moment. Many of his friends who will graduate this week are still jobless who also have multiple internships. I really feel bad for them.

Tell him to seriously consider applying to DOGE. I’m being genuine. I don’t think joining would make him a sellout. A lot of the people in their 20s joining projects like that probably aren’t doing it out of conviction—they’re doing it because they’re struggling to find a traditional job. Some may be socially awkward or neurodivergent and find it hard to thrive in conventional work environments. DOGE as an idea may not be ideal, but given his skills—especially in coding and machine learning—it could be a place where he puts them to good use. He doesn’t need to act like some 20-something with an inflated ego. If he approaches it with maturity, he could actually gain a lot from the experience.
And he can always frame it honestly down the line: the job market was brutal, he didn’t want to sit idle, and he chose to stay sharp and productive. For what it’s worth, I’m 100% not a Trumper, and if he explained that rationale in an interview and came across well, I would absolutely hire him.

Horrible advice. I'd never even bring in someone with DOGE on their resume for an interview, no matter their "rationale" and I suspect I'm not alone. It's the Liberty University equivalent for education on your resume. Unless you are deeply committed to a right wing career or looking at jobs where employers have few options, it's toxic. I'm a hiring manager and get 500+ resumes for every position and I would bin this so fast. Heck, I refused leave the private sector to go back to govt in a high level non political position because I didn't like the optics of taking something under Trump, the optics of going to DOGE are just atrocious long term.

I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure that DOGE on your resume would get you an offer at META, Google, Palantir, X, Tesla, Andreessen Horowitz (VC firm), Uber, Pershing Square Capital (Bill Ackman's hedge fund), tons of VCs in Silicon Valley, Salesforce, Mark Cuban companies, Amazon Web Services ... sigh, you want me to continue, or can I stop now please? Those just rolled off of the top of my head.

But yes, if your goal is to work for IRS ... perhaps you don't want a DOGE job on your resume. It depends on what OP's son is aiming for in life.

[Anonymous]

Getting a job at doge would allow you to pay your student loans, allow you to make your car payment and allow you to pay for an apartment. There is nothing wrong with honest work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS graduated early from Virginia Tech with a computer engineering degree in December 2024, and has been looking a FT position since August 2024. He did internships in his sophomore and junior year. He applied over 1100 positions, received 14 interviews, and two offers. Those two offers were rescinded due to budget cut, and feels so depressed at the moment. Many of his friends who will graduate this week are still jobless who also have multiple internships. I really feel bad for them.

Tell him to seriously consider applying to DOGE. I’m being genuine. I don’t think joining would make him a sellout. A lot of the people in their 20s joining projects like that probably aren’t doing it out of conviction—they’re doing it because they’re struggling to find a traditional job. Some may be socially awkward or neurodivergent and find it hard to thrive in conventional work environments. DOGE as an idea may not be ideal, but given his skills—especially in coding and machine learning—it could be a place where he puts them to good use. He doesn’t need to act like some 20-something with an inflated ego. If he approaches it with maturity, he could actually gain a lot from the experience.
And he can always frame it honestly down the line: the job market was brutal, he didn’t want to sit idle, and he chose to stay sharp and productive. For what it’s worth, I’m 100% not a Trumper, and if he explained that rationale in an interview and came across well, I would absolutely hire him.

Horrible advice. I'd never even bring in someone with DOGE on their resume for an interview, no matter their "rationale" and I suspect I'm not alone. It's the Liberty University equivalent for education on your resume. Unless you are deeply committed to a right wing career or looking at jobs where employers have few options, it's toxic. I'm a hiring manager and get 500+ resumes for every position and I would bin this so fast. Heck, I refused leave the private sector to go back to govt in a high level non political position because I didn't like the optics of taking something under Trump, the optics of going to DOGE are just atrocious long term.

I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure that DOGE on your resume would get you an offer at META, Google, Palantir, X, Tesla, Andreessen Horowitz (VC firm), Uber, Pershing Square Capital (Bill Ackman's hedge fund), tons of VCs in Silicon Valley, Salesforce, Mark Cuban companies, Amazon Web Services ... sigh, you want me to continue, or can I stop now please? Those just rolled off of the top of my head.

But yes, if your goal is to work for IRS ... perhaps you don't want a DOGE job on your resume. It depends on what OP's son is aiming for in life.

Totally agree with the poster who recommended DOGE. There may be a lot of chaos the media reflects but in terms of data analysis and use of AI to work with massive scale data models, there isn't a better job for a compsci or compeng major. And I'll add a few more to the list (from my industry): McKinsey, Deloitte (the non-government side), Bain, BCG ... just to name a few. Every company needs technologists, even strategy firms.