How are your May 2025 college grads doing with their job hunts/job offers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hire CS and engineers. I see a ton of resumes and transcripts. I don't hire anyone under a 3.5 GPA. But all the kids above 3.8 want $100k and aren't getting that unless they are truly superstars. Oh and you have to be willing to work in person.

My CS kid and his friends love working in person...but he has never been asked his GPA (at least not yet). Company where he has an offer had him complete a number of difficult CS challenges before they spent time on interviews. I gather if he aced those, then GPA is irrelevant (his GPA is actually pretty good)?

He is also getting well north of $100k, but out in SF.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Man, this is depressing. I'm so glad my DC graduated a year early. 2024 was bad but not as bad as 2025 from what I hear and see. I have another one starting college this year and interested in CS. I have been trying to steer DC from CS to another engineering field but it's hard for an 18yo to know what they want to do.

CS can be good, but they need to pick more difficult upper level electives as a Jr or Sr. The classic example of more difficult is Compilers. Those kinds of graduates are a perpetual shortage.

CS grads whose upper level electives prepared them mainly for web programming and scripting languages are in surplus.

Getting the DC to pivot slightly to a BS Computer Engineering degree would be a good option. That likely requires more advanced math and more Physics than CS would, but has more career options - adding potential hardware work in addition to software. Important to learn logic programming - VHDL/Verilog - if on the ComputerE track. My perpetual challenge is finding people to hire who can write software for real-time/embedded systems and who understand both hardware and lower level software. The C programming language and ARM Assembly language are highly desired. Other languages like C++ are not as useful in my open positions.

The head of dept at kid’s ivy gives the same advice as above. “CS” there is a thorough degree that is more inline with computer engineering elsewhere, same with other top CS programs he investigated. Advanced math and physics with courses well beyond programming are built into the curriculum. They are all getting hired for internships, beginning after sophomore year, then into jobs with little difficulty the past two cycles. DS and his peers are headed into their second summer of paid internships in the field, working on broader experiences for the resume.

+1 Interviewer for DC's internship asked if they knew C, Phython and Unix. Java is the least marketable programming skill right now.

DC is also a dual math major, also second year internship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hire CS and engineers. I see a ton of resumes and transcripts. I don't hire anyone under a 3.5 GPA. But all the kids above 3.8 want $100k and aren't getting that unless they are truly superstars. Oh and you have to be willing to work in person.

My CS kid and his friends love working in person...but he has never been asked his GPA (at least not yet). Company where he has an offer had him complete a number of difficult CS challenges before they spent time on interviews. I gather if he aced those, then GPA is irrelevant (his GPA is actually pretty good)?

He is also getting well north of $100k, but out in SF.

A FAANG asked for my GPA and SAT score, but this was 10+years ago. I don't know if they still require that info. Ridiculous. I had been out of college for over 10 years, and had that much experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My CPA tells me there is a huge accountant shortage.

That’s good to hear.
My son plans on getting the 150 credits needed so he can state that he’s CPA eligible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hire CS and engineers. I see a ton of resumes and transcripts. I don't hire anyone under a 3.5 GPA. But all the kids above 3.8 want $100k and aren't getting that unless they are truly superstars. Oh and you have to be willing to work in person.

My CS kid and his friends love working in person...but he has never been asked his GPA (at least not yet). Company where he has an offer had him complete a number of difficult CS challenges before they spent time on interviews. I gather if he aced those, then GPA is irrelevant (his GPA is actually pretty good)?

He is also getting well north of $100k, but out in SF.

May I ask which college they graduated from?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hire CS and engineers. I see a ton of resumes and transcripts. I don't hire anyone under a 3.5 GPA. But all the kids above 3.8 want $100k and aren't getting that unless they are truly superstars. Oh and you have to be willing to work in person.

My CS kid and his friends love working in person...but he has never been asked his GPA (at least not yet). Company where he has an offer had him complete a number of difficult CS challenges before they spent time on interviews. I gather if he aced those, then GPA is irrelevant (his GPA is actually pretty good)?

He is also getting well north of $100k, but out in SF.

A FAANG asked for my GPA and SAT score, but this was 10+years ago. I don't know if they still require that info. Ridiculous. I had been out of college for over 10 years, and had that much experience.

My kid's friend got a job at Google and was worried that when they asked for his transcript (after getting and accepting an offer) that they may react to his 3.1 GPA...but they just wanted to confirm he had taken the classes he said he had taken.

No mention of the GPA. Google back in the day was huge on elite schools, SAT scores, logic problems, etc...but has moved far away from all of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My ‘25 who had built a nice little undergrad resume in work related to international development has obviously had to pivot. She’s a Fulbright semifinalist but that feels pretty fraught even if it comes through. She’s got one job offer and a grad program in Europe as options right now, still waiting on a few more things. We’re strongly encouraging any opportunity that gets her out of the country

Please post the final outcome for your DC. I have a 2026 grad in IR/Russian language who is starting to plan. She’s looking at Fulbright and Peace Corp, as well as think tank to grad school and direct to grad school and wait this out. Also looking at grad school in Canada or Europe (Sciences Po is a big one). Would love to know how the Fulbright resolves in this environment and what options are realistically out there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My ‘25 who had built a nice little undergrad resume in work related to international development has obviously had to pivot. She’s a Fulbright semifinalist but that feels pretty fraught even if it comes through. She’s got one job offer and a grad program in Europe as options right now, still waiting on a few more things. We’re strongly encouraging any opportunity that gets her out of the country

That's not dramatic at all.

It’s smart. In some countries, like Canada, a degree from their university is a pathway to a work visa. International Development money is gone in the US. Creating options is good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hire CS and engineers. I see a ton of resumes and transcripts. I don't hire anyone under a 3.5 GPA. But all the kids above 3.8 want $100k and aren't getting that unless they are truly superstars. Oh and you have to be willing to work in person.

My CS kid and his friends love working in person...but he has never been asked his GPA (at least not yet). Company where he has an offer had him complete a number of difficult CS challenges before they spent time on interviews. I gather if he aced those, then GPA is irrelevant (his GPA is actually pretty good)?

He is also getting well north of $100k, but out in SF.

May I ask which college they graduated from?

Cornell

[Anonymous]

T10 DS and friends have had a lot of success though there have been job-start delays for tech type jobs. Med/law/grad acceptances are amazing, almost all ivies/big names, but there are also top programs rescinding (unclaimed) phD offers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hire CS and engineers. I see a ton of resumes and transcripts. I don't hire anyone under a 3.5 GPA. But all the kids above 3.8 want $100k and aren't getting that unless they are truly superstars. Oh and you have to be willing to work in person.

My CS kid and his friends love working in person...but he has never been asked his GPA (at least not yet). Company where he has an offer had him complete a number of difficult CS challenges before they spent time on interviews. I gather if he aced those, then GPA is irrelevant (his GPA is actually pretty good)?

He is also getting well north of $100k, but out in SF.

A FAANG asked for my GPA and SAT score, but this was 10+years ago. I don't know if they still require that info. Ridiculous. I had been out of college for over 10 years, and had that much experience.

My kid's friend got a job at Google and was worried that when they asked for his transcript (after getting and accepting an offer) that they may react to his 3.1 GPA...but they just wanted to confirm he had taken the classes he said he had taken.

No mention of the GPA. Google back in the day was huge on elite schools, SAT scores, logic problems, etc...but has moved far away from all of that.

I am the other hiring manager posting here.

We are not hung up about GPA, particularly for engineers (many E schools curve all their courses and then place the median grade at B-). As I noted previously way above, we care a LOT which upper level courses a new grad took. So we will routinely ask for a transcript to see just which upper level electives the new grad took.

Separately, legal says we are not allowed to enquire whether the student has a legal right to work in the US, but the company will not sponsor anyone for any visa. If the new grad is a US Citizen or US Permanent Resident, it is smart to explicitly say whether US citizen or PR, probably as the last item on the resume. That eliminates the uncertainty both for HR and hiring managers. Make it easy for hiring managers to say yes,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1
Interviewer for DC's internship asked if they knew C, Phython and Unix. Java is the least marketable programming skill right now.

DC is also a dual math major, also second year internship.

Java unfortunately teaches bad programming habits. Java has something CS people call “garbage collection”, unlike most programming languages. So in Java, the programmer never has to release memory when no longer needed.

Java Programmers who try to switch to C programming (C both is more in demand and also is what I need) usually will forget to free memory explicitly after it is not needed. This creates memory leaks and eventually will cause the program to fail/crash. That is expensive to find/fix. We just cannot afford the lost time, productivity, and money…

[Anonymous]

My kid is still looking but is getting some interviews. Looking in journalism mostly and finding that most places want students with relevant experience in the work world post-college. Also finding that he will need financial help from us or live with 1000 roommates to take one of these jobs if in a city. Very low-paying. He is planning to go to grad school in a different area in a few years so isn’t stressing too much about it being the perfect job, just wants some professional experience on his resume and a break from school before returning to the academic grind. I am crossing my fingers that he finds something soon that allows him to be somewhat financially independent, either because it pays better than most or because it’s in a less-expensive COLA. Most of the jobs seem to be in expensive areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My ‘25 who had built a nice little undergrad resume in work related to international development has obviously had to pivot. She’s a Fulbright semifinalist but that feels pretty fraught even if it comes through. She’s got one job offer and a grad program in Europe as options right now, still waiting on a few more things. We’re strongly encouraging any opportunity that gets her out of the country

Please post the final outcome for your DC. I have a 2026 grad in IR/Russian language who is starting to plan. She’s looking at Fulbright and Peace Corp, as well as think tank to grad school and direct to grad school and wait this out. Also looking at grad school in Canada or Europe (Sciences Po is a big one). Would love to know how the Fulbright resolves in this environment and what options are realistically out there.

It’s Peace CORPS and very, very difficult to be selected. Married couples with experience do well, not students straight from uni.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ok people your nursing and teaching students are not really relevant here as those jobs are always in demand. Thanks. Please keep in mind how "not really relevant" the next time you solicit free advice of your nurse/teacher friends..."can you take a look at my finger- does this look infected"/ "I pulled my calf on the tennis court. What should I do?"/ "how should my kid prep for SATs?"

Rude, inappropriate comment.