Anonymous wrote:I graduated in 1990 and hiring was dismal. I took an internship right out of school.

I learned a lot and although there was no full-time job to offer me, the work experience attracted attention from my next employer.

From this I learned to always try to be working, even if underemployed.

I had a similar experience in 1994- job market was just starting to recover but recent grads still had a tough time. I sent 100 PAPER resumes to contacts I found in a PHONE BOOK and offered to work as an intern. Received internship that paid little so paid my bills with a second job in a big city and eventually was hired full time. I have never taken employment for granted even though I went to top schools and I am never above a task based on my senior level status. In fact, my willingness to wear many hats has resulted in several promotions. I believe all of this stems from those scrappy early years.

I say apply for internships along with full time positions. And if the internship requires one to still be in school, register at the community college for accounting or a generic class or 2.

Anonymous wrote:The issue with internships is that they're almost always made for students who will be continuing their education - whether undergrad or grad school. So a graduate with no plans to continue that fall to grad school isn't eligible.

Depends. My company says students are qualified for 12 months after graduation, no need to be continuing education.

The issue with internships is that they're almost always made for students who will be continuing their education - whether undergrad or grad school. So a graduate with no plans to continue that fall to grad school isn't eligible.

I graduated in 1990 and hiring was dismal. I took an internship right out of school.

I learned a lot and although there was no full-time job to offer me, the work experience attracted attention from my next employer.

From this I learned to always try to be working, even if underemployed.

I am a software engineer for a government contractor, and I have seen many highly qualified recent 2025 CS graduates from respected universities such as CMU, UVA, Virginia Tech, UMD, and the University of Michigan applying for jobs that pay less than $100K per year. I have personally interviewed over 50 2025 candidates in the past three months for fewer than five open positions, and all of them could easily perform well in the role.

The feedback I’ve received from these candidates is that FAANG hiring has largely stalled, and they are now competing with many laid-off software engineers who have years of experience. It is a very challenging job market for all majors, especially computer science. A CMU graduate would never have taken a sub-$100K job three years ago, but times have changed.

OP here. A month later, he has been getting invited for some interviews!

Problem is that many of them want an immediate start and he doesn't graduate until May. I assume roles posted right before graduation in April/May will be even more competitive as all his fellow May 2026 grads will be available to start.

Any advice? I've heard from a few people that some teams will give an offer even if they have to wait a few months to start if the candidate is that good.

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

Should he also consider applying to masters programs? He has friends already doing that as a backup in case they don’t land something by spring.

no!