HACKER Q&A
📣 hnuser0000

What should a recent CS grad that is unemployed and looking for work do?


Additional context:

There are fewer job postings this year for new grads, and the overall software development jobs market isn't great either [0]

There are many anecdotes of people who go to top schools and have multiple internships and unable to find jobs [1][2]

Job market has gotten so bad that the Grace Hopper Conference, which offers networking opportunities and different recruiting pipeline for attendees, allegedly now has a lot of cis men in attendance [3][4]

[0] https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/IHLIDXUSTPSOFTDEVE

[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/uwaterloo/comments/16ry8kr/story_from_a_model_student_who_became_a_failure/

[2] https://www.reddit.com/r/csMajors/comments/16t1h3g/new_grads_of_2022_and_2023_how_bad_has_the_job/

[3] Post from organizer of GHC: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cxs2Z0qvekf/

[4] Images of GHC: https://www.reddit.com/r/csMajors/comments/16t9xkr/ghc_day1_lets_be_honest_were_all_doing_cs_for/

  👤 averageValentin Accepted Answer ✓
Hi! It sounds like the job market is challenging right now, especially for new CS grads. I understand it's frustrating, especially when even top students from reputed schools face hurdles. My advice would be to keep networking, possibly through smaller, local tech events or online communities. Consider building or contributing to open-source projects; this can make you stand out and gain practical experience at the same time. It might also be a good time to upskill or learn something new. Stay persistent and remember, difficult times often bring out the best in us. Bonne chance!
👤 syndicatedjelly
It's demoralizing to get rejection letter after rejection letter (or sometimes just nothing at all), but keep at it.

Until you have one, consider it your job to:

- Prepare applications and cover letters

- Network (attend programming meetups, attend recruitment events, cold message people on LinkedIn)

- Stay engaged with the act of programming. Write code and think about programming for at least a couple hours per weekday. Leetcode at a bare minimum, but do something that interests you.

Don't forget to spend quality time with friends and family if you're able to live at home.

If you have bills to pay, then it may be time to look at other short-term jobs to fill the gap. Coffee shops, restaurants, warehouses, whatever it takes to pay the bills.

Good luck.