It’s f*cking EXHAUSTING. Am I the only one feeling this way? Like you’re not asking for the world, you just want a stable job, a place to belong, something simple, and yet it feels like you have to jump through hoops on fire while solving a Rubik’s cube blindfolded just to get a chance. And all the “Do a Master’s!” or “Upskill this!” or “Try this unpaid internship!” advice just makes it worse like bro, when do I actually live?? The system is just… broken in so many ways. LinkedIn feels like a high school popularity contest, email is just digital begging at this point, and the 4-stage interview circus?? For an entry-level job?? Like why do I need to do a thesis defense to become a junior anything??? This whole setup is not made for humans, it’s made for robots with 10 years of experience at age 22, who love networking and wake up at 5 AM to meditate and code.
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Become a neet and refuse to be a wageslave
I was the same age as you when I finished college shortly before COVID. It made my situation a lot worse it foiled my post college plans and I knew the job market wasn’t gonna get any better during the time :/
I’ve also tried getting a long term career job and done countless interviews and so far nothing… I’m working two jobs in the meanwhile and I regularly check job boards for more opportunities. It’s been five years since I finished college and I had no idea it was gonna be THIS disappointing and it’s likely that COVID made it exponentially worse..
I kinda feel a bit similar here (25m college student), most people see work as just a way to get money and pay bills because that’s being an adult. Than work for years living paycheck by paycheck at a shitty underpaid job they hate for years with toxic coworkers waiting to get to their pension so they can actually do what they want. For what? To get some money, to pay bills, I rather do something I enjoy and live my life now and not when I’m 65. I get that some people want a simple life, a simple stable job and that’s fine but like you said, there’s a lot of bs with everything. If it’s not the job than it’s people,rules,… Every job I’ve seen in corporate environments just want overqualified employees while paying them as little as possible and take you on rollercoaster for a chance to get hired. I’ve been working as a butcher parttime for nearly 8 years now. It’s quite simple and I like it (for work), great boss, good colleagues, It pays well, it can get chaotic but I’m used to it and I know what to do so it works for me. I didn’t even apply for the job, I got referred by a friend so didn’t have to deal with that bs.
I cook for a living. People will say what they will, and I agree it’s not the greatest at times, but! I get to work with my hands daily, I have a set schedule, with a set paycheck, set days off, and a sense of community and belonging in the industry. I wish you the best in your job search, it’s never clear to anyone.
Hmmm, based on your post, I’m thinking the negativity comes out in interviews? I am always looking for junior sales reps, with a degree, and little to no sales experience so I can train them.
Call me old school, but I feel like you have to earn your stripes. A lot of people your age have this sense of entitlement because they have a degree from a high profile college (and the debt to go with it).
What I look for is a willingness to learn, honesty, and most importantly a POSITIVE outlook on life in general. A 25 yr old with a degree who works at Starbucks for example, usually gets a second interview. Shows humility.
It’s really not just you. There probably an element of unrealistic expectations on your part (networking really IS an essential skill. Almost everyone I know getting a decent job right now is getting it through networking, and even if you don’t like it, you’ve gotta make it happen) but the job market is also incredibly screwed up right now. There just aren’t enough jobs, and a lot of the jobs that ARE there aren’t really paying an adequate wage for the current economy.
My best suggestion is just… Try to make friends. Don’t go into Networking thinking “I need to meet people who are going to help my career,” but rather, try to meet people in your career field that you just like. See if you can find industry events that you might be allowed to be a part of. And go in with an attitude of “I’m genuinely interested in other people and what they are doing.” Ask questions. Offer your opinion. Maybe ask to grab coffee sometime, or continue the conversation online.
I feel you on the multi stage interviews. It is both ridiculous and exhausting.
Cs major?
Dude, I hate when people come at me with stock shit, get into buying property, and investing. Like you, I just want enough money to cover the bills and have a little fun. I shouldn’t need to make ways to make more money with the job I have. Even if my one job gave me everything I want, I’m not wasting my energy to get more. Enjoy life with the simple shit.
Might be time to consider a trade. They’re in high demand and you’ll make good money, stick with it and in ten years you’ll thank yourself. If you have the aptitude for it, electrical work pays very well and by the time you’re 35 you’ll be deciding which part of the world you want to visit if you do things right.
Late stage capitalism is awful. I’ve essentially felt like this for almost 20 years. Even when I had a decent job for a few years, it was hard to escape the reality that I wasn’t really helping society in any meaningful way. Corporate America is hell
So I have a simple life. I live alone, have my job, and have been chilling at home. I work from home 2-3 days per week, and make enough.
The key is to work for an established small local business. The kind that makes a product/service you can still see people using in 5-10 years. Also, look into staffing agencies. They’ll look for you and be the middleman. It’s how I got my job.
It sucks when education feels like a scam only to lead you stranded and unemployed. I took on a lot of odd jobs that were, in no way, related to my field of study until I finally landed a job at a great company. The expectations of what entry level roles require is crazy (and I’m lucky to work with a company that sees potential in students and entry level/junior candidates) but I’ve seen other companies that expects the whole world and a half in order to get in (make it make sense???)
I feel for those who are trying to enter the job market with their educational background. We all study hard in hopes of landing a great career only to be left to struggle lol
Also, LinkedIn is insufferable. Use it to promote yourself to hiring managers – just be normal because the amount of sob stories I come across on that platform is insane.
I can empathize with this so much. I spent my twenties trying to get my foot in the door of one industry or another. I just wanted a stable job where I could earn enough money to pay my rent.
I went back to college twice and ultimately in my early thirties, ended up with a job that has nothing to do with what I went to school for. Fortunately, I love the industry that I landed in, but I wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for a friend who put in a good word for me at their company. It was sheer luck and I’m grateful every day.
All of this is to say that you can do everything you’re suppose to but it doesn’t always matter. From my observations & experience, you pretty much have to know someone just have a shot at an interview these days. Continue to network. You will find something, it may not happen quickly but you will get there.
Best of luck OP, and congrats on accomplishing your engineering degree!