Start with your internships - network with the teams you worked with to uncover openings. Some may stayed at the company where you interned but some may have moved into roles at another company (increasing the possibility of finding openings). Are there any "themes" to the internships you've had (industry, type of work, tech stack, etc.)? Use that to target roles and companies where you can leverage your internship experience. Would you consider a role to get your foot in the door to a company (for example testing or business analyst)? If you google "companies hiring new grads", you'll find a number of companies come up in the results. Once you identify those companies, you can apply for open roles on their website BUT start networking with techies at those companies to learn more about the company, culture and any possible openings and possibly a referral to an open position. (Think coffee chat - if you don't know what a coffee chat is, google it.) Don't just focus on networking with backend software engineers; think about who else would be on a project team like a project manager, a software tester, a business analyst. Another option is to consider working for a managed service provider - they provide outsourced / managed projects for their clients and the team often has a junior (new grad) resource as part of the team. They may have "perm" roles or they may have contract roles. Again, once you've identified the companies you'd like to work for, network with other techies to uncover potential opportunities. Another option is to network with technical recruiters at companies you'd like to work for. They are aware of current opportunities but also pipeline opportunities. Have any of your classmates landed jobs? Network with them. Network with alumni from the college / university that you got your CS degree from - they may be able to point you to current openings in the companies they work for. Does your college / university have a career center / career advisor? They may have information on employers looking to hire new grads as well as employers who have previously hired new grads. Have you asked any of your college professors for suggestions? They may be currently working or have recently worked at an employer and can provide intel as maybe connect you with someone to help uncover opportunities. There are lots of ways to look for a job but in this market, networking is key. While you are job seeking, are there any projects you could work on for free? (Think open source projects.) Can you volunteer or work at your university's computer lab? Not only will you gain additional experience but you may add to your network as well. Are there any courses that you could take that will fill in some knowledge gaps or add to your skills. There are many free courses out there, just google free course and the skill you are looking for. Free courses are offered by Learning & Development companies like Udemy and
Alison but also by colleges and universities including some that are very well known like Harvard and Purdue. Additionally, there are colleges where you can audit a course for free and they will provide proof of completion. Not only will you learn something but you have the instructor, other students and possibly their alumni for additional people to network with. LOTS of options but networking is key in today's job market.
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