IDK what to do anymore,

23 Comments

1. AnonymousOctober 7,2025 at 7:59PM UTC

   This is going to sound generic, but welcome to the corporate world and hang in there! The job search is super challenging for everyone... but the harder it is to get a job, the more you'll appreciate it once you land one. Make sure that you're constantly growing your network by adding random people in your field on Linkedin. After you apply to each job, see if you're already connected to someone at that workplace and shoot them a message like, "Hi, [Their Name]! I just applied to the _____ role at ______ and wanted to let someone at the company know. I see that you've been at _____ for _____ years and have had a few promotions. How do you like the company culture and the projects? I'll attach my resume in case you feel comfortable forwarding it to the hiring manager. If not, no worries. -[Your Name]." This has been my technique, and it's gotten me plenty of information, a few referrals, and several interviews. Do most of those interviews lead to jobs? No, but we're both extremely fortunate to be getting the interviews because eventually, those lead to getting hired. I've done this job-search dance about five times throughout my career. Things eventually work out. This last piece of encouragement might be obnoxious, but find some affordable vitamin B-12 chews and take them daily. The B-12 will increase your energy and optimism, which might give you the boost to tough it out until you land your intended job.

2. AnonymousOctober 7,2025 at 8:29PM UTC

   My therapist told me that I'm not marketable and to go into something else.....even though I've been working as an admin/receptionist 5 plus years. I don't think she truly understands how bad it is for EVERYONE no matter their educational background. She's a baby boomer so it's frustrating to get her to see it. She does recommend job posts and companies which I appreciate, but still.........

   She knows how hard I've been looking so its frustrating to hear something like that from her.

3. AnonymousOctober 7,2025 at 10:27PM UTC

   It's an entirely different job market and the uncertainty is paralyzing. I've found just exposing myself to new entrepreneurs and people who have original ideas and strong ideas about the current world order. You don't have to agree with them but it helps get you thinking outside what tradition and university had us believe.

4. AnonymousOctober 8,2025 at 1:25PM UTC

   I would search for a new therapist before a new job. Everyone is marketable.

5. Dr. Patty GrossOctober 7,2025 at 10:03PM UTC

   Have you contacted the school you graduated from? They will have a career center that is also connected to the alumni association, which provides a good first step into companies willing to take recent grads. They will also have services, like resume review and job/interview coaches. It only makes the school look better when its graduates land good jobs, so helping you do that is a win/win for them.

6. AnonymousOctober 7,2025 at 11:38PM UTC

   Contact your college's career services office and keep contacting them until they help you. Also contact any professors who might give you a positive recommendation and/or provide job leads. Also contact any friends from school and let them know you are looking, especially if they work in the field that you want to get into. Don't give up; as you can see in multiple posts, the job market is beyond tough right now, but eventually you will find a better position. In the meantime, try to be grateful that you at least have a job. It's not a forever job, but it's better than nothing. Keep looking for the job equivalent of Mr. Right, but for the time being, at least you have the equivalent of Mr. Right Now.

7. AnonymousOctober 8,2025 at 1:35AM UTC

   I am sorry that you are going through a difficult time. But giving up is not going to get you anywhere.

   What you do need is support. Can your college placement office help? How about professors or adjunct faculty from your school who are knowledgeable about the field you want to enter? How about alumni from your school who work in your profession of interest?

   More avenues: Can you join a support group for job hunters? And can you earn a certificate in your field of interest that will improve your credentials? In addition, join professional groups or attend events related to the job you’d like to have. The more people you are meeting, the more successful you will be.

   In addition: Congratulate yourself for being employed. Many new grads are not. So far, you’re doing a great job!

8. AnonymousOctober 8,2025 at 1:30PM UTC

   A few quick thoughts and suggestions: Skip searching for help from colleges or professors. Hundreds of graduates think and do the same, and frankly, professors aren't there to help their students find jobs or refer them to "contacts." You are now part of the workforce.

   Start by optimizing your LinkedIn profile. Responding to job postings may be ineffective on LinkedIn; however, recruiters use the search tools provided by LinkedIn. Use ChatGPT or Perplexity (my personal favorite) to create prompts that improve your LinkedIn profile, showing that you are an expert in XYZ, or ask ChatGPT to optimize your LinkedIn page as a job seeker looking to attract recruiters in the XYZ field. These are broad examples—you get the idea. Provide the URL to your profile when requesting this to ChatGPT.
   Make sure your resume is ATS-friendly. Keywords are fine, but is it formatted correctly? Upload your resume to ChatGPT and request feedback on what changes need to be made to create a correctly formatted resume.
   How many times are similar words used? If you have "marketing" listed 8 times, look for alternative descriptions.
   Keep bullet points under your positions to no more than two lines.
   Add volunteer work. Applicants stand out if they showcase attributes that align with the company values.
   Lastly, do not rely solely on job sites like Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn for your job search. If you find a job that interests you, apply directly through the company’s website. You'll see all their open positions, one of which may align with your background better and may not have been visible otherwise.
   I share these tips as someone who has used them. Within a few weeks, I started seeing results, secured more interviews, and am currently interviewing with three companies at different stages. As they say, "Make your own luck." Good luck!

9. Diane Frances Lesley-NeumanOctober 8,2025 at 1:47PM UTC

   There is a glut of computer science grads on the market. Take courses on Coursera and earn a Data Science or data engineering certificate. These positions are in more demand.

10. Jody LaflenOctober 8,2025 at 9:04PM UTC

    I feel you. I left a successful, longtime career (that was killing me) to get a second master’s and change careers. However, due to a bad market and my age (52-year-old women aren’t desirable in tech), I gave up job hunting after 4 years of rejections. I live on side hustles and freelance work, and am ‘forcibly retired.’ I wish I had advice for you. Degrees are just a tiny part, it’s who you know, and even that may not be enough.

11. Lorri Petrone OBrienOctober 8,2025 at 11:25PM UTC

    feel free to connect.

12. PatriciaOctober 9,2025 at 12:49PM UTC

    I can really feel your frustration — you’ve clearly worked hard to get where you are, and it’s completely understandable to feel discouraged when the effort doesn’t seem to be paying off yet. The job market is incredibly tough right now, especially for new grads. Please don’t see the rejections as a reflection of your worth or ability — they’re often more about timing or fit than talent. You will get your break; sometimes it just takes one “yes” to change everything. Don’t give up — your persistence is going to pay off.

13. AnonymousOctober 9,2025 at 12:51PM UTC

    Sadly relatable. No advice, unfortunately, just sending solidarity.

14. AnonymousOctober 9,2025 at 2:07PM UTC

    Any work is good work. If you are doing something to pay bills, I applaud you. The world has changed in the last ten years and having a college degree is no guarantee of an excellent job right out the door. It used to be that way forty years ago but not now. You are joined by hundreds of thousands of other recent college graduates who are just scraping by, it's not you! But!!! You can work to distinguish yourself so that when you go on that next job interview , you've got something else to talk about other than looking for a job. How do you distinguish yourself from other candidates? Volunteerism!!! Taking an extra certification course!!! Doing CS work for your favorite charity or church! Teaching a basic class In the evening add a community college. Volunteer at career day at local high-school! You are more than your college degree, But you've got to show potential employers that you are a standout candidate. This has nothing to do with sitting in class and getting another degree or talking to a former professor who liked you. Once you leave the University campus, you are on your own and a big big world.And the world is interested in people who are engaged and thinking outside the box.... I can't stress enough.The importance of doing volunteer work at this very hard time in your life. You will increase your friend and professional network and it will get you out of your head a little bit... It might even lead to the perfect job!!!

15. Katherine AkbarOctober 9,2025 at 2:35PM UTC

    Don't give up! You did a smart thing by reaching out to us for other perspectives. I think the crux of the problem is this: "IDK what these companies want or expect from me but as a new grad I don't feel it should be much." What companies want and expect from a new grad is being coachable, being interested in the company's success, being reliable, having a good attitude, and ideally being interested in growing with the company over time. If you are bringing an attitude of "You shouldn't expect much from me," they will look for someone else from whom they can expect more.

    There's some great information about interviewing on my website, success-YES.com. If you go to the Resources tab and click on Interviewing, you'll find a short video in which I'm wearing a green jacket. I think this video will help you a lot, as it explains how a job interview is like a first date. If you went on a first date and were like, "I don't know what this person expects from me, but it shouldn't be much," I'm guessing you wouldn't get a second date. The good news is this approach is easily changed now that you know it isn't serving you. Best wishes!

16. AnonymousOctober 9,2025 at 3:43PM UTC

    Having a degree doesn't entitle you to anything. Please change your tune and tone because whining about what you deserve when you are a noobie won't get you anywhere. Perhaps your expectations are getting in the way of reality. Think about your job search like this: It's a paid internship when you get right out of college. You are still learning and growing and someone has to take a chance on you that you will do the job without any previous experience. Find a company that has entry level roles where within the organization you can build upon the tools you gained in your degree. Spend the time researching the company and why they fit what you hope for over the long term. Show them in interviews why you selected them and what you know about them and their business. Plot out a 3-5 year plan. Write it down. Then use that to look at a limited amount of places that fit the criteria you have set forth. While you think companies should be less picky they have the pick of the litter and every year many many others are in your same boat. Companies spend a lot of time, effort and money to upskill new grads like yourself who come in energetic and expecting but bring little real world experience to the table. Learn to be humble. Humbleness will go far when you talk to potential employers, a cocky or overly confident tone when you know little about the job you want (because you have never held it in the real world) won't net the yes you hope to get when they make their hiring decision.

    In the near term it would also benefit you to know that most regular job searches are taking 6-9 months. Gain patience. Take temp jobs if you need to and/or part-time or contract work to fill in the gap. Stay focused, you can do this but stop thinking it's BS. It's real world where you have to earn your spot by getting in the door somewhere. Don't turn down things you think are beneath you if it gets you into where you want to go. Good luck.

17. AnonymousOctober 12,2025 at 1:24PM UTC

    The problem is is that in America you are groomed from birth that getting a college degree is on track to living the American dream, which is a flat out lie.

    My advice to young people is pick trade, go to the military, or go into healthcare.

18. MonicaOctober 9,2025 at 4:41PM UTC

    I am sorry you're going through this. My son is having the same issue and becomes very discouraged. I've certainly been there a number of times. It can do a number on your self-esteem. It is good that you have a job, so try to focus on that as a positive but keep going. Something will come up. Don't give up.

19. AnonymousOctober 9,2025 at 11:48PM UTC

    I remember having the same problem when I graduated from college a few years ago with a degree in Marketing. What a mistake that was. I ended up working random customer service jobs just to gain work experience because Marketing is such a dead field right now (and possibly for the foreseeable future, unfortunately).. After gaining work experience, I then returned to school to complete a Masters in Accounting to specialize in a specific field. That’s helped me get interviews for accountant jobs (i.e., jobs that actually require a college degree, not call center crap).

    Now, everyone’s journey is unique. Depending on the field your degree is in (ex: Creative Writing, Computer Science, Fine Arts, Game Design, Marketing), it’ll take a longer time to get a job due to the competition. Every field is absurdly competitive right now, but not to the extent that ones I just listed are. You may have to settle for slipshod jobs with no work experience requirements to get some work experience and then, while working this job, find ways to get into the files you want (volunteering, contract work, save money for more advanced degree, etc).

    I hope it works out for you!

20. AnonymousOctober 10,2025 at 12:23PM UTC

    I make a lot of money in marketing. Dead field?

21. AnonymousOctober 15,2025 at 6:24PM UTC

    The question isn't whether marketing is a dead field. The question is whether marketing will become a good field to get a job in again. LOL

    But, yes, marketing is pretty dead in the water right now.

22. AnonymousOctober 10,2025 at 1:05PM UTC

    Your time will come. I was a nontraditional student, took 10 years (and multiple changes in major) to finish an associate and then a bachelor's degree. Graduated in spring of '08. Did not end up with a job in my field of study (HR) until end of 2010/beginning of 2011. I was a secretary/admin assistant for many years - all through college and ended up as an HR admin assistant in a job I landed through office team and stayed with the company they placed me in for over 10 years gaining experience along the way.

23. Farah BajwaOctober 12,2025 at 3:10AM UTC

    Its a tough market. Look for ways to make yourself stand out amongst other candidates. Pace yourself so you don't burn out.