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Life advice for a struggling new grad

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Unemployed at Taro Community4 months ago

I just graduated college this May and have no job lined up struggling in this really tough market.

Struggling to land a job in this market has me feeling like a failure/I'm doing something wrong even though I did all the "right" things when starting college (get good grades, do LC, get internships, do projects, network)

So fellow members of Taro, do you have any advice on how not to feel down during these trying times? Especially when seeing few classmates land jobs and I'm still struggling here

I hate to make posts like these since its depressing but there's people with far more wisdom than me and I would really appreciate any wisdom you can part :)

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Discussion

(4 comments)
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    Tech Lead @ Robinhood, Meta, Course Hero
    4 months ago

    Find a buddy! When it comes to Taro, there's a lot of ways to do that:

    Happy to lend a supportive ear in Group Office Hours as well. Here's my next one: Group Office Hours With Alex - Get Personalized Career Advice Privately

    Don't feel bad at all about making this post - There's a lot of value in ranting a little bit and being vulnerable. You have my respect for making this post at the very least.

  • 2
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    Software Engineer at Microsoft
    4 months ago

    The market is brutal now for new grads, so don’t blame or compare yourself to others. Everyone has their own journey!

    Now talking about what you can do: continue working on yourself while job searching! Don’t just keep sending applications, but work on yourself by taking online courses, building and publishing projects, etc. Also, this might not be the best time to be picky - getting some experience now in a job that wasn’t your first choice is definitely better than waiting for your dream job.

  • 1
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    Eng @ Taro
    4 months ago

    Hi, it's completely understandable to be feeling this way. I've talked to many people who are in the same position as you, who are feeling similar negative emotions. So, you definitely aren't alone :)

    Especially when seeing few classmates land jobs and I'm still struggling here

    It may be useful to disconnect yourself from them getting the actual job and try to break down how their process is different from your process. Maybe you can reach out to them to ask them what worked well for them. I'm sure they have a lot of positive energy right now where they'll be happy to go through their process.

    Struggling to land a job in this market has me feeling like a failure/I'm doing something wrong even though I did all the "right" things when starting college (get good grades, do LC, get internships, do projects, network)

    It's easy to fall into these negative thought patterns and dwell on them endlessly. There will always be something that you are lacking that someone else has. So, these thoughts won't just stop after you end up finding a job. Can you try to do something actionable with that energy? The worst thing you can do is to just lay down and just keep running through these thoughts over and over.

  • 1
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    Tech Lead/Manager at Meta, Pinterest, Kosei
    4 months ago

    First, realize that the market is tough right now, especially for early-career folks. Don't blame yourself!

    Focus on small improvements everyday and try to collaborate with other people (either through working on projects, or just to connect and get advice)

For those who were laid off, taking a career break, or any another reason why they're not working right now. It's good to be unemployed every once in a while!
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