Struggling to Find a Job – Considering My Next Steps

[michaelkup]

Hey everyone,

I’m graduating in July with a B.Sc. in Computer Science from a college (GPA: 89) and have been searching for a job since my second year, but I’m struggling to find one. I know the job market is tough right now, and I’m debating between two options. I’d love to hear your advice!

Continue job hunting after graduation while improving my skills through Udemy courses and building more projects (I have some, but they’re not large or complex) until I land a job.

Start a master's degree in Computer Science/Information Systems Engineering at a top university while continuing my job search. The goal is to enhance my academic background, stay in the "student" position for another two years (which might help with job hunting), and, of course, expand my knowledge.

If I had a job offer right now, I wouldn’t even consider a master’s degree at this stage.

What do you think? Which option would be better in today’s market? Has anyone faced a similar dilemma?
Thanks in advance for your insights!

 

[jedishrfu]

A master's degree can open more doors, and if you have the chance, then it's a good strategy. Employers don't like to see gaps in your resume, so showing that you're pursuing an MS answers that question.

Another thing to consider is getting a backup minor in business, economics, bioinformatics, statistics, EE, mechanical engineering, applied mathematics, chemistry, physics, or UX design.

Data science is a hot topic now. It encompasses database work and statistics for training models, analyzing and cleaning data, and looking for useful trends that businesses can exploit.

Working on a Github team could help, especially for team-based developer jobs.

You should know how to work with GitHub or SVN and use an IDE like Eclipse, NetBeans, IntelliJ, or PyCharm. Learn about microservices and create Docker/Podman images with Kubernetes. Learn about databases and SQL, and web services.

Conduct a job survey to understand what employers seek, and gain personal experience by engaging with the technology through reading or hands-on practice, so you can speak knowledgeably during an interview. Employers will assess your knowledge to some extent, but if you understand the terminology and concepts, you can manage well.

An LLM like ChatGPT can help you craft cover letters. You can use the technology to customize your letters and resumes to the job requirements. However, you must review what is generated and ensure you agree with it before sending it out.

Keep track of all letters and resumes sent to companies. Don't be generic by sending the same materials to everyone. Customize your resume for each job you are applying for to increase its chances of scoring higher when scanned by HR. Otherwise, it may be filed away for future reference or, worse, discarded after a few months.

If you get an interview, make sure to pull out what you submitted and review it, as the cover letter and resume are what interested the employers. Most job interview questions will stem from those two documents since they are all the employers know about you.

Remember to include personal elements such as a hobby, a musical instrument, an interest in sci-fi novels, military experience, or work with charitable organizations. Sometimes, these details resonate with the hiring manager. For instance, I mentioned that I was an Explorer Scout in a Computer Explorer Post, and my hiring manager happened to be a former Explorer Scout as well.

Once, my manager was eager to hire a candidate with an impressive resume, knowing they might choose another opportunity. He saw that the candidate enjoyed sci-fi novels, so he sent them a copy of one of his stories, and they accepted the hiring offer.

Good luck and take care,
Jedi

 

[CrysPhys]

I’m graduating in July with a B.Sc. in Computer Science from a college (GPA: 89) and have been searching for a job since my second year, but I’m struggling to find one.

* <<Emphasis added>> Could you please clarify this? This makes it appear that your job search has been prolonged and grim. I realize that employment practices vary substantially with country, locale within a country, and field. I'm familiar with the US. Here, only in limited fields do students begin a job search early in their undergrad years. E.g., in many large financial firms, summer internships are used to screen for potential candidates. High-performing candidates are hired back for subsequent internships, and the best are positioned for full-time jobs after graduation.

But, for most jobs (especially in science and engineering), the job search typically doesn't start until first semester senior year. Your profile says you're in Israel. What are the employment practices, particularly in computer science, there?

Start a master's degree in Computer Science/Information Systems Engineering at a top university while continuing my job search. The goal is to enhance my academic background, stay in the "student" position for another two years (which might help with job hunting), and, of course, expand my knowledge.

* Again, whether or not a master's degree will improve your employment chances will depend on country, locale within a country, and field. Before you embark on a master's program, find out whether it will help.

* I'll offer up a third option. Start your own business or businesses. Whether this is viable or not will depend on your financial needs and potential family support. If you don't have the experience to make it on your own as a programmer, try a less demanding, but in demand, affiliated field, Information Technology (IT). At least in the US, there is strong demand from individuals and small businesses (too small for full-time IT support) for help with basics, such as setting up a WiFi network and Internet connection, setting up email, learning MS Office applications, .... In the US, depending on the locale, there is also a demand for private tutors in various subjects and grade levels. Check out opportunities in your home country.

You will need to get your foot in the door by charging an initial lower rate. As your reputation grows, you can up the rate. Another way to get started (if your finances allow) is to volunteer for non-profits. Besides gaining experience and filling out your resume, it's a great way to network for job opportunities. Good luck!

 

[michaelkup]

Could you please clarify this?

Yes, in Israel, until recent years, a BSc Computer Science student could start working after completing a few courses—typically in the second year, after taking programming and data structures/algorithms courses.


The main issue is that my college and degree program are new, so they don’t yet have a reputation, and everything feels somewhat unorganized. As a result, internships haven’t been an option. Moreover, no students from either the third or second year have had any luck securing a job so far.

* <<Emphasis added>> Could you please clarify this? This makes it appear that your job search has been prolonged and grim. I realize that employment practices vary substantially with country, locale within a country, and field. I'm familiar with the US. Here, only in limited fields do students begin a job search early in their undergrad years. E.g., in many large financial firms, summer internships are used to screen for potential candidates. High-performing candidates are hired back for subsequent internships, and the best are positioned for full-time jobs after graduation.

But, for most jobs (especially in science and engineering), the job search typically doesn't start until first semester senior year. Your profile says you're in Israel. What are the employment practices, particularly in computer science, there?



* Again, whether or not a master's degree will improve your employment chances will depend on country, locale within a country, and field. Before you embark on a master's program, find out whether it will help.

* I'll offer up a third option. Start your own business or businesses. Whether this is viable or not will depend on your financial needs and potential family support. If you don't have the experience to make it on your own as a programmer, try a less demanding, but in demand, affiliated field, Information Technology (IT). At least in the US, there is strong demand from individuals and small businesses (too small for full-time IT support) for help with basics, such as setting up a WiFi network and Internet connection, setting up email, learning MS Office applications, .... In the US, depending on the locale, there is also a demand for private tutors in various subjects and grade levels. Check out opportunities in your home country.

You will need to get your foot in the door by charging an initial lower rate. As your reputation grows, you can up the rate. Another way to get started (if your finances allow) is to volunteer for non-profits. Besides gaining experience and filling out your resume, it's a great way to network for job opportunities. Good luck!

 

[jtbell]

Yes, in Israel, until recent years, a BSc Computer Science student could start working after completing a few courses—typically in the second year, after taking programming and data structures/algorithms courses.

At a full-time or part-time job? (alongside "full-time" degree studies)

In the US, it's somewhat common for college students to work a part-time job alongside a normal course load, but less common to work a full-time job without reducing the course load and shifting some courses to the summers or extra years of study.

 

[michaelkup]

At a full-time or part-time job? (alongside "full-time" degree studies)

In the US, it's somewhat common for college students to work a part-time job alongside a normal course load, but less common to work a full-time job without reducing the course load and shifting some courses to the summers or extra years of study.

at part-time, or like you've said, to take a full-time and shift the studies to longer periods.

 

[CrysPhys]

The main issue is that my college and degree program are new, so they don’t yet have a reputation, and everything feels somewhat unorganized. As a result, internships haven’t been an option. Moreover, no students from either the third or second year have had any luck securing a job so far.

So is this a limited issue with your specific college (new, no reputation), or a depressed job market overall for new grads in computer science in Israel? That is, how are recent grads from established schools doing? Have companies been posting openings?

 

[michaelkup]

So is this a limited issue with your specific college (new, no reputation), or a depressed job market overall for new grads in computer science in Israel? That is, how are recent grads from established schools doing? Have companies been posting openings?

i cant say its only because of my collage, the overall market is not good for junior's and because im in collage its feels 10 times harder then leading universitys students. There is companies that posting openings. not much but there is.

 

[Klystron]

Time permitting, look for corporate, university and 'think tank' open houses and job fairs you can attend. Israeli friends often mention how small the country is compared to US, implying that travel to events should not be prohibitive. Bring and distrubute your resume/CV, sure, but keep open for clues to potential employers.

As an example, I used to attend open houses and science fairs at NASA Research Center in Sunnyvale, California and Stanford Reseach Institute in Menlo Park. After military service, I found interesting employment while still an undergraduate in Math/CS at NASA and then at SRI while pursuing a masters at university.

While interviewing with senior staff at SRI speech technology lab, I noticed a coffe mug emblazoned with the logo of a popular BBC TV show "East Enders" then broadcasting on local PBS. Mentioning the show relaxed a somewhat hostile meeting. I mentioned how listening to character accents helped me understand dialog in Shakespeare's plays which led to discussion of linguistics and regional speech patterns. I ended up with a senior position well above the advertised job. Moral of the anecdote: Remain alert and be prepared.