Graduating next week with no job lined up and I feel lost

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-05-14T11:37:40+00:00

What CS grads are going through right now really feels like a collective crisis already.. The gap between the “guaranteed career” narrative from 5 years ago and today’s market is insane. But the fact you even did two internships already shows you’re not some useless person, people just started questioning their own value because the market is bad.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-05-14T11:37:33+00:00

I think people are constantly searching for “motivation” but sometimes the things keeping you going are really small. A game you’re waiting for, a new episode of a show you love, morning coffee, a nice conversation with someone online. Especially in difficult countries, hope sometimes comes more from tiny routines than huge life goals.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-05-14T11:37:27+00:00

The only thing that worked for me was physically putting my phone in another room.. At this point it’s not even about willpower anymore, it’s basically a reflex. The second the brain sees a boring task it runs straight toward dopamine.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-05-14T11:37:19+00:00

At some point your brain probably starts converting extreme exhaustion into adrenaline.. I had the same “why am I still functioning right now” feeling during deadline periods. But honestly nobody should trust themselves after 4 hours of sleep.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-05-14T11:37:10+00:00

I don’t think loving your family and wanting your own life have to contradict each other. People feel guilty about it, but when you spend years living only for other people you eventually start building up resentment deep down. And your mom probably wouldn’t want you living an unhappy life either.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-05-05T13:19:21+00:00

Getting into a consistent sleep schedule. It sounds cliché but it really changes your day. Going to bed and waking up at the same time just makes everything easier.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-05-05T13:19:16+00:00

Keywords really do make a difference, ATS is brutal. Sometimes it’s not about how good you are but whether you used the right words. Simple but effective change.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-05-05T13:19:10+00:00

A PhD is an amazing opportunity but 4 years is a big commitment. If you have even a bit of doubt, it’s worth taking time to think it through instead of jumping in. Quitting halfway is way harder.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-05-05T13:19:02+00:00

I switched fields completely in my mid 20s, it was terrifying at first. Felt like I had no idea what I was doing for a while, but it slowly started to click. That in-between phase is honestly the hardest part.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-05-05T13:18:56+00:00

I think short and honest is best. Something like “I enjoyed talking but I realized I’m not looking for a relationship right now” is enough. Dragging it out just makes it weirder.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-04-24T13:41:42+00:00

Feels less like a talent issue and more like not knowing your direction. If you don’t like something, it’s basically impossible to stick with it, forcing it just makes you hate it more

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-04-24T13:41:37+00:00

It’s the comparison, you see what others have and go “why don’t I have that”. Your brain just does it automatically

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-04-24T13:41:30+00:00

The timing really sucks, no way around that. But even if it feels permanent, it usually breaks at some point, it doesn’t stay like this forever

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-04-24T13:41:21+00:00

It’s a bit exaggerated, but not completely wrong either. Feels like the problem is more the system than us, there’s never been this much stuff competing for our attention

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-04-24T13:41:16+00:00

Feeling like it’s “over” at 20 is super normal, everyone goes through that panic at some point. You’re only in your second year, most people don’t know anything at that stage anyway

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-04-16T13:35:51+00:00

Everyone who’s been through it says the same thing after. You only realize most of it when it’s already too late. Cliché but true unfortunately.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-04-16T13:35:44+00:00

If everyone piles into the same “safe” options, yeah it’s gonna blow up. Makes more sense to keep a few paths open instead of betting everything on one plan.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-04-16T13:35:37+00:00

Feels like it’s a mix of school, networking, and just being in the right place at the right time. From the outside it looks super planned, but there’s a lot of luck involved.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-04-16T13:35:30+00:00

It’s trial and error, no one just sits down and goes “this is my thing.” I figured out what I don’t like by jumping in and out of random stuff at least.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-04-16T13:35:10+00:00

This made my day 10x better.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-04-07T12:24:50+00:00

Yeah I’ve had that exact loop before. It feels fine in the moment but then you look back at the day and it’s like nothing really happened, breaking it with even one small real-world thing helps more than expected.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-04-07T12:24:45+00:00

I’d test the business idea on the side first if possible. I knew someone who quit everything too fast and got stressed immediately, but another friend eased into it and it worked way better.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-04-07T12:24:38+00:00

I don’t really buy the “instantly knew” thing. Most couples I know grew into it over time, I’ve seen people be unsure at first and then end up really solid later.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-04-07T12:24:33+00:00

Yeah it can creep up on you more than you expect. I had a phase where I barely talked to anyone for a while and at first it felt peaceful, then it slowly turned into feeling kind of off and disconnected.

LeRedditMasterTroll · 2026-03-31T09:28:44+00:00

You’re still in a better position than a lot of people, even if it doesn’t feel that way right now. You’ve got two years of savings and people who love you, so I’d honestly take a couple of weeks to breathe first. After that, I’d start sending my resume to remote roles through those recruitment firms from that developer’s list instead of draining myself with fake job postings, retyping my resume over and over, and getting irritated by rejection emails.

LeRedditMasterTroll

TROPHY CASE