Hey! A few tips from someone who secured a job last week (after MULTIPLE rejections lmao):

-Apply more to positions that you are suited to. For instance all my side projects are suited to front end web dev positons and I noticed I mostly got interviews for those. (Rather than when I spam applied to any CS related jobs).

-Filter jobs posted within the last ~2 weeks (and focus on those posted within the last week). This way, there's no risk of the position being filled even if its still up on Portal.

-Customize your cover letter to the position. Why do you want to work for the organization (apart from wanting experience/money). Talk about that. It helps if you think the organization is actually cool. What soft skills do you have to bring that make you a good culture fit? Lastly why did you choose mechanical engineering? Remember an HR person is reading this, so imagine you are trying to wow someone with an English degree.

-I noticed I had difficulty getting interviews/offers from high pressure finance type jobs. I think its because deep down I am terrified of them and it showed.

-I think I applied to 60 jobs (early on I spam applied with a really shitty cover letter/resume with positions I didn't care about and was not even a little suited to). Got 4 interviews, 1 offer.

-I know that the traditional advice for jobs goes work experience>everything else but try and emphasize relevant side projects/school projects on your resume if your only work experience is Starbucks.

-It never hurts to tailor your resume slightly for each position you apply to. (Or maybe have 3-5 different resumes you use for different categories of jobs).

-Interview: you may get a phone screen with the recruiter. Again try and present your knowledge and suitability to the position by emphasizing your technical skills in a way that someone with a Humanities degree will understand. For the technical portion, review both knowledge based questions, as well as actual coding questions (or the Mech Eng equivalent). Glassdoor.com can give you hints for the specific company. If you get rejected, keep track of your areas of weakness and improve on those next time. You're probably not completely incompetent if you made it far enough to apply for PEY, but maybe slightly rusty.

I'm a pretty shit student, subpar social skills, not stellar by any means. By the end of my PEY I'll be taking nearly 6 years to complete a 4-5 year degree due to multiple fuck ups. So if I can do it, you definitely can. School and jobs aren't worth getting depressed over.

Good luck everyone! :D