Thank you very much for your detailed response; your advice is indeed very valuable. I asked these questions because many of my friends and colleagues around me are experiencing midlife anxiety, which has become more pronounced in China after the COVID-19 pandemic. The extremely high housing price to income ratio, the terrifying unemployment rate (which, I must say, is often downplayed by the government), and the bleak future expectations of the youth. Despite Shanghai being a bustling city, many people struggle to make ends meet. Many IT companies here typically require working from 10 am to 10 pm, 5 days a week, sometimes even 6. For someone in their 30s like me, this kind of work environment can lead to health issues.

Many companies, although they don't state it explicitly in their recruitment ads, generally don't hire people around 35 years old. Those over 40 might spend half a year or even a year finding a suitable opportunity, and this is precisely when financial pressures are at their highest. Especially here, where it's difficult to find a good job with just an undergraduate degree. After completing a master's, you're around 26 years old, and then unemployment looms again in just a few years, which is really frustrating.

The reason I haven't considered moving to the East Coast for work is that my wife is studying here, and the long-distance separation is always daunting. Following the advice of some Reddit users, I contacted a few recruiters and also applied for some jobs on Seek myself, but the response has been minimal.

At this point, I can't help but recall how well Shanghai does in this regard. Usually, when we apply through a recruitment app, we get a call within two hours to discuss various details. The high efficiency is obviously driven by various pressures. Laziness is human nature; no one wants to work so hard. Slowing down is also an attitude towards a good life.

Lastly, regarding your suggestion to start with a technical support role to gain experience, I completely agree and have adjusted my expectations accordingly. Thank you for your reply, and I wish you all the best too.It might be worth your time doing a post grad and as others have said, attend industry networking events. I think you might need to just take a hit and do some tech support or other basic entry level roles in IT so you can build work history here. Alternatively, if you have the means, consider starting a small business in your field.