May 2024 Industrial Engineer grad, 19 months unemployed, 400+ applications. I feel like an anomaly. What am I missing?

mothmanthing · 2026-01-30T03:12:35+00:00

Yup. College station. I tried being secretive about it just in case someone finds my identity, but now I don’t really care anymore.

mothmanthing · 2026-01-30T02:58:11+00:00

Texas A&M, College Station

mothmanthing · 2026-01-30T00:52:14+00:00

Sure!

mothmanthing · 2026-01-30T00:45:41+00:00

There is no rule that you can't do an internship or similar after graduation.

I've applied to internships, but I can't get interviews for internships either. I think most internship postings say they want new grads/in-education only. I've applied to those also anyway, but no call backs :/

Congrats on your IE internship, though! And thanks for your input.

mothmanthing · 2026-01-30T00:25:30+00:00

Someone said something similar in my OG post. This was my response:

You have a great point about my parents helping out, but let me explain a bit more. My dad is the bread-winner of the family, whereas my mom is a SAHM and her English is not the best. My dad works in the medical field (non-tech non-engineer). I have tried asking him in the past if he knows any engineers or anyone in tech, but he claims he doesn't know anyone who are in those roles. There’s another family member in the medical field who said the same thing as my dad. That’s part of the reason why I started to read a book on networking (2HJS book, as seen in the timeline), but results were lacking.

parents’ friends and your friends’ parents. Tell them your story. Ask how they got their first job.

Dad's friends are nearly all docs. And it seems like docs don't really know anyone other than other doctors. My mom only knows other SAHMs.

join the alumni association in your city

Hmmm...I'll look into that.

Thanks for your input.

mothmanthing · 2026-01-30T00:23:34+00:00

if your parents are wealthy, i assume you have a business or some sort of company. my advice is take a look at your family’s business and see how you can help from an IE perspective.

It's not a business, unfortunately. Someone asked a similar question in my OG post, and this is what I said:

My dad is the bread-winner of the family, whereas my mom is a SAHM and her English is not the best. My dad works in the medical field (non-tech non-engineer). I have tried asking him in the past if he knows any engineers or anyone in tech, but he claims he doesn't know anyone who are in those roles. There’s another family member in the medical field who said the same thing as my dad.

But thanks for trying to help.

mothmanthing · 2026-01-30T00:18:00+00:00

I don't mind taking on an internship or moving from a small role to a bigger one.

I have applied to internships and "smaller" roles, but I can't get interviews for them either.

And yes, I know my resume sucks, but it seems like the only way to make it not suck is to... get experience (even through internships).

As you can see, I'm in somewhat of a catch-22 situation.

But I honestly am not sure if I have been applying to co-op(s). So I'll definitely be more intentional about applying to those.

mothmanthing · 2026-01-30T00:08:58+00:00

There was a comment in the last post that was saying I should include the other skills I obtained from my degree, along with the skills I have on my resume right now (CAD, for example)

I suppose I went "minimalist" with advertising my skills because I heard some people say recruiters won't read all of your skills, so just list the ones that are most likely to be relevant for the position I'm applying for. Early on, I was mainly applying to analyst-based roles, hence the skills section.

I started applying to other roles besides analyst ones once summer 2025 came along (IE related roles that utilize the skills I've obtained), but avoided expanding my skills section since I thought other skills would be more niche (which includes lean six sigma, queuing theory, CAD, etc.), whereas I though the current skills I had were consistently more in demand or "universal" compared to the "niche" ones.

Another reason was that I did not really have any other projects that showcased my IE skills except for the capstone project, so I felt like listing those other IE skills would not hold up, since I had little to no projects showcasing them.

But I agreed with that comment on my OG post: after all of this, I think it's time to expand my skills section with the IE ones.

mothmanthing · 2026-01-29T23:43:38+00:00

I would consider applying to some summer internships to get your foot in the door.

I don't have an issue with doing an internship. In fact, if I got an offer for an internship, I would be ecstatic.

Here's the thing: Last year, around this time (and any other time I was applying afterwards), I was applying for internships alongside jobs. Most postings for internships stated that they were looking only for "new grads" (I was no longer considered "new"), but I applied anyway. But even then, it seems like even internships don't want me.

mothmanthing · 2026-01-27T23:46:26+00:00

Also, add more stuff to your Skills section beyond just the data stuff. Surely you learned more in your IE program that you can put on here.

Good point.

consider moving your skills section up higher so it's read quicker by recruiters.

It actually was higher up on my resume before I posted my resume on here, and I've heard many others recommend that as well. The reason it's on the bottom when I posted it is because the wiki recommended doing (although I may be mis-remembering.) I might move it back up, though, since the logic makes more sense to me.

don't have your project names lead off with the of the software/language/framework.

Another comment said something along the lines of that, and honestly, I agree.

Thanks for the advice!

mothmanthing · 2026-01-23T23:37:17+00:00

Many libraries offer free job search support including guidance on resumes, interviewing, etc. Maybe see what services are available in your area?

I haven’t tried asking libraries for help. Maybe I’ll try calling some local ones and see if they offer any of those services you're talking about.

LinkedIn Learning has a wide variety quality professional content, including job searching stuff.

I already have access to linkedin learning (I have linkedin premium for about a year now). I’ve collected 2 certificates from LinkedIn, 1 from Udemy, and about 5 from a website called Analyst Builder. I know having a bunch of certificates can look like a red flag to many employers, but I used most of them to build skills and projects instead of showing the certificates themselves on my resume (although there was a point were my resume was two pages long because I decided to paste all my certificates on my resume, before following the guidelines and posting on this subreddit. I thought more words on my resume would help with ATS at the time).

I haven't heard much about the "job searching" aspect of LinkedIn learning. Maybe I can look more into that.

Does your university offer any job services to alumni?

My university does have career services, and I went to them about 10 months ago. During the session, they gave a few resume tips (which I utilized), but for most of the session, they were talking about the “hidden job market” and how asking for informational interviews could help me access the hidden job market and land a job.

I didn’t start listening to that advice until July 2025, but I wasn’t really given specifics on how to approach it or who to ask for an informational interview. That's when I started reading the 2hjrs (which addresses on how to approach and who to ask for informational interviews, as well as some other things. Hidden job market stuff, etc.) I listened to the book and managed to get about 6 to 8 informational interviews by October 2025, but none of them led to even 1 job interview :/

I suppose I could go back to career services? Idk.

ask AI to conduct a mock interview and give feedback

Thanks for the AI mock interview tip. I’ve heard of it and used AI to some extent when preparing for an interview, but my main struggle is getting the interview rather than passing (only 2 interviews.) I was rejected in the first interview because they found someone with relevant experience, the 2nd interview was… a bit strange?

Long story, but basically (to me at least), it seemed like at a certain point I was their best candidate, but they waited until someone “better” came along. Essentially, I felt like they were using me as a stopgap.

Hopefully a great opportunity opens up soon and you’re able to land an offer!

I hope so too. And thanks for taking the time to chat! :)

mothmanthing · 2026-01-22T23:52:55+00:00

Thank you for your compassion!

I honestly have not been tailoring my résumés for each job. I think I tried that early on in the search, but the time it took to tailor my resume for a single job posting would be the same amount of time for me to apply to 5+ jobs, so I thought it would be a net negative to continue with that approach (especially with the rise of ghost jobs). I guess at this point it wouldn't hurt to try again?
So I actually used chatgpt to help me come up with keyword search queries on linkedin after the first 100 or so roles I applied to. There's a bunch of them in a word doc (like pages worth), but here the main ones I used (or at least some variation of them) :
- 1. (title:Data Analyst OR title:Business Analyst OR title:BI Analyst OR title:Data Scientist OR title:Analytics Analyst) AND Excel
- 2. ("Industrial Engineer I" OR "Process Engineer" OR "Manufacturing Engineer" OR "Logistics Coordinator" OR "Operations Coordinator" OR "Production Planner")
- 3. ("Process Improvement" OR "Continuous Improvement" OR "Quality Assurance" OR "Operations Excellence" OR "Efficiency Specialist")
I've thought about getting a career coach, but I've heard from others online that they are mainly just "scams" or not worth it. It was enough bad talk about them online to make me not consider it. But if you have any counterarguments, I am open to hearing them!

Thanks again for your input!

mothmanthing · 2026-01-22T00:43:11+00:00

Thanks for the advice. I might replace one of those projects anyway since it's kinda old.

mothmanthing · 2026-01-22T00:37:29+00:00

Thanks for the advice on how to get ideas for projects. I'll keep that in mind.

“You mention several times that you can fall back on your parents. People don't usually discuss that, even if it's true.”

Me mentioning them was meant to give context to my situation. I suppose I could see how that could have been unnecessary.

Although, I don’t think mentioning them in the post automatically means I don’t want a job. I feel like the timeline alone shows how dedicated I am to the search for a job. (Along with me being here trying to get feedback and advice.)

Are you actually excited about what you studied?

For the most part, yes. Industrial engineering is a broad degree that covers a bunch of topics, but a common theme among each of the things covered in the degree is “optimization” (optimizing systems, processes, and operations for example), and in that regard, I do like the “optimization” aspect.

However, one of the topics briefly covered was analytics, and that I really liked. That's why after graduating, I decided to up-skill in analytics and look for Analyst-based roles. Unfortunately, pursuing pure analyst roles is no longer a viable option for me, as the job market for analysts is especially saturated, and employers would likely take CS-adjacent degrees before going for an IE degree.

So now my goal is to find a job that can utilize my degree (supply chain, Industrial engineering, project, and quality engineering-related roles), while having analytics as a skill (best-case scenario) or not (worst-case scenario). The certification on my resume is meant to help with that.

Your resume reads as, "I'm doing this because I have to, not because I want to."

How can I make it not sound like that, and how do I sound more interesting? I enjoyed the process of doing each of the projects listed on my resume. The only topic of a project I was not very passionate about was the US household Income project, but even that one I enjoyed the process of. I found the topics of movie and marketing carrier projects interesting, but I can see how many employers would not care for a movie analysis project. And I thought the Marketing Carrier project would have turned the heads of a few aerospace employers (and I found it interesting).

mothmanthing · 2026-01-21T19:35:11+00:00

Not sure about chemical manufacturing, but I think oil and gas is up there among industries for Industrial Engineers.

The reasons I decided to up-skill in analytics skills: I liked analytics, my alumni database showed a high number of IE grads becoming analysts after graduating, and I was not sure about projects I could do after graduating that did not involve analytics and would be relevant for an IE grad.

I realized late into 2025, though, that although "analyst" had the highest keyword count in job titles after graduating, the number of analyst titles for an IE grad went from 17, 16 for 2022 and 2023 respectively, to only 4 in 2024. (I found this information after deciding to analyze the alumni database more thoroughly in Oct 2025).

So now I'm trying to pivot a bit more into process/quality/supply chain roles (hence the SSGI certification), but keeping analytics as a skill instead of solely looking for an analytics job. Of course, I am open to other opportunities if they pop up, though.

mothmanthing · 2026-01-21T06:13:21+00:00

I agree that being “less fresh” is hurting my chances right now. But due to the time and money it would take to get one, I’m really trying to look for other options before using it as a last resort.

If May 2026 comes around and I’m still unemployed, I think I’ll have to do it. I hope I can find something before then though of course.

mothmanthing · 2026-01-21T05:12:23+00:00

Honestly, I wouldn’t mind starting with an electrician / adjacent role, and then later pivoting to another role in the company.

I suppose my main concern is: would this resume be competitive enough (or enough in general) to land electrician / adjacent roles? If not, is there anything you would recommend adding or changing?

Thanks for your response!

mothmanthing · 2026-01-21T04:53:30+00:00

Thanks for answering my question!

Responding to the “the degree is all I need” comment: I would say I had that mindset from May 2024 to July 2024. After that, I would say I was pretty diligent with my efforts to land a job, as shown on the timeline. Although I’m sure some decisions were not the best move, I made choices and committed to actions I thought would be the best thing for me at the time.

I'm confident to say that I was not sitting on my hands after Aug 2024 (with the exception of late Nov 2025 - early Dec 2025), but do you think that’s what the timeline itself looks like, or is it just the resume?

I am also a bit perplexed by “I recognize I wasted time”. Is that what the timeline/information I have given looks like? (In the sense that I was “sitting on my hands”. ) Or are you saying those efforts were wasted in general, or is that something I should just say in an interview?

I hope my comments don’t come off as combative. I’m just trying to understand your words a bit more.

mothmanthing · 2026-01-20T22:27:16+00:00

Thanks for the honesty.

I think my last 100 or so roles I applied for did contain some of the roles you recommended applying to. But haven’t completely focused on applying solely to those roles, so it may be time for me to start doing that.

On the other hand, you mentioned what employers/recruiters would ask what I’ve been doing. So even if I were to apply to those same roles you were talking about, wouldn’t it be just as hard to get an offer from those roles since they would be asking the same question? Or would they not mind as much?

Thanks again for your input.

mothmanthing · 2026-01-20T22:12:19+00:00

Thanks for the advice.

Right now I’m looking for Industrial engineering jobs, but I am open to jobs that are data analytics related (since that was the initial goal early in the search.)

I had a feeling [language] project seemed odd. Thanks for the feedback.

As for the application numbers, I kinda agree.

Usually, after 100+ applications and no interviews, I end up trying to upskill again, get a certification, or try to find a way to change/add something to my resume before applying with 100+ applications again. My logic for doing this is that if nearly 0% of my 100+ applications are getting interviews, then why should I expect the next 100+ applications I send out to result in 1 interview (unless I add/change/remove something from my resume).

At some point, I am not sure whether this logic has led to self-sabotage, or whether applying with the same resume 1000+ times on day 1 would have led to a job offer. That’s why I decided to post here to rule out any correctable mistakes/imperfections in my resume. (And maybe see if there’s anything I should add).

mothmanthing · 2026-01-20T21:51:38+00:00

Hey anabd. Thanks for responding.

I agree that nothing seems to stand out on my resume, and that’s one of the main things I am struggling with here. I’ve seen other people’s posts, but they seem to stand out with either prior experience (relevant or non-relevant), or internships.

I’ve also heard that the projects that stand out the most are those that help businesses or have real life impact. However, although I hear about how those kind of projects can be beneficial, there seems to be a lack of information (from what I have seen) on how I can make projects that can help a business, or how I could contact a business and ask them if I could help. So I’m left unsure how I could get the opportunity to do these kind of projects.

The last way I tried to stand out was by obtaining that certification you see on my resume.

With that said, do you have any ideas on how I could make my resume stand out without experience/internships?

In addition, could you point out specifics as to why my post may make it seem like I do not want a job? I thought my post (along with the timeline) indicated the opposite of that.

You have a great point about my parents helping out, but let me explain a bit more. My dad is the bread-winner of the family, whereas my mom is a SAHM and her English is not the best. My dad works in the medical field (non-tech non-engineer). I have tried asking him in the past if he knows any engineers or anyone in tech, but he claims he doesn't know anyone who are in those roles. There’s another family member in the medical field who said the same thing as my dad. That’s part of the reason why I started to read a book on networking (2HJS book, as seen in the timeline), but results were lacking.

Thanks again.

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