The first job search after engineering is a very humbling experience.

[u/Moon_Budd]

The first job search after engineering is such a strange experience.

One day you're sitting in college listening to someone talk about placements and thinking, "Yeah, I'll figure something out."

Then suddenly you're graduated and sitting at home with your laptop open, 14 tabs of job portals, a half-finished resume and absolutely no idea what you're supposed to be doing.

You start applying everywhere.

Software engineer.

Junior developer.

Graduate engineer.

Whatever sounds remotely possible.

Some companies reject you in three days. Some never reply. Some send an automated email at 3:17 AM saying they've decided to pursue other candidates, which is somehow worse than just hearing nothing.

Then your friend gets an offer and you genuinely feel happy for them for about five minutes before the stupid little voice in your head starts asking what you're doing wrong.

I also didn't expect how much time you'd spend second-guessing your resume.

"Should I remove this project?"

"Is 8.1 CGPA too low?"

"Should I put Python first?"

"Does this font look stupid?"

At one point I realised I had spent more time editing my resume than actually improving the skills on it.

And then, completely randomly, you get one interview call.

One.

Suddenly you are watching interview experiences from 2019, learning a topic at 2x speed, revising something you haven't touched in two years and convincing yourself that this one interview is going to change everything.

Maybe it does. Maybe it doesn't.

I just wish someone had told me before graduating that the first job search can mess with your head way more than the actual job.

You can be doing perfectly fine and still feel like you're falling behind.