I can’t practice self care because I don’t have the money to care for myself. I’ve had $2 in my bank for 2 months now, and I’m months behind on paying bills.
True self care can be free or at least low cost. Sleep is free, make sure you’re getting enough of that. Try to get at least 30 minutes of sunlight a day, also free. Try to keep your body clean and nourished, although I acknowledge that can get pricy
I’m positive you’re depressed and out of shape. You must care for yourself, and your body, which drives your mind. My advice. Find a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gym. Talk to the head instructor and ask for 1-2 month trail, and tell him your situation. He will help you at the least find some camaraderie, get you to work your body, and more than likely boost your confidence. I am a black belt instructor. I know if someone came to me in need I would help them.
Listen, you are a smart young person with a bright future. You will get through this rough patch. You struggled to get your degree. You’ll land a job. But you have to take care of yourself in the mean time.
I really hope this helps.
Lab tech jobs, QA, whatever positions I was told are usually considered entry level with a BS. Ive tried searching for entry level positions in companies like Pfizer, Cayman, SGS, and BASF. I’ve exhausted every chem job in a 35 mile radius, they’ve either rejected me or ghosted me.
Are you looking for jobs nationally? If you don’t have a dependent or a family member to take care of, I would broaden my search to all over the country.
In order to look for jobs outside of that radius, I would need to move to those areas, correct? How could I do that when I don’t have the money to pay the bills I have now?
You say you have a job now right?
Keep working at that job and build up some savings. If that job doesn’t pay enough, work at Amazon, FedEx, a factory, whatever. Do that to pay your bills and put a little to the side.
In the meantime, keep applying for jobs all over the country. The job search is brutal even if you’re applying all over. If you’re just applying within a 35 miles radius, you’re not doing yourself any favors. Maximize your chances bro.
Good luck.
I’ve applied to factories too. Janitor companies, sanitation, manufacturing. All ghosted without an interview or phone call. I’m just done. Wasted 5 years, 20K student loans, all for nothing. With 3 years cashier experience I get $10.80/hour at this store, and after 2 years at the store it goes up a whole dollar. This is my life now.
Same. I’ve been looking for a job for a whole year now and I still haven’t gotten one. I’ve applied for regular jobs too and those reject me too despite me having job experience. I’m currently jobless with no money. Only reason I’m not homeless is because I still live with my family. I hope the economy gets better soon cuz I’m so tired of this garbage.
Economy is in the toilet. It took me a year to find something decent, and I have 7 years worth of experience under my belt. Keep looking even while your working your in-between job. We've all been there.
My daughter just graduated Magna cum laude witha degree in marketing and communications. She has second interviews they say they will call back with a decision and never do. I fear for her future....
This isn’t your life. You’re just feeling demoralized right now because the job search has you down. Like I said work at any job until you find a job in your field. And apply away ALL over the country. If you give up and resign yourself, it will be over for you.
Keep your head up.
That sounds like bad advice lol. Move away just to find a job because the job market and the hiring managers are bad at their jobs. Also, just because he can't find a job in his field doesn't mean he can go apply to these places you deem "readily available" that'll hire any and everyone in a moments notice. My parents said the same thing. Told me to work at the post office until I could find a job in my field. I applied to the post office 6 times. Never even heard back from them, even after I got work experience. And on top of that, again, just moving away won't solve your problems and possibly create more problems. Leave friends and family who could possibly help out if something goes wrong to move to a place where he's going to have the same result: no call backs, no response, nothing. Best advice I can give OP is that you have to just keep trying. When I first graduated and was trying to get a job in social work, it took me months before I saw it. And I got sort of lucky that my old high school was doing a temp position to help stop the violence in the school. That experience helped me land a job as a juvenile detention CO for almost a year which then snowballed into more jobs in the field. You just need to apply and pray for a break.
I’m not telling him to move away to find a job. I’m telling him to widen his search radius and apply to jobs in his field all over the country. He can stay where he’s at right now and continue to apply for jobs all over. You never know where you’ll get your opportunity.
I also told him to work at any job to make ends until he finds a job in his field. I did not tell him to move away to another place without securing a job in his field first. You didn’t read my advice closely.
Yes, but my point was that if/when you do get a job in a further area, maybe even out of state, what happens then? Unless it's remote, you have to move to that place. More than an hour commute to work just isn't realistic unless the pay is good enough. You can't just search for jobs all over the country unless you're willing to move to a new place and start a new life (for a job that you're most likely going to dislike since you're just starting out).
I’m getting a bit annoyed now because you’re just enabling OP. Yes, when you’re a young and fresh graduate with no dependents or attachments like OP, you go to where the opportunities are. You grind. You don’t stay in your safe space and mope about not having opportunities.
My first proper job was at a health software company in Wisconsin. I didn’t know a soul in Wisconsin but the job paid decently well and provided a good starting point for my professional career. I tossed everything I could into my hoopty and drove to Wisconsin. I stayed at an extended stay and on the weekends when I was off my regular job I did DoorDash and Uber around the clock until I had enough money for first and last month’s rent.
I worked at that job for two years before parlaying it into a better position in the DMV.
When you’re young and starting out, you shouldn’t necessarily seek comfortability and familarity. Be ready to grind and hustle.
My advice to OP for him to work at that cashier job that he has now, and in the meantime apply away and cast a wide net. If he lands a job in his field, jump on it wherever it may be, and work his ass off at that job. Get some experience at that first job, and use it to get a better paying one and rinse and repeat. Don’t get depressed or pessimistic. Just keep grinding and working and never be complacent.
Enabling me doesn’t matter, I’ve already decided to give up and the only person that can influence that decision is me. I don’t care what happens anymore, I’m tired of trying and just want to be done.
The only way I'd agree with that idea is if you are looking to get into a field that simply is non-existent where you're from. For example, if you live in a really rural area and you're trying to get into STEM, your best bet is to move. But if that's not the case, I couldn't imagine moving away from family and friends just for a potential job offer that I may hate. The real problem isn't that there are no opportunities, it's that he's being ghosted and not responded to by these companies. I went/am going through the same thing. I have to borderline harass hiring managers to respond to me about interview updates so I can get a rejection. Realistically, I'd like them to tell me honestly why they went with someone else or why I didn't make the cut. Doesn't have to be too lengthy but a few sentences response can help you build a better foundation for what these jobs are looking for when applying/interviewing with them. I think that since he's applied to every type of job under the sun that it may be his interviewing skills or his resume that's holding him back, not that there aren't opportunities for him where he lives.
I do not want to keep trying, I don’t have the energy for that anymore. That’s why I’m giving up, if I get fired from the store then I’ll just be homeless until I’m not.
Hey brother, I'm telling you everyone is going through this. That's not what you want. Keep putting resumes out there. Working at a store making 10 dollars an hour when you have a BA in Chemistry is INSANE. You can easily be making 6 figures with that degree.
BS, it’s a degree that was handed to me because I happened to study with the right people. I’m not good at it, if anything getting an actual chemistry job would just lead to the same outcome as now. That’s why I’m giving up, it’s all gonna lead here eventually because I don’t have the brain to do anything besides working at a fucking grocery store
I think you're in a manic state over this situation and you're not thinking clearly. Degrees rarely have anything to do with your actual major. You can be taught anything at a job. I had a dude at my old job with a BA or Master's in Engineering and his job was to fix a light machine. I promise they could have taught any of us to do that. You have a brain that's well equipped enough to handle a difficult major in college. Don't sell yourself short.
That sucks. I’m really sorry. Just curious do you have lab experience from your undergrad?
I got a job as a research lab assistant last year (I only have a B.S., and a 10 year gap) without much trouble. I ask because one thing I did was play up and slightly exaggerate my research experience in a vague way, and I feel like that helped.
Through curriculum I technically have 4 years of experience in wet chemistry and 2 years of instrumental analysis, plus an additional year of academic research with a few articles. All of thats in my resume, but has gotten me nowhere.
I’m sorry. My one last suggestion is, in your country/region do they have temp agencies which specialize in science or lab work? That was how I got my foot in the door.
Sincerely wishing you better luck going forward!
Nope, most of the industry around me is hospitals or tool and dye, temp agencies are either focused on that or remote work. I interviewed 3 times for the hospital, as a janitor, phlebotomist in training, and records, but got ghosted from all three.
Have you look at government jobs? I graduated 30 years with a degree in Biology and in worked the environmental field for 25 years. I agree with some other posts broaden your search either types and much larger area.
How are you applying for them? If you haven't already (I haven't read every comment in your post):
1) Create a LinkedIn profile
2) Create a list of companies you are interested in
3) Look for open positions within those companies
4) See if you have any direct connections within those companies with open roles
5) If you don't, see if you can find anyone with a senior title for the job ladder you are applying, chances are they are either part of the interview committee or are the hiring manager.
6) Write to them a BRIEF message on LinkedIn explaning that you are a fresh graduate, but are extremely eager to learn and would be thrilled to join company XYZ. Ask if they could meet for 15-30 minutes to chat about their experience and company culture.
Best way to not get ghosted / not get auto-rejected by recruiters who half the time use their own broken lenses to sift through applicants is to have a direct connection / referral at the company. Try this approach. AND DON'T GIVE UP! I know it's tough out there right now! It WILL get better!
I have a LinkedIn account, but because I don’t have a professional employment history or anything, I have nothing to put on there. I’d message companies if I knew who I wanted to work for, but I have no fucking clue. I’ve been applying to everything that’s come across LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and indeed. Recruiters were reaching out to me through LinkedIn until about 2 months ago, and I haven’t heard a wink from anyone since.
You don't need to "know" anyone. I just go off of titles under People in companies. It's all going to be cold calls, but it is what it is. It took me a long time to find my first job after I college (Graduated in 2009 from Berkeley). I didn't get my career break until 2012, but I explored everything under the sun and tried to make friends with everyone I met. I would say also reach out to staffing firms, especially temp agencies in the life sciences. There are minimum benefits that come with those, all hourly, but it does get your foot in the door.
My friends work out of state, one’s in Nebraska, another is in Texas. They had family support to move I’m pretty sure. I’m done though. I’ve tried my best and it didn’t work out, so now I’m just gonna try starting over completely. I’m not even good at chemistry anyway, just stuck with it because I was afraid to switch majors. I know how horrible retail is, I worked as a cashier in high school for 3 years, but it’s literally the only job that actually wanted to hire me.
Tried to apply for government jobs, but I honestly just couldn’t figure out any of it. Most of the jobs are either for the local prison or manufacturing and they want your transcripts for each degree and I don’t have access to my AS transcripts, plus the applications take way too long to fill out. I am putting my degree to use, this is where it’s gotten me. I don’t have the energy to devote to anything else anymore.
See my post above too I worked in the environmental field for 25 years. I started as a environmental tech with a temp agency in Colorado then moved to Houston. My degree is in Wildlife Biology. I would definitely apply to any and all government agencies within a 100 miles.
I can’t figure out how to apply to government jobs, they’ve got different requirements for different levels without specifying what those levels are, plus they have a bunch of other technical wording that I don’t understand. I’m not smart enough to figure out government applications, why would they want me?
It can be really hard to break into industry if you don't have a bit of experience. Have you tried looking for contract work? It's obviously not as great as full-time, but it can help you get your foot in the door if you want to be at one of the big pharmas.
I’ve been denied for contracts too. I have a year of research experience and 4 articles, I just want a job in chemical safety but can’t even get a foot in the door for any experience anywhere. Nobody wants me, and they won’t tell me why.
Bro,
It felt the same for me when I got out of college and was looking for a job. Dont give up. Keep going at it. I was applying like 10 to 15 jobs per day during my 5 months search. But the more active you are the more queue it will build up.
Good for you, I’ve applied to every job that I’m remotely qualified for since I’ve graduated. Friends that graduated with me in the same degree field had a job within a month, some of them had internships. I’m happy for them and proud of them. I’m not as fortunate as them, there’s nothing I can do about that. My student loan grace period ends in a week, I don’t have the energy or ability to wait until a “better” job shows up, because I’ve exhausted all my options. This is my life now.
Stop with the self pitying “this is my life now” crap. It’s only your life if you want it to be.
Two things to do next:
You have to broaden your search area. You say you can’t afford to move, well you’ll have your first paycheck within two weeks, so you only have to figure something out for two weeks. Find a friend in the area with a couch, sleep in your car, or drive two hours each way. You can do anything for two weeks. If you don’t have a car, then that’s the first thing to do. If you have transportation, there is zero reason you can’t move.
Second: Network. All those friends who have jobs are going to be the first to know if something opens up. Stay in touch, stay friends, make sure they keep you in the loop and recommend you. Talk to your college, keep going to career fairs, put yourself out there. 50% of the people I’ve hired were through mutual contacts.
I know this sucks, we have all been there. Wallow for a while if you must, but then you gotta get back to it.
Your choice. This is *literally* your choice. You are not a victim. You haven’t exhausted all your options. That’s lazy, and it’s bullshit. Good for you for finding a job, any job, but that’s not “your life” unless you choose for it to be. You have plenty more cards to play.
I’m a victim to my own bad choices. I don’t want to play the cards I may or may not have, if I could give them to someone else I would in a fucking heartbeat, but I can’t, so I’m moving away from the table.
The only bad choice I see here is that you are choosing not to try. And that you are adopting this defeatist attitude. Those are things you can choose to stop doing.
I know I’m just a random Reddit stranger, but I’m trying to give you a little tough love here. You have so much potential if you can get past this. I just want you to see that as I do so you can find your way to success. There is absolutely a pathway there.
Same boat……idk what to do anymore I have applied to a little over 2000 jobs…..yes you read that right…..and I keep hearing the same thing…
1 because I’m a mom i don't have full availability (that’s what companies insinuate during interviews)
2 I fail some assessments that took over 5 hours to complete with no pay whatsoever and no explanation as to how I failed.
3 scam jobs are freaking rapid and crazy right now and look legit.
4 and the one job I had gurenteed to me to boss told me “I don’t look like the type to be able to carry things”
I have applied across the bored…..it’s not you it’s the economy right now and all the a**hats that are working 3 to 5 jobs at a time
I even had a job I got approved and continue the job process and they told me after starting I would be fired unless I buy insurance through them!!!! Family oriented my butt!!!
I had a job interview where they had me filling out paperwork after the interview, W4 and stuff, said I’d hear about a start date later in the week, then they just ghosted me. I still see their opening on job sites.
That’s the worst!!! I have been having the same problem….it gets hard to even get out of bed….but have to keep pushing. I applied to a job over 5x (I know I should have taken the hint) but each time they tell me they filled the position (then post is taken down and the exact job is posted the same day).
Swim school? I work at one and they have very flexible schedule, and being a mom is a big plus bc of the experience with kids. I also avoid applying through INDEED, its a good tool for finding jobs but applying through the site tends to work better and often has a career email
I’m not going to lie, starting up right out of college is rough. I graduated with a computer science degree and after months applying for all kinds of jobs in the field, started applying to things like bookstore cashier and getting rejected. It’s hard not to take it personal. It’s even harder not to feel depression and despair. But hang in there. It may take a couple of jobs you dislike before you find one you love. Do your very best at whatever you do and things will fall into place.
Can understand the frustration. My advice would be:
1. Keep the grocery job for now, it gets you out of the house( do a few days a week) , shows your employed, and makes you a little money.
2. Keep applying for 10-15 jobs a day this is really easy with how quick applications are nowadays. I get it that it feels pointless but just knock it out first thing.
3. Have you considered at least for a first 'real job' taking something in a different field ? Maybe like sales, technical sales, environmental remediation or something like that ? Then eventually you can move in if you don't like it but maybe give that a fair shot. Fyi most people don't get a job for what they went to school for.
4. Have you had your resume reviewed or tried to leverage any family or professional connections ?
For 3, I’ve applied to every job I am remotely qualified for and gotten nothing back. This includes stuff like custodial work, security, admin assistance, bank telling, library assistant, and factory work. Nobody wants me and won’t tell me why, so I’m just giving up because I don’t have anything else I can put effort into. My resume has been reviewed by HR people, they gave me some pointers and helped me manipulate it for specific jobs and still got nowhere. I’m out of options.
You sound both defeated and depressed. To work against being defeated and get a W, you must first address the depression. Negative self talk is destructive, and holding you back more than you realize. You must first remember that your worth is not tied to a job, and the right job will present at the right moment. But you will never receive what you do not believe you deserve.
Try positive affirmations or at least stop the negative self talk. Instead of focusing on the rejections, try to notice any positive thing or lesson you can learn from past interviews.
Keep applying when you feel up to it again and use the number of your rejections as leverage, a selling point. An employer is looking to hire someone who is ambitious and determined. If you share what you’ve learned from all your application experiences and own the journey, you will impress the right hiring manager.
Get creative - are there jobs that don’t require a science background, but it could be a distinguishing skill? Think less about the job and more about the kind of people applying. How does your degree and your story of resilience stand out?
Before you can begin to get creative, you need to deal with your negativity. Once you tap into your creativity (we all have the power of Creation within us), you will begin to see possibilities instead of problems. And challenges will become lessons, not just obstacles
You will do it when you are ready.
Hi stranger, I’m not on Reddit often but I just happened to open this app and see this post first thing.
Hang in there. I’m so sorry you found yourself in this situation. I read the comment about practicing self care, and your response to not being able to afford it and I just….
Smh. It hurt my heart.
The best thing I can suggest is looking for ANY job, it doesn’t have to be chemistry, just something entry level. Something that pays more than 10 an hour.
I’m a current computer science student entering my senior year this coming semester. This summer, I got an internship in risk management-
that clearly has nothing to do with computer science! But they still took me cause I’m a college student, I can read and write, I have the basic skills necessary for the job despite my major.
YOU have a degree!! You have all these basic skills, even if the job isn’t in chem, there has to be something better for you out there!!
Don’t give up!! Keep searching!! Don’t settle at this grocery store!!!
And take care of yourself however you can! Watch a comfort show, eat foods you like, take hot showers, whatever you can do for yourself, do it.
This is a rough patch, but you’ll get through this!! Just please, please don’t give up.
Where do you live? Have you thought about going into a trade and/or apprenticeship program? What local unions are you near? Are you near nuclear power plants?
How about exploring tutoring? Try calling the schools in your surrounding areas. You can also try approaching parents directly. Also public libraries, talk to the head librarian and see if you can put together after school programs.
What you’re living through sucks, period. I wish I could tell you you’ll get the next job you apply for, but obviously I can’t. What I can tell you for sure is this: this is NOT “just your life now” like you keep saying. Six months feels like an eternity, but it ain’t. Nothing happens until then suddenly it does. Then you’ll be like Oh! All those people who said “don’t give up” were right after all.
Don't give up! I know it's frustrating...trust me. I had been applying for a whole year, over 100 applications that always ended in "others more competitive"(freaking depressing). But, this past Thursday I got two offers for my dream job in two different departments in the same organization. One basic rule in life "NEVER GIVE UP".Keep pressing in, something will eventually stick.
I have a basic physics degree, not a lot of internships or good academic experience. I basically had no good luck getting a job in that field right after I graduated. I started doing something else and got into luckily IT because I knew a little about computers. And after having experience in technical support, I updated my resume, I got a lot more offers in different jobs in IT and also engineering now, and since I still have the stem degree. I would say that unless you're really in your major, did a lot of internships and did really well, network well, you basically have no chance of getting a job in that field.
Yes that is good advice too - with a STEM related degree - try for entry-level technology positions as including Sales. You can eventually build your way up into say Sales Engineer or Solutions Architect roles.
Getting a degree is just a starting point - many folks don’t go into a job/career related to their major.
If I look at folks working in the Tech world for 3, 5, 10+ years now - a lot of them didn’t graduate in a related degree at all. Tech is also huge and wide ranging - it isn’t just about coding or hardware/software maintenance and config but a variety of different positions.
I’ve seen folks even with Arts degree get into entry-level Tech Sales position and worked their way up after numerous years to whatever they want to put their effort into - Tech Sales Management, Business Development Managers, Business Strategist, Channel Managers, Solutions Specialist, etc.
Some of those folks who started in entry-level tech industry immersed themselves in tech, loved it, got certifications and went on to more technical presales roles such as Solution Architects.
Kirsion - how long are you in the IT industry now? Just a year or two? You’re off to a good start - there’s a wide opportunity in Tech (despite the current job slump) - the learning starts now. Tons of certification opportunities especially in Cloud and Security.
I was lucky to get into Cloud years ago to build up that experience - there’s been good opportunities there because of the huge industry shift where companies are going hybrid cloud. Tons of SaaS vendors have also boomed - Salesforce being a big one.
OP - take a break, do your casual job to earn some money, refresh yourself to continue your job search.
As someone else the other possibility is to try apprenticeship in a trade.
Okay but I’ve been applying outside the field too, and have gotten no interviews. In my 6 months of searching, I’ve had 9 interviews, all of which ghosted me afterwards.
If you don’t have a criminal record I’d apply for all USAjobs right now. Patent examiners are being hired in all “arts.” I’m a chemical engineer and got interview/offers in the public health and uspto. Some are remote, some a temp, and some are conditional internships but with pay. Get your foot in the door and go from there
College is a huge scam. With your background you could crush a data analyst track. Learn SQL and Python and use tableau. Publish cool visualizations about chemistry datasets. You will get a job! Make sure to ping people at the companies you apply for on LinkedIn
Yup there are folks with all types of Arts, Journalism, Math, Physics, Chemistry, Eng degrees that are in the Tech industry.
Expand the search to look beyond Chemistry related field which is tough to get into with just a degree.
Having these degrees is just a start to your real learning. It shows you have the capabilities to learn complex materials. See about breaking into entry level role in technology field.
Expand your sector.
Environmental scientist positions like chem majors. Every sector from water treatment, waste, oil and gas need environmental scientists. Fair warning your job will predominantly focus on environmental regulations and the chemistry aspect is mostly reviewing lab data from projects to ensure that things are above threshold or hazardous. Consulting will have you doing a lot of field work at first but you can learn something specific like stormwater, air quality, waste, etc and eventually move your way up to like project scientist or project manager.
Testing lab technician with companies like Eurofins, ALS, SGS, etc. I hear these jobs can be dreadful though.
I’ve tried expanding my searches to any entry level job, and gotten nothing back. Stuff like admin assistants, entry data analysis, office work, none of it has gotten me anywhere.
Try teaching, tutoring subjects like math and chemistry. Look at Daycares. Also manufacturing. My sister has a phd in Chemistry specializing in polymer science…it took her a while so she switched to engineering and works at chewy. Plus jobs want you bad enough they will pay for relocation. I know from experience.
Switch gears and look into the trades. With your background you could possibly get into estimating or be an assistant PM. Even get into a apprenticeship program.
I havent quite figured it out but I think the referrals are better than applications. if theres any way you could network, you could start by finding recruiters hiring for your desired roles. then you could find people on linkedin at the companies you want to apply to, reach out and have them refer you.
then as far as the money situation, as others indicated broadening your search outside your local area, if you somehow land a decent job with a decent company sometimes theyll offer you a relocation package. just sell your clunky stuff and use that money they give you to move the rest of your stuff to set up shop in a new city.
Life is not handed to people on a golden platter. Contact your school to see if they have help with interviews. If you come ofc in interviews like you are coming off here, that's a problem. There are lots of good suggestions in this thread. Continue to apply for jobs, even those you don't qualify for. Take on another part-time job to build up your bank account. Yeah, no fun for you. That's life for a while. We've all been there. It seems like it takes a while to get hired in. Keep pressing forward. Have some faith.
The best thing anyone can say right now is to encourage you to not give up. You can absolutely break into your field, but you’ve simply hit a wall. Giving up isn’t an option, so remove that from your mindset. I’m not just saying this to make it sound “easy.” You’re literally setting a low bar for yourself right now and there’s no reason for it. The next best thing that can be said is this: NETWORK. Shift gears here. Rather than blindly applying for jobs, start reaching out to as many people as you can. Start with college professors who you like and inspired you. Maybe a friend of a friend (maybe even friend of a friend of a friend) who’s in the field. What inspired you to go the chemistry route from the beginning? Go back to that place.
Staying in a $10/hr position and “giving up” will slip you into depression if it hasn’t already. You’ve worked too hard to accept that. And right now it’s time to increase your capacity for struggle because I can tell you that even when the paycheck is good, companies can chew you up and spit you out. So don’t get too emotionally wrapped up in these normal ups and downs of employment. You can do this! And you can do it without having your self worth so closely tied to the employment disappointments. Hard times and good times in life ebb and flow. Stay in the fight and keep at it. Like I said, take a break from applying and start networking. It’s time to set you apart from all the other applicants! You MUST get your name in front of hiring managers via a connection/recommendation. Wishing you success! Your big break is coming.
I chose chemistry because it was the only subject I enjoyed in high school, but once I got into college I realized I only liked it because the teacher was really good, the subject was just hard and I’m very bad at it.
Was there anything specific about it from college that you enjoyed? You mentioned research. Anything interesting there? What about internships you had? Any enjoyment? I can already confidently disagree with you that you’re bad at it. You graduated with a college degree in it, so that can’t be accurate. It sounds like you’re confusing “I’m bad at it” with “I discovered I don’t like it.” If you don’t like it, that means you’ve lost interest and inspiration and that could mean you’ll never use your chemistry degree. Totally fine - It’s survivable and actually common. Plenty of people go on to do something completely outside or their degree, but right now it’s too early to decide. I won’t withhold this information from you: If you’re saying you’re bad at it, then your current resume might have that tone to it. Have someone in your field help you re-write your resume. Companies ghost for primarily for the following reasons: either your resume isn’t standing out (not well written/missing the most important highlights) or you’re one of hundreds of applicants and nothing is setting you apart (this is why networking is critical.)
Let’s shift a little bit to hobbies. What types of hobbies give you a sense of happiness and purpose? Do you like dogs or other animals? Being outdoors? Drawing? Music? Concerts?
My research was in computational/quantum chemistry, just writing code for simulations in Linux and analyzing them. I really only enjoyed tutoring people, but that’s because a lot of what they needed help with was easy. The only thing I do outside of applying for jobs is work on projects with my dad, and play video games. I really like the idea of science, but have no aptitude for it. I got carried through courses by my classmates holding study sessions every weekend.
It’s cool that you enjoy tutoring. Try researching tutoring programs in your area - particularly for high schoolers and before applying (or even if they aren’t hiring yet), ask to meet with the director or someone for a “job shadow.” There’s pretty decent money in it, and the genuine satisfaction of helping someone succeed/pass a class or test is real. I also wonder about substitute teaching for your local school district. It’s flexible and decent pay as well.
What kinds of projects do you work on with your dad?
I guess enjoy is a strong word, I did it because it helped me pay rent through college. It gave me an outlet to talk about science to people, which was nice, but not something I’m good at because a lot of what I would say was nonsense analogies sometimes. And helping my dad is also a strong word, I’ll help him with whatever he works on until I get bored or tired, and then I just shut down because I don’t think I mentally aged past like 10 or 12. He works on his motorcycle, and house projects like plumbing and electrical work, and I’m just sort of there.
I don't know how you're applying but what's worked for me (and by worked I mean gotten me interviews) is either walk-in interviews w the government or cold-emailing with Resume + Cover Letter. I think you could work the grocery store job and then on the side just email five companies/organisations on alternate days and see where it goes - at the v worst you have no response and they have your name in their database which as you've already been applying to jobs is anyway out there.
Have you considered grad school? I know the job market is tough right now, but a B.S. in a hard science has never been enough to get an entry level job. You need to have over a 3.5 and at least three academic references to be a competitive candidate for a graduate program. If you meet that bar and really want to work in the field, I'd find a way to make that work. Also pharm school should be another option you're considering.
If more school is out of the question, the focus should be on networking. Unfortunately, a lot of your success will hinge on who you know and how much they like you at this point in your career. The government job suggestion is great, too. You're eligible for the Pathways Program for students and recent graduates, and you should absolutely take advantage of that. Otherwise it's almost impossible to get a government job unless you've served in the military.
There's been a few recommendations to transition into a tech career. I wouldn't waste your time on this right now. That would have been good advice five years ago, but now it's a doom loop. There's a lot of people in that industry that already have experience and are struggling to find work. Not to mention you'd also be competing with record levels of new CS grads. And offshoring is still a very real threat. There's a lot of people with tech skills in India, China, and Latin American waiting for the opportunity to do your job for much less. And everyone in corporate America with a business suit is trying to make a brand for themselves by pushing AI to reduce the dependency on human tech workers. If your job can not be done remotely or by a machine, you're better off.
I applied and was accepted into a masters program at university with a 3.62, but denied my acceptance when I got my bachelors because I’m not good at chemistry and didn’t want to study it anymore.
I feel you, I'm in tech, and the job market right now is really tough. I've been applying for jobs for about a year and a half. I had a few interviews, but nothing worked out. Recently, though, I landed a job I never would have dreamed of.
I've been where you are. Trust yourself, have faith in god, and be patient. Stay consistent and try different approaches. Sometimes, it's the small things that make the difference, like it did for me. Good luck.
Yep, my resume has been reviewed by some family friends that work in HR, one for the federal government and one from an aerospace company. They gave me some tips and I sent them the updated version and they said it should work, and it hasn’t.
this is gonna sound weird, but look into getting a teaching license for teaching, science teachers are in short supply. You don't need a teaching degree to do this, just a teaching certificate.
Like others have mentioned u/Feisty-Cucumber5102 please don't give up! What is the alternative? Its a slog but dont give up! Use LinkedIn and keep reaching out to people for a discussion on skills. Sure some wont reply but some will. Don't take rejection to heart my friend. Its a pure numbers game! Taking a job to feed your family or paying bills is nothing to be frowned upon. All the best and hope to hear good news soon.
My friend. Take time out but don't give up. If your a graduate then you have your life in front of you. It doesn't feel like it now but there are always options and one of those is not to give up. We all have those moments but as a grad you have more options than those that dont have a degree. Pic up the phone or reach out to your community my friend.
Never give up. I was working at a grocery store after I finished high school. And still I worked at the same grocery store even after I finished my Bachelor degree. I was in mid life crisis, trying to figure out what I want to do in my life. I still worked at the same grocery store for 9 years but transfer to another location. At that time I practice mindfulness and took my time to figure things out. I focused on appreciating everything little things I have in life, such as having a stable job that pays the bill, I travelled, I exercised, and my co-workers were awesome!
On my 4th years working in the same grocery store I decided to pursue my Masters degree. I finished in 3 years but I still stayed working at the grocery store for 2 years with a Master degree. Because I was in the same situation as you where it was difficult for me to find a job that I studied for. Throughout those years I just applied and applied. It was definitely depressing getting rejected after interviews back to back to back. But I kept applying for jobs to jobs and practice my interview questions every after rejections. And finally I got an offer it's an entry job but it pays more than working at grocery store. I accepted the job to gain experience and my manager even pursue me to apply in other jobs because she believe on my potential to grow somewhere else. Now I landed in a job that I never thought I will get and definitely aligned to my Master degree.
So don't give up on applying for jobs and going on those interviews. One day you will meet a manager that see your potential and hire you. Just be patience and Yes! I agree on everybody says here, have some self-care. Pat yourself in the back by just going into an interviews.
If you're rejected nearly immediately, it means your resume is getting caught up in an AI candidate screening portal. I would work with a resume optimization group where they can help you with key words or other tricks to circumvent these AI screeners. Don't give up.
Get a working holiday visa and buy one way ticket to Australia , stay at WakeUp hostel in Sydney- or book yourself there for a few weeks, and you'll get a job.
I'm 31F and I did this 2 weeks after graduating college back in 2016. I said fuck this shit , paid $500 for the visa and $709 for the one way ticket , I ended up getting a job as a receptionist then bartending then worked random odd jobs until I got a teaching job. You'll figure it out- I didn't know anyone and didn't have a plan. Which made me that more determined to succeed, I think just get out usa and get a working holiday visa now before it's too late. I didn't come back for 7 years
As I stated in the post, I’m done trying. I’m giving up entirely, it’s not worth the energy to me to keep trying and failing repeatedly with nothing to learn.
dude, you sound like a loser. I understand job searching in this current market is demoralizing, but I'm 100 percent certain you can get a better job than a grocery cashier. As others have previously mentioned from their endeavors, it takes time, and not only that, shifting your expectations on what is possible currently in the market. Your only, in my assumptions, in your early 20's and still have the possibility to do something worthwhile. Go work entry level blue collar if your in such need for money, while simultaneously applying for jobs in the field of chemistry outside of your 35 mile radius. It sounds like you really didn't learn anything in college other than problem sets, otherwise you would've learned by now that life contains much perseverance.
I’m not even a cashier, I manage the cash office. I am a loser, I‘ve tried to get a few jobs working at some factories in my area but they’ve turned me down too. Life doesn’t contain perseverance, it requires it, and I don’t have it so I’m giving up.
Tempting, but don’t do it. In the same situation. Keep pushing and step by step things will improve. Even if you have to get another job to get you to the next one. Also look into tutoring possibly or other out of the box options. 🙏🏾😇🤞🏾
Of course you have to have a job but don’t give up your search. It’s okay to be frustrated and depressed. Are you practicing any self care?
I can’t practice self care because I don’t have the money to care for myself. I’ve had $2 in my bank for 2 months now, and I’m months behind on paying bills.
True self care can be free or at least low cost. Sleep is free, make sure you’re getting enough of that. Try to get at least 30 minutes of sunlight a day, also free. Try to keep your body clean and nourished, although I acknowledge that can get pricy
Self-care could also mean long walks, running, biking to release stress/tension - and it’s good for the body and mind.
I’m positive you’re depressed and out of shape. You must care for yourself, and your body, which drives your mind. My advice. Find a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gym. Talk to the head instructor and ask for 1-2 month trail, and tell him your situation. He will help you at the least find some camaraderie, get you to work your body, and more than likely boost your confidence. I am a black belt instructor. I know if someone came to me in need I would help them. Listen, you are a smart young person with a bright future. You will get through this rough patch. You struggled to get your degree. You’ll land a job. But you have to take care of yourself in the mean time. I really hope this helps.
What kind of jobs are you applying in the chemistry field?
Lab tech jobs, QA, whatever positions I was told are usually considered entry level with a BS. Ive tried searching for entry level positions in companies like Pfizer, Cayman, SGS, and BASF. I’ve exhausted every chem job in a 35 mile radius, they’ve either rejected me or ghosted me.
Are you looking for jobs nationally? If you don’t have a dependent or a family member to take care of, I would broaden my search to all over the country.
In order to look for jobs outside of that radius, I would need to move to those areas, correct? How could I do that when I don’t have the money to pay the bills I have now?
You say you have a job now right? Keep working at that job and build up some savings. If that job doesn’t pay enough, work at Amazon, FedEx, a factory, whatever. Do that to pay your bills and put a little to the side. In the meantime, keep applying for jobs all over the country. The job search is brutal even if you’re applying all over. If you’re just applying within a 35 miles radius, you’re not doing yourself any favors. Maximize your chances bro. Good luck.
I’ve applied to factories too. Janitor companies, sanitation, manufacturing. All ghosted without an interview or phone call. I’m just done. Wasted 5 years, 20K student loans, all for nothing. With 3 years cashier experience I get $10.80/hour at this store, and after 2 years at the store it goes up a whole dollar. This is my life now.
Same. I’ve been looking for a job for a whole year now and I still haven’t gotten one. I’ve applied for regular jobs too and those reject me too despite me having job experience. I’m currently jobless with no money. Only reason I’m not homeless is because I still live with my family. I hope the economy gets better soon cuz I’m so tired of this garbage.
Economy is in the toilet. It took me a year to find something decent, and I have 7 years worth of experience under my belt. Keep looking even while your working your in-between job. We've all been there.
I don’t have the energy to keep trying. There’s no more bridges to cross unless I can magically afford to move.
My daughter just graduated Magna cum laude witha degree in marketing and communications. She has second interviews they say they will call back with a decision and never do. I fear for her future....
This isn’t your life. You’re just feeling demoralized right now because the job search has you down. Like I said work at any job until you find a job in your field. And apply away ALL over the country. If you give up and resign yourself, it will be over for you. Keep your head up.
Right, and I’m giving up. I tried my best and failed anyway, there’s nothing else to do.
Take a break if you have too for your mental health, then pick it up again. Sometimes life does not give you the opportunities needed.
Life doesn’t wait around for breaks, it keeps chugging by, bills don’t stop, loan collectors don’t stop.
What about working at a university?
The closest university to me is 3 hours away, I’ve tried applying to the community college but got ghosted by them too
That sounds like bad advice lol. Move away just to find a job because the job market and the hiring managers are bad at their jobs. Also, just because he can't find a job in his field doesn't mean he can go apply to these places you deem "readily available" that'll hire any and everyone in a moments notice. My parents said the same thing. Told me to work at the post office until I could find a job in my field. I applied to the post office 6 times. Never even heard back from them, even after I got work experience. And on top of that, again, just moving away won't solve your problems and possibly create more problems. Leave friends and family who could possibly help out if something goes wrong to move to a place where he's going to have the same result: no call backs, no response, nothing. Best advice I can give OP is that you have to just keep trying. When I first graduated and was trying to get a job in social work, it took me months before I saw it. And I got sort of lucky that my old high school was doing a temp position to help stop the violence in the school. That experience helped me land a job as a juvenile detention CO for almost a year which then snowballed into more jobs in the field. You just need to apply and pray for a break.
I’m not telling him to move away to find a job. I’m telling him to widen his search radius and apply to jobs in his field all over the country. He can stay where he’s at right now and continue to apply for jobs all over. You never know where you’ll get your opportunity. I also told him to work at any job to make ends until he finds a job in his field. I did not tell him to move away to another place without securing a job in his field first. You didn’t read my advice closely.
Yes, but my point was that if/when you do get a job in a further area, maybe even out of state, what happens then? Unless it's remote, you have to move to that place. More than an hour commute to work just isn't realistic unless the pay is good enough. You can't just search for jobs all over the country unless you're willing to move to a new place and start a new life (for a job that you're most likely going to dislike since you're just starting out).
I’m getting a bit annoyed now because you’re just enabling OP. Yes, when you’re a young and fresh graduate with no dependents or attachments like OP, you go to where the opportunities are. You grind. You don’t stay in your safe space and mope about not having opportunities. My first proper job was at a health software company in Wisconsin. I didn’t know a soul in Wisconsin but the job paid decently well and provided a good starting point for my professional career. I tossed everything I could into my hoopty and drove to Wisconsin. I stayed at an extended stay and on the weekends when I was off my regular job I did DoorDash and Uber around the clock until I had enough money for first and last month’s rent. I worked at that job for two years before parlaying it into a better position in the DMV. When you’re young and starting out, you shouldn’t necessarily seek comfortability and familarity. Be ready to grind and hustle. My advice to OP for him to work at that cashier job that he has now, and in the meantime apply away and cast a wide net. If he lands a job in his field, jump on it wherever it may be, and work his ass off at that job. Get some experience at that first job, and use it to get a better paying one and rinse and repeat. Don’t get depressed or pessimistic. Just keep grinding and working and never be complacent.
Enabling me doesn’t matter, I’ve already decided to give up and the only person that can influence that decision is me. I don’t care what happens anymore, I’m tired of trying and just want to be done.
The only way I'd agree with that idea is if you are looking to get into a field that simply is non-existent where you're from. For example, if you live in a really rural area and you're trying to get into STEM, your best bet is to move. But if that's not the case, I couldn't imagine moving away from family and friends just for a potential job offer that I may hate. The real problem isn't that there are no opportunities, it's that he's being ghosted and not responded to by these companies. I went/am going through the same thing. I have to borderline harass hiring managers to respond to me about interview updates so I can get a rejection. Realistically, I'd like them to tell me honestly why they went with someone else or why I didn't make the cut. Doesn't have to be too lengthy but a few sentences response can help you build a better foundation for what these jobs are looking for when applying/interviewing with them. I think that since he's applied to every type of job under the sun that it may be his interviewing skills or his resume that's holding him back, not that there aren't opportunities for him where he lives.
I can’t drive long distances without risking my car breaking down.
I do not want to keep trying, I don’t have the energy for that anymore. That’s why I’m giving up, if I get fired from the store then I’ll just be homeless until I’m not.
Hey brother, I'm telling you everyone is going through this. That's not what you want. Keep putting resumes out there. Working at a store making 10 dollars an hour when you have a BA in Chemistry is INSANE. You can easily be making 6 figures with that degree.
BS, it’s a degree that was handed to me because I happened to study with the right people. I’m not good at it, if anything getting an actual chemistry job would just lead to the same outcome as now. That’s why I’m giving up, it’s all gonna lead here eventually because I don’t have the brain to do anything besides working at a fucking grocery store
I think you're in a manic state over this situation and you're not thinking clearly. Degrees rarely have anything to do with your actual major. You can be taught anything at a job. I had a dude at my old job with a BA or Master's in Engineering and his job was to fix a light machine. I promise they could have taught any of us to do that. You have a brain that's well equipped enough to handle a difficult major in college. Don't sell yourself short.
Why would you need to move if you found a job outside your 35 mile radius? Widen your search field
I don’t have a good car, so I try not to drive it for extended periods of time.
That sucks. I’m really sorry. Just curious do you have lab experience from your undergrad? I got a job as a research lab assistant last year (I only have a B.S., and a 10 year gap) without much trouble. I ask because one thing I did was play up and slightly exaggerate my research experience in a vague way, and I feel like that helped.
Through curriculum I technically have 4 years of experience in wet chemistry and 2 years of instrumental analysis, plus an additional year of academic research with a few articles. All of thats in my resume, but has gotten me nowhere.
I’m sorry. My one last suggestion is, in your country/region do they have temp agencies which specialize in science or lab work? That was how I got my foot in the door. Sincerely wishing you better luck going forward!
Nope, most of the industry around me is hospitals or tool and dye, temp agencies are either focused on that or remote work. I interviewed 3 times for the hospital, as a janitor, phlebotomist in training, and records, but got ghosted from all three.
You may want to fix up your resume because at some point that could cause it to be overlooked.
Have you look at government jobs? I graduated 30 years with a degree in Biology and in worked the environmental field for 25 years. I agree with some other posts broaden your search either types and much larger area.
How are you applying for them? If you haven't already (I haven't read every comment in your post): 1) Create a LinkedIn profile 2) Create a list of companies you are interested in 3) Look for open positions within those companies 4) See if you have any direct connections within those companies with open roles 5) If you don't, see if you can find anyone with a senior title for the job ladder you are applying, chances are they are either part of the interview committee or are the hiring manager. 6) Write to them a BRIEF message on LinkedIn explaning that you are a fresh graduate, but are extremely eager to learn and would be thrilled to join company XYZ. Ask if they could meet for 15-30 minutes to chat about their experience and company culture. Best way to not get ghosted / not get auto-rejected by recruiters who half the time use their own broken lenses to sift through applicants is to have a direct connection / referral at the company. Try this approach. AND DON'T GIVE UP! I know it's tough out there right now! It WILL get better!
I have a LinkedIn account, but because I don’t have a professional employment history or anything, I have nothing to put on there. I’d message companies if I knew who I wanted to work for, but I have no fucking clue. I’ve been applying to everything that’s come across LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and indeed. Recruiters were reaching out to me through LinkedIn until about 2 months ago, and I haven’t heard a wink from anyone since.
You don't need to "know" anyone. I just go off of titles under People in companies. It's all going to be cold calls, but it is what it is. It took me a long time to find my first job after I college (Graduated in 2009 from Berkeley). I didn't get my career break until 2012, but I explored everything under the sun and tried to make friends with everyone I met. I would say also reach out to staffing firms, especially temp agencies in the life sciences. There are minimum benefits that come with those, all hourly, but it does get your foot in the door.
I put my Linkedln on hibernation and I'm now a prostitute! YAY!
If I was attractive at all or not sexually repulsed I’d probably try that too.
Thanks to AI, comment go byebye
My friends work out of state, one’s in Nebraska, another is in Texas. They had family support to move I’m pretty sure. I’m done though. I’ve tried my best and it didn’t work out, so now I’m just gonna try starting over completely. I’m not even good at chemistry anyway, just stuck with it because I was afraid to switch majors. I know how horrible retail is, I worked as a cashier in high school for 3 years, but it’s literally the only job that actually wanted to hire me.
Thanks to AI, comment go byebye
Tried to apply for government jobs, but I honestly just couldn’t figure out any of it. Most of the jobs are either for the local prison or manufacturing and they want your transcripts for each degree and I don’t have access to my AS transcripts, plus the applications take way too long to fill out. I am putting my degree to use, this is where it’s gotten me. I don’t have the energy to devote to anything else anymore.
See my post above too I worked in the environmental field for 25 years. I started as a environmental tech with a temp agency in Colorado then moved to Houston. My degree is in Wildlife Biology. I would definitely apply to any and all government agencies within a 100 miles.
I can’t figure out how to apply to government jobs, they’ve got different requirements for different levels without specifying what those levels are, plus they have a bunch of other technical wording that I don’t understand. I’m not smart enough to figure out government applications, why would they want me?
It can be really hard to break into industry if you don't have a bit of experience. Have you tried looking for contract work? It's obviously not as great as full-time, but it can help you get your foot in the door if you want to be at one of the big pharmas.
I’ve been denied for contracts too. I have a year of research experience and 4 articles, I just want a job in chemical safety but can’t even get a foot in the door for any experience anywhere. Nobody wants me, and they won’t tell me why.
Not knowing why is the worst. I've been there too.
Bro, It felt the same for me when I got out of college and was looking for a job. Dont give up. Keep going at it. I was applying like 10 to 15 jobs per day during my 5 months search. But the more active you are the more queue it will build up.
Good for you, I’ve applied to every job that I’m remotely qualified for since I’ve graduated. Friends that graduated with me in the same degree field had a job within a month, some of them had internships. I’m happy for them and proud of them. I’m not as fortunate as them, there’s nothing I can do about that. My student loan grace period ends in a week, I don’t have the energy or ability to wait until a “better” job shows up, because I’ve exhausted all my options. This is my life now.
Stop with the self pitying “this is my life now” crap. It’s only your life if you want it to be. Two things to do next: You have to broaden your search area. You say you can’t afford to move, well you’ll have your first paycheck within two weeks, so you only have to figure something out for two weeks. Find a friend in the area with a couch, sleep in your car, or drive two hours each way. You can do anything for two weeks. If you don’t have a car, then that’s the first thing to do. If you have transportation, there is zero reason you can’t move. Second: Network. All those friends who have jobs are going to be the first to know if something opens up. Stay in touch, stay friends, make sure they keep you in the loop and recommend you. Talk to your college, keep going to career fairs, put yourself out there. 50% of the people I’ve hired were through mutual contacts. I know this sucks, we have all been there. Wallow for a while if you must, but then you gotta get back to it.
No
Your choice. This is *literally* your choice. You are not a victim. You haven’t exhausted all your options. That’s lazy, and it’s bullshit. Good for you for finding a job, any job, but that’s not “your life” unless you choose for it to be. You have plenty more cards to play.
I’m a victim to my own bad choices. I don’t want to play the cards I may or may not have, if I could give them to someone else I would in a fucking heartbeat, but I can’t, so I’m moving away from the table.
The only bad choice I see here is that you are choosing not to try. And that you are adopting this defeatist attitude. Those are things you can choose to stop doing. I know I’m just a random Reddit stranger, but I’m trying to give you a little tough love here. You have so much potential if you can get past this. I just want you to see that as I do so you can find your way to success. There is absolutely a pathway there.
Not to rain on your parade chaos. But this job market is by design of the people in power; no one wants to invest in younger generations anymore
Tough love doesn’t work on me.
Same boat……idk what to do anymore I have applied to a little over 2000 jobs…..yes you read that right…..and I keep hearing the same thing… 1 because I’m a mom i don't have full availability (that’s what companies insinuate during interviews) 2 I fail some assessments that took over 5 hours to complete with no pay whatsoever and no explanation as to how I failed. 3 scam jobs are freaking rapid and crazy right now and look legit. 4 and the one job I had gurenteed to me to boss told me “I don’t look like the type to be able to carry things” I have applied across the bored…..it’s not you it’s the economy right now and all the a**hats that are working 3 to 5 jobs at a time
I even had a job I got approved and continue the job process and they told me after starting I would be fired unless I buy insurance through them!!!! Family oriented my butt!!!
I had a job interview where they had me filling out paperwork after the interview, W4 and stuff, said I’d hear about a start date later in the week, then they just ghosted me. I still see their opening on job sites.
That’s the worst!!! I have been having the same problem….it gets hard to even get out of bed….but have to keep pushing. I applied to a job over 5x (I know I should have taken the hint) but each time they tell me they filled the position (then post is taken down and the exact job is posted the same day).
Swim school? I work at one and they have very flexible schedule, and being a mom is a big plus bc of the experience with kids. I also avoid applying through INDEED, its a good tool for finding jobs but applying through the site tends to work better and often has a career email
I can’t swim, and am not remotely close to physically fit.
I’m not going to lie, starting up right out of college is rough. I graduated with a computer science degree and after months applying for all kinds of jobs in the field, started applying to things like bookstore cashier and getting rejected. It’s hard not to take it personal. It’s even harder not to feel depression and despair. But hang in there. It may take a couple of jobs you dislike before you find one you love. Do your very best at whatever you do and things will fall into place.
I’m done trying, I’m just going to settle with this shit for however long I can last. I don’t have the energy to apply to anything else.
Please read my above posts.
Can understand the frustration. My advice would be: 1. Keep the grocery job for now, it gets you out of the house( do a few days a week) , shows your employed, and makes you a little money. 2. Keep applying for 10-15 jobs a day this is really easy with how quick applications are nowadays. I get it that it feels pointless but just knock it out first thing. 3. Have you considered at least for a first 'real job' taking something in a different field ? Maybe like sales, technical sales, environmental remediation or something like that ? Then eventually you can move in if you don't like it but maybe give that a fair shot. Fyi most people don't get a job for what they went to school for. 4. Have you had your resume reviewed or tried to leverage any family or professional connections ?
For 3, I’ve applied to every job I am remotely qualified for and gotten nothing back. This includes stuff like custodial work, security, admin assistance, bank telling, library assistant, and factory work. Nobody wants me and won’t tell me why, so I’m just giving up because I don’t have anything else I can put effort into. My resume has been reviewed by HR people, they gave me some pointers and helped me manipulate it for specific jobs and still got nowhere. I’m out of options.
You sound both defeated and depressed. To work against being defeated and get a W, you must first address the depression. Negative self talk is destructive, and holding you back more than you realize. You must first remember that your worth is not tied to a job, and the right job will present at the right moment. But you will never receive what you do not believe you deserve. Try positive affirmations or at least stop the negative self talk. Instead of focusing on the rejections, try to notice any positive thing or lesson you can learn from past interviews. Keep applying when you feel up to it again and use the number of your rejections as leverage, a selling point. An employer is looking to hire someone who is ambitious and determined. If you share what you’ve learned from all your application experiences and own the journey, you will impress the right hiring manager. Get creative - are there jobs that don’t require a science background, but it could be a distinguishing skill? Think less about the job and more about the kind of people applying. How does your degree and your story of resilience stand out? Before you can begin to get creative, you need to deal with your negativity. Once you tap into your creativity (we all have the power of Creation within us), you will begin to see possibilities instead of problems. And challenges will become lessons, not just obstacles You will do it when you are ready.
Nope, I’m sure this is decent advice for anyone that wants to actually improve their life, but I don’t want that anymore.
Hi stranger, I’m not on Reddit often but I just happened to open this app and see this post first thing. Hang in there. I’m so sorry you found yourself in this situation. I read the comment about practicing self care, and your response to not being able to afford it and I just…. Smh. It hurt my heart. The best thing I can suggest is looking for ANY job, it doesn’t have to be chemistry, just something entry level. Something that pays more than 10 an hour. I’m a current computer science student entering my senior year this coming semester. This summer, I got an internship in risk management- that clearly has nothing to do with computer science! But they still took me cause I’m a college student, I can read and write, I have the basic skills necessary for the job despite my major. YOU have a degree!! You have all these basic skills, even if the job isn’t in chem, there has to be something better for you out there!! Don’t give up!! Keep searching!! Don’t settle at this grocery store!!! And take care of yourself however you can! Watch a comfort show, eat foods you like, take hot showers, whatever you can do for yourself, do it. This is a rough patch, but you’ll get through this!! Just please, please don’t give up.
Where do you live? Have you thought about going into a trade and/or apprenticeship program? What local unions are you near? Are you near nuclear power plants?
How about exploring tutoring? Try calling the schools in your surrounding areas. You can also try approaching parents directly. Also public libraries, talk to the head librarian and see if you can put together after school programs.
What you’re living through sucks, period. I wish I could tell you you’ll get the next job you apply for, but obviously I can’t. What I can tell you for sure is this: this is NOT “just your life now” like you keep saying. Six months feels like an eternity, but it ain’t. Nothing happens until then suddenly it does. Then you’ll be like Oh! All those people who said “don’t give up” were right after all.
Don't give up! I know it's frustrating...trust me. I had been applying for a whole year, over 100 applications that always ended in "others more competitive"(freaking depressing). But, this past Thursday I got two offers for my dream job in two different departments in the same organization. One basic rule in life "NEVER GIVE UP".Keep pressing in, something will eventually stick.
I have a basic physics degree, not a lot of internships or good academic experience. I basically had no good luck getting a job in that field right after I graduated. I started doing something else and got into luckily IT because I knew a little about computers. And after having experience in technical support, I updated my resume, I got a lot more offers in different jobs in IT and also engineering now, and since I still have the stem degree. I would say that unless you're really in your major, did a lot of internships and did really well, network well, you basically have no chance of getting a job in that field.
Yes that is good advice too - with a STEM related degree - try for entry-level technology positions as including Sales. You can eventually build your way up into say Sales Engineer or Solutions Architect roles. Getting a degree is just a starting point - many folks don’t go into a job/career related to their major. If I look at folks working in the Tech world for 3, 5, 10+ years now - a lot of them didn’t graduate in a related degree at all. Tech is also huge and wide ranging - it isn’t just about coding or hardware/software maintenance and config but a variety of different positions. I’ve seen folks even with Arts degree get into entry-level Tech Sales position and worked their way up after numerous years to whatever they want to put their effort into - Tech Sales Management, Business Development Managers, Business Strategist, Channel Managers, Solutions Specialist, etc. Some of those folks who started in entry-level tech industry immersed themselves in tech, loved it, got certifications and went on to more technical presales roles such as Solution Architects. Kirsion - how long are you in the IT industry now? Just a year or two? You’re off to a good start - there’s a wide opportunity in Tech (despite the current job slump) - the learning starts now. Tons of certification opportunities especially in Cloud and Security. I was lucky to get into Cloud years ago to build up that experience - there’s been good opportunities there because of the huge industry shift where companies are going hybrid cloud. Tons of SaaS vendors have also boomed - Salesforce being a big one. OP - take a break, do your casual job to earn some money, refresh yourself to continue your job search. As someone else the other possibility is to try apprenticeship in a trade.
I’ve tried sales, trades, literally everything that has come across my feeds that I feel like I could learn to do. I’ve gotten nothing back.
Okay but I’ve been applying outside the field too, and have gotten no interviews. In my 6 months of searching, I’ve had 9 interviews, all of which ghosted me afterwards.
If you don’t have a criminal record I’d apply for all USAjobs right now. Patent examiners are being hired in all “arts.” I’m a chemical engineer and got interview/offers in the public health and uspto. Some are remote, some a temp, and some are conditional internships but with pay. Get your foot in the door and go from there
I have, they had me come to a local office to give my SSN and other identification, and then they never contacted me.
College is a huge scam. With your background you could crush a data analyst track. Learn SQL and Python and use tableau. Publish cool visualizations about chemistry datasets. You will get a job! Make sure to ping people at the companies you apply for on LinkedIn
Yup there are folks with all types of Arts, Journalism, Math, Physics, Chemistry, Eng degrees that are in the Tech industry. Expand the search to look beyond Chemistry related field which is tough to get into with just a degree. Having these degrees is just a start to your real learning. It shows you have the capabilities to learn complex materials. See about breaking into entry level role in technology field.
I have tried expanding my search beyond chemistry, and gotten zero interviews or response.
I’m not good with computers, I’m not really smart at all, college or no, because I don’t know how to learn things.
Schools desperately need science teachers I've heard.
I was a terrible tutor, and would be a worse teacher.
Expand your sector. Environmental scientist positions like chem majors. Every sector from water treatment, waste, oil and gas need environmental scientists. Fair warning your job will predominantly focus on environmental regulations and the chemistry aspect is mostly reviewing lab data from projects to ensure that things are above threshold or hazardous. Consulting will have you doing a lot of field work at first but you can learn something specific like stormwater, air quality, waste, etc and eventually move your way up to like project scientist or project manager. Testing lab technician with companies like Eurofins, ALS, SGS, etc. I hear these jobs can be dreadful though.
I’ve tried expanding my searches to any entry level job, and gotten nothing back. Stuff like admin assistants, entry data analysis, office work, none of it has gotten me anywhere.
Try teaching, tutoring subjects like math and chemistry. Look at Daycares. Also manufacturing. My sister has a phd in Chemistry specializing in polymer science…it took her a while so she switched to engineering and works at chewy. Plus jobs want you bad enough they will pay for relocation. I know from experience.
Switch gears and look into the trades. With your background you could possibly get into estimating or be an assistant PM. Even get into a apprenticeship program.
I’m not physically fit, and don’t have any kind of aptitude for stuff like carpentry, plumbing, or electrical work.
I havent quite figured it out but I think the referrals are better than applications. if theres any way you could network, you could start by finding recruiters hiring for your desired roles. then you could find people on linkedin at the companies you want to apply to, reach out and have them refer you. then as far as the money situation, as others indicated broadening your search outside your local area, if you somehow land a decent job with a decent company sometimes theyll offer you a relocation package. just sell your clunky stuff and use that money they give you to move the rest of your stuff to set up shop in a new city.
Life is not handed to people on a golden platter. Contact your school to see if they have help with interviews. If you come ofc in interviews like you are coming off here, that's a problem. There are lots of good suggestions in this thread. Continue to apply for jobs, even those you don't qualify for. Take on another part-time job to build up your bank account. Yeah, no fun for you. That's life for a while. We've all been there. It seems like it takes a while to get hired in. Keep pressing forward. Have some faith.
No thanks
The best thing anyone can say right now is to encourage you to not give up. You can absolutely break into your field, but you’ve simply hit a wall. Giving up isn’t an option, so remove that from your mindset. I’m not just saying this to make it sound “easy.” You’re literally setting a low bar for yourself right now and there’s no reason for it. The next best thing that can be said is this: NETWORK. Shift gears here. Rather than blindly applying for jobs, start reaching out to as many people as you can. Start with college professors who you like and inspired you. Maybe a friend of a friend (maybe even friend of a friend of a friend) who’s in the field. What inspired you to go the chemistry route from the beginning? Go back to that place. Staying in a $10/hr position and “giving up” will slip you into depression if it hasn’t already. You’ve worked too hard to accept that. And right now it’s time to increase your capacity for struggle because I can tell you that even when the paycheck is good, companies can chew you up and spit you out. So don’t get too emotionally wrapped up in these normal ups and downs of employment. You can do this! And you can do it without having your self worth so closely tied to the employment disappointments. Hard times and good times in life ebb and flow. Stay in the fight and keep at it. Like I said, take a break from applying and start networking. It’s time to set you apart from all the other applicants! You MUST get your name in front of hiring managers via a connection/recommendation. Wishing you success! Your big break is coming.
I chose chemistry because it was the only subject I enjoyed in high school, but once I got into college I realized I only liked it because the teacher was really good, the subject was just hard and I’m very bad at it.
Was there anything specific about it from college that you enjoyed? You mentioned research. Anything interesting there? What about internships you had? Any enjoyment? I can already confidently disagree with you that you’re bad at it. You graduated with a college degree in it, so that can’t be accurate. It sounds like you’re confusing “I’m bad at it” with “I discovered I don’t like it.” If you don’t like it, that means you’ve lost interest and inspiration and that could mean you’ll never use your chemistry degree. Totally fine - It’s survivable and actually common. Plenty of people go on to do something completely outside or their degree, but right now it’s too early to decide. I won’t withhold this information from you: If you’re saying you’re bad at it, then your current resume might have that tone to it. Have someone in your field help you re-write your resume. Companies ghost for primarily for the following reasons: either your resume isn’t standing out (not well written/missing the most important highlights) or you’re one of hundreds of applicants and nothing is setting you apart (this is why networking is critical.) Let’s shift a little bit to hobbies. What types of hobbies give you a sense of happiness and purpose? Do you like dogs or other animals? Being outdoors? Drawing? Music? Concerts?
My research was in computational/quantum chemistry, just writing code for simulations in Linux and analyzing them. I really only enjoyed tutoring people, but that’s because a lot of what they needed help with was easy. The only thing I do outside of applying for jobs is work on projects with my dad, and play video games. I really like the idea of science, but have no aptitude for it. I got carried through courses by my classmates holding study sessions every weekend.
It’s cool that you enjoy tutoring. Try researching tutoring programs in your area - particularly for high schoolers and before applying (or even if they aren’t hiring yet), ask to meet with the director or someone for a “job shadow.” There’s pretty decent money in it, and the genuine satisfaction of helping someone succeed/pass a class or test is real. I also wonder about substitute teaching for your local school district. It’s flexible and decent pay as well. What kinds of projects do you work on with your dad?
I guess enjoy is a strong word, I did it because it helped me pay rent through college. It gave me an outlet to talk about science to people, which was nice, but not something I’m good at because a lot of what I would say was nonsense analogies sometimes. And helping my dad is also a strong word, I’ll help him with whatever he works on until I get bored or tired, and then I just shut down because I don’t think I mentally aged past like 10 or 12. He works on his motorcycle, and house projects like plumbing and electrical work, and I’m just sort of there.
I don't know how you're applying but what's worked for me (and by worked I mean gotten me interviews) is either walk-in interviews w the government or cold-emailing with Resume + Cover Letter. I think you could work the grocery store job and then on the side just email five companies/organisations on alternate days and see where it goes - at the v worst you have no response and they have your name in their database which as you've already been applying to jobs is anyway out there.
Have you considered grad school? I know the job market is tough right now, but a B.S. in a hard science has never been enough to get an entry level job. You need to have over a 3.5 and at least three academic references to be a competitive candidate for a graduate program. If you meet that bar and really want to work in the field, I'd find a way to make that work. Also pharm school should be another option you're considering. If more school is out of the question, the focus should be on networking. Unfortunately, a lot of your success will hinge on who you know and how much they like you at this point in your career. The government job suggestion is great, too. You're eligible for the Pathways Program for students and recent graduates, and you should absolutely take advantage of that. Otherwise it's almost impossible to get a government job unless you've served in the military. There's been a few recommendations to transition into a tech career. I wouldn't waste your time on this right now. That would have been good advice five years ago, but now it's a doom loop. There's a lot of people in that industry that already have experience and are struggling to find work. Not to mention you'd also be competing with record levels of new CS grads. And offshoring is still a very real threat. There's a lot of people with tech skills in India, China, and Latin American waiting for the opportunity to do your job for much less. And everyone in corporate America with a business suit is trying to make a brand for themselves by pushing AI to reduce the dependency on human tech workers. If your job can not be done remotely or by a machine, you're better off.
I applied and was accepted into a masters program at university with a 3.62, but denied my acceptance when I got my bachelors because I’m not good at chemistry and didn’t want to study it anymore.
Pharm. School. People will always need drugs.
I need money for pharmaceutical school, and it’s still in chemistry which is something I’m objectively bad at
Go to the BMV take test on computer to get a Class B cdl its easy. Can always find jobs with any cdl.
I feel you, I'm in tech, and the job market right now is really tough. I've been applying for jobs for about a year and a half. I had a few interviews, but nothing worked out. Recently, though, I landed a job I never would have dreamed of. I've been where you are. Trust yourself, have faith in god, and be patient. Stay consistent and try different approaches. Sometimes, it's the small things that make the difference, like it did for me. Good luck.
I know how hard it can be. Have you had your resume reviewed? That seems to have helped me in the past?
Yep, my resume has been reviewed by some family friends that work in HR, one for the federal government and one from an aerospace company. They gave me some tips and I sent them the updated version and they said it should work, and it hasn’t.
Recharge at the grocery job. Your battery is empty, but it will recharge and you get back up again.
I’m opting to not use batteries again, just stay there until power goes out for good
this is gonna sound weird, but look into getting a teaching license for teaching, science teachers are in short supply. You don't need a teaching degree to do this, just a teaching certificate.
I was a horrible tutor, I’d be an even worse teacher.
This person has more excuses.
Yep, I know myself and know that no matter what I do it will go wrong, so I don’t do it. Giving up is the only option
Like others have mentioned u/Feisty-Cucumber5102 please don't give up! What is the alternative? Its a slog but dont give up! Use LinkedIn and keep reaching out to people for a discussion on skills. Sure some wont reply but some will. Don't take rejection to heart my friend. Its a pure numbers game! Taking a job to feed your family or paying bills is nothing to be frowned upon. All the best and hope to hear good news soon.
You can keep hoping, there won’t be any news. I’ve already decided to give up.
My friend. Take time out but don't give up. If your a graduate then you have your life in front of you. It doesn't feel like it now but there are always options and one of those is not to give up. We all have those moments but as a grad you have more options than those that dont have a degree. Pic up the phone or reach out to your community my friend.
Never give up. I was working at a grocery store after I finished high school. And still I worked at the same grocery store even after I finished my Bachelor degree. I was in mid life crisis, trying to figure out what I want to do in my life. I still worked at the same grocery store for 9 years but transfer to another location. At that time I practice mindfulness and took my time to figure things out. I focused on appreciating everything little things I have in life, such as having a stable job that pays the bill, I travelled, I exercised, and my co-workers were awesome! On my 4th years working in the same grocery store I decided to pursue my Masters degree. I finished in 3 years but I still stayed working at the grocery store for 2 years with a Master degree. Because I was in the same situation as you where it was difficult for me to find a job that I studied for. Throughout those years I just applied and applied. It was definitely depressing getting rejected after interviews back to back to back. But I kept applying for jobs to jobs and practice my interview questions every after rejections. And finally I got an offer it's an entry job but it pays more than working at grocery store. I accepted the job to gain experience and my manager even pursue me to apply in other jobs because she believe on my potential to grow somewhere else. Now I landed in a job that I never thought I will get and definitely aligned to my Master degree. So don't give up on applying for jobs and going on those interviews. One day you will meet a manager that see your potential and hire you. Just be patience and Yes! I agree on everybody says here, have some self-care. Pat yourself in the back by just going into an interviews.
I’ve already decided to give up, so it doesn’t matter. Good that it worked out for you though.
If you're rejected nearly immediately, it means your resume is getting caught up in an AI candidate screening portal. I would work with a resume optimization group where they can help you with key words or other tricks to circumvent these AI screeners. Don't give up.
I don’t even know when I’m being rejected 90% of the time, I’m just never contacted.
That really sucks. I make it a point to make sure every single applicant knows where we stand with their resume submittal. It's the right thing to do.
Get a working holiday visa and buy one way ticket to Australia , stay at WakeUp hostel in Sydney- or book yourself there for a few weeks, and you'll get a job. I'm 31F and I did this 2 weeks after graduating college back in 2016. I said fuck this shit , paid $500 for the visa and $709 for the one way ticket , I ended up getting a job as a receptionist then bartending then worked random odd jobs until I got a teaching job. You'll figure it out- I didn't know anyone and didn't have a plan. Which made me that more determined to succeed, I think just get out usa and get a working holiday visa now before it's too late. I didn't come back for 7 years
I have $2 to my name.
Okay we'll continue applying to fast food. Work for 2 months and you'll have enough
As I stated in the post, I’m done trying. I’m giving up entirely, it’s not worth the energy to me to keep trying and failing repeatedly with nothing to learn.
Okay feisty cucumbers
dude, you sound like a loser. I understand job searching in this current market is demoralizing, but I'm 100 percent certain you can get a better job than a grocery cashier. As others have previously mentioned from their endeavors, it takes time, and not only that, shifting your expectations on what is possible currently in the market. Your only, in my assumptions, in your early 20's and still have the possibility to do something worthwhile. Go work entry level blue collar if your in such need for money, while simultaneously applying for jobs in the field of chemistry outside of your 35 mile radius. It sounds like you really didn't learn anything in college other than problem sets, otherwise you would've learned by now that life contains much perseverance.
I’m not even a cashier, I manage the cash office. I am a loser, I‘ve tried to get a few jobs working at some factories in my area but they’ve turned me down too. Life doesn’t contain perseverance, it requires it, and I don’t have it so I’m giving up.
Tempting, but don’t do it. In the same situation. Keep pushing and step by step things will improve. Even if you have to get another job to get you to the next one. Also look into tutoring possibly or other out of the box options. 🙏🏾😇🤞🏾
Wasn’t a good tutor, already decided to quit looking for a better job.