I graduated this May and have been looking for a job since before graduation. I have a 3.8 GPA and multiple extracurriculars and worked as a TA so I wasn't worried about finding anything- except nobody would even reply to my emails or applications. I would spend hours on cover letters and resumes just to send them out into the aether. I would then watch as everybody else on Linkedin, even people I helped with homework got jobs while I got nothing. To make matters worse, I would get a constant stream of recruiters who wanted me to do labour jobs for engineering companies.
Eventually I realized that my last name was scaring potential employers so I started going by an Anglicized version of my real name. I was able to get in the door but still got ghosted after my interviews. If anything this was even worse- because I would have to commute and sometimes rent a motel room only to get snubbed at an interview.
After applying to seemingly everywhere for months I had run out of money and had to get something- so I wound up taking a maintenance tech job at a local engineering firm. I had hoped it involved at least some use of the skillset I had went to school for but its basically a janitor job. To make matters worse when i started i found out two of classmates were working there as actual engineers. I'm so embarrassed i can hardly bring myself to go into work, knowing they will see me in my uniform cleaning up after them.
I am still applying and interviewing but between my new job and the rejection it feels so discouraging I can't even bring myself to apply some days. I feel like I worked my ass off and all anyone sees when they look at me is a janitor.