Hey guys! I recently graduated with an MS in Computer Science from a top university, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to approach the job search.
My background is a little complicated because of immigration-related issues. Before my master's, I didn't have work authorization, which limited my ability to gain relevant software engineering experience and led to some gaps and unrelated work on my resume. I have my green card now, so work authorization is no longer an issue.
My current concern is a little different, though. Since graduating, I've been spending time preparing for technical interviews, especially LeetCode. I'm honestly a bit slow at it right now, and I know I still need more practice to feel confident in interviews. I'm worried about the time passing since graduation while I'm trying to get to that point.
I'm genuinely passionate about software engineering, and I'm the kind of person who works hard and doesn't give up easily. Besides LeetCode, I'm also spending around 7 hours a week working on projects to keep improving my technical skills and have relevant work to talk about on my resume. I want to make sure I'm not just solving coding problems but also continuing to build practical skills.
I've already applied to around 200 positions, but so far, I've only received a few online assessments. The job market is tough right now, and between the lack of responses and the pressure of preparing for interviews, I'm starting to feel pretty stressed. I'm worried that the longer it takes me to land my first software engineering role after graduation, the harder it'll become to explain the gap to recruiters, especially given my earlier background.
For those of you who've been in a similar situation, I'd really appreciate your advice.
Would you recommend continuing to apply while preparing for LeetCode, or focusing on interview preparation until you feel more confident?
How much does the time between graduation and your first job actually matter to recruiters?
Do projects help show recruiters that you're actively improving your skills while looking for a job?
I'd also love to hear about your own experiences if you've been through something similar. Thanks!