Tech Grads Face Tough Times: From Coding to Chipotle?

Computer science graduates are finding it tough to land jobs in tech. Many are now looking for work in places like Chipotle. This is a big change from what they were promised. For years, tech leaders said that learning to code would lead to high-paying jobs. Many students believed this and studied computer science. But now, things are different. Companies are laying off workers and using AI to do coding. This makes it hard for new graduates to find jobs. Manasi Mishra is one of these graduates. She studied at Purdue University. She thought she would get a good job in tech. But after a year of looking, the only company that called her was Chipotle. She shared her story on TikTok. Many people could relate to her struggle.The number of students studying computer science has doubled since 2014. But now, the job market is not what it used to be. Many graduates are facing high unemployment rates. Some are even applying to thousands of jobs and getting no offers. Zach Taylor is another graduate who is struggling. He applied to nearly 6, 000 tech jobs. He only got 13 interviews. He even tried to get a job at McDonald's but was rejected. He is now living at home and receiving unemployment benefits. AI is making things harder for new graduates. Companies are using AI to screen resumes. This means that many graduates are being rejected by algorithms. Some are feeling demoralized and are not sure what to do next. But there is some hope. Some graduates are finding new paths. Mishra, for example, found a job in tech sales. She realized she was more interested in this than in software engineering. This shows that there are other opportunities out there.