An MIT computer science graduate's viral Hacker News post reveals a brutal job market reality. Nearly a year after graduation, despite hundreds of applications and strong interview performance, they remain unemployed. Employers consistently cite a preference for candidates with pre-existing experience, leaving new graduates in a catch-22 situation where they can't get hired without experience they can't obtain.

This personal account exposes the widening gap between elite education and career outcomes. The graduate feels the MIT name promised doors that remain closed, fueling depression and self-doubt. They're considering abandoning the software engineer path entirely, a sentiment echoing across a tech sector defined by recent layoffs and hiring freezes that have flooded the market with experienced talent.

Veterans of previous downturns, like the 2008 crisis, offered pragmatic advice: abandon doomscrolling, create a portfolio through freelance work, and consider tech-adjacent roles at smaller companies. The consensus suggests the market will eventually recover, but survival depends on maintaining mental health and building skills outside traditional applications. The key is reframing success beyond a single career track.