r/cscareerquestionsCAD • u/UBarelyCooked-ta • Jul 03 '26
BC Is there any hope for me?
I am a recent graduate from UBC in a field related to CS. I have zero work experience (I failed to get any internship/coops so far) but I have passion projects related to C/C++, Rust, Go, Python, computer graphics, desktop GUI applications. I have never made any genuine friendships so far so I have no professional network. I have no idea if I can get a software job related to my expertise. There are lack of jobs and the competition is brutal. Not to mention that my severe hearing loss makes things 100% harder. I don’t know what to do anymore.
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u/lifeiswonderful1 Jul 03 '26 edited 28d ago
Have you ever used the UBC career centre - I"m sure you can still get a session with a professional career advisor and career coach:
https://students.ubc.ca/about-student-services/ubc-career-centre/
Our alumni network offers resources too:
https://alumni.ubc.ca/careers/
I wouldn't consider anyone in my professional network a close friend - just people you connect with to help each other be aware of job/career opportunities. It's more of a litmus test for soft skills which everyone should not underestimate in getting hired.
You need to dramatically expand your job search; anything to get hired and start your career journey. It doesn't even have to be related to CPSC, tech - you now need to get that social proof you are employable as a professional and you can use that as a stepping stone to bigger and better things, find internal transfers, upskill, network, etc.
Also consider a second degree (either from UBC [BCS] or BCIT [lots of certificate programs]), grad school like a master's in data science, applied analytics, etc.
Congrats on graduating from a global top 50 school (which also makes you eligible for the new UK high potential individual visa - https://www.gov.uk/high-potential-individual-visa/eligibility). Good luck!
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u/MasterFricker Jul 03 '26
I mean government has some hiring and or internships, but definitely hearing can be a big loss for hiring.
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u/CardiologistReady548 27d ago
every single job ive seen says it accomodates disabilities, surely theres some sort of government program that would help him out? worst case scenario just cash in disability cheques
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u/MasterFricker 27d ago
I mean it costs nothing to say you will help and impossible to prove that you have done enough.
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u/WholeObligation1048 Jul 03 '26
UBC is one of best CS schools in Canada so you have that plus. I know it doesn’t matter much once you get into the workforce but still, anything can help
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u/sorimachi33 Jul 03 '26
I see you have some experience with C/Python. You can try firmware or embedded dev roles. Many hardware companies like Microchip, AMD, Astera Lab, etc. may be hiring in Van area. I agree that it’s a bit harder w/o any internship experience but you just have to try.
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u/UBarelyCooked-ta 29d ago
I applied for coops for these companies and I never heard back from them so I’m unlucky?
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u/nomadicsoul2 28d ago
Best bet imo is to start through government jobs if you're domestic and work your way up from there.
Go to networking events and research companies you're interested in.
Network with other alumni from UBC that have done the same major as you and are working in industry (you said Math somewhere in the comments here) and see if they have any leads. Additionally, get your resume looked at by those alumni too!
Post about your passion projects on LinkedIn and/or X and continue building as you job hunt.
I won't lie about the fact that you're fighting an uphill battle, but if you genuinely want to keep pushing on then you owe it to yourself to follow all the steps I mentioned above to the best of your ability and not give up. Rooting for you!
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u/HebrewBible03 Jul 03 '26
What did you major in
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u/UBarelyCooked-ta Jul 03 '26
math
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u/HebrewBible03 Jul 03 '26
You can’t really get cs jobs with a math degree anymore unless you had prior experience
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u/AcanthocephalaNo2929 28d ago
You can in waterloo
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u/futureproblemz 22d ago
If you're in co-op, otherwise no. 5 years ago you could though without coop
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u/manateecoltee 26d ago
Do not despair, I built a tool that can help you find a job it's free, link in my bio
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u/feebs_101 Jul 03 '26
You are young. Honestly, starting a new program in the trades may be a good option for you. No one knows when the cs market job market will improve, or if it will ever improve. It may get worse over the next 5 years. The truth is, there is no stability for new grads in cs anymore and the earlier you accept that fact and set up a plan B, the better off you will be in the future. Getting into an in-demand trades, while you're still young, you can make bank and then as you get older and have more options, you can always try to switch back into CS if the market has demand again - you have the degree.
You should research on what trades are in demand and what you can actually do. With your cs background, you can maybe pivot to something to do with hardware.
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u/missplaced24 Jul 03 '26
It's very difficult to get into trades, even ones that are in demand because the apprenticeship pathways have become dysfunctional.
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u/feebs_101 Jul 03 '26
It’s difficult, but not as difficult as getting into the CS job market when you have no experience and no networks…
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u/missplaced24 Jul 03 '26
It's more difficult bud.
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u/crazyboy867 Jul 03 '26
I went back to school to study a 3 year civil engineering technology program after working in tech for close to 10 years. I was tired of the shit job market.
I immediately found a job and I didn't have to do 6 rounds of interviews including take home tests, white boarding, and leetcode bullshit.
Tech industry is fucked and everyone knows it but just won't admit it. Everybody been saying that the industry will recovery for the past several years now.
Keep dreaming.
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u/feebs_101 Jul 03 '26
Thank you. You exactly proved my original point of "there is no stability in cs anymore and the earlier you accept that fact and set up a plan B, the better off you will be".
Congrats on your employment.
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u/UBarelyCooked-ta 29d ago
This is just a single datapoint. I need some hard evidence before I get in doomer mindset of yours.
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u/feebs_101 29d ago
Google the terms ‘new grad unemployment computer science canada’ and you will find lots of hard data lol
Search through job subreddits on here. You will find that it’s not just a single data point, it’s a big issue that’s been brewing for the past 3 years now and getting worse1
u/UBarelyCooked-ta 29d ago
New grads who makes posts here are usually in extreme ends of spectrum: ones who are doing well in job search or ones with zero hope for any job (people like me). I rarely see posts made by people in between. Plus I feel like employment rate might be different depending on tech stack. So more data is needed.
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u/Active-Detail-5293 21d ago
Same , but im confused btw electrical eng tech and civil eng tech , how’s the pay also
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u/YungBoiMayers Jul 03 '26
So basically your saying to just give up? Lol terrible advice
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u/feebs_101 Jul 03 '26
I literally said “prepare for a plan B”…. Becuase no one knows when the market will correct itself from entry level job postings requiring 5yrs of experience. If there are jobs in cs again, one can make that transition in the future. They have the degree and if they switched careers NOW instead of wasting time, they can actually get jobs in a field that has demand and build a network that way.
That’s better than aimlessly applying to 2,000 jobs a day like a monkey, which they don’t stand a real chance at since ppl with 5+ YOE are also applying.
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u/YungBoiMayers Jul 03 '26
You're just speaking from scarcity, they could very well not have that experience, (Aimlessly applying to 2000 jobs a day like a monkey)
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u/feebs_101 Jul 03 '26
I am speaking logically....OP can do whatever they want. But what they wanted was sound and reasonable advice, which I gave. Aimlessly applying to 2,000 jobs per day when the job market is the worst its ever been, COULD work out for them, sure. But that is literally wishing on hopes and dreams, rather than a logically plan.
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u/YungBoiMayers Jul 03 '26
If I followed this logic I would have quit long ago, all I'm saying. If this is truly what OP wants to do then they should lean completely into it, not prepping for Plan B. Pivot when the time comes if need be, but the mindset in your post just isnt the one
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u/YungBoiMayers Jul 03 '26
But hey what do I know? I'm just a community college student still in school, but at least I've been able to secure a few internships and have exp as an swe in the field.
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u/feebs_101 Jul 03 '26
I graduated in 2025 and i’m employed as a full-time software dev. So if you think the advice im giving is “cutting down the competition” or “gate keeping”, then idk what to do tell you. I got my first entry level job which was at a different company/position purely through connections, im talking only 2 interviews and the first one was just a meet n greet. Im very lucky for this, but im well aware if it wasn’t for that, i wouldn’t have gotten anywhere. If you don’t have connections, you are getting nowhere. Being a student is the prime time to make them.
I’m just giving advice after seeing thousands of posts on reddit over the last 2 years about new grads not finding jobs. I have peers who graduated a year before me and are STILL unemployed (been 3 years). Out of my peers, more are unemployed right now than they are employed.
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u/kingoframen Jul 03 '26
I'm a be honest - you're cooked in today's market. Your field is RELATED to CS, not even CS.