I was in a similar or worse state in 2017. I was on my OPT (International student). I was hugely successful in my job, then my company was taken private and I was laid off. Without job for a year and no visa either. Mounting debt too. Took a low level job that promised my h1b and slowly worked my was up through multiple legal (visa) issues, layoffs, abusive environments, and financial ruin. Now a senior director at a mid level company and going steady. Took me 6 years. Sometimes all you can do is just hold on to any strand of hay that you can get to stay afloat to survive, then you can crawl, sprint and thrive. At this time you only need one -'Yes'. It could be your next attempt or your 100th. Just keep going and you will be alright. I know it. What you feel is normal, I used to feel like that. Sometimes I wake up in the feeling that way, even if there are no threats. It happens.But you will be alright - just keep trying, and keep moving

I entered the workforce in 08/09. At that time things seemed really dire. It felt to me like the whole house of cards was coming down, and I told myself that I would take any job that I could get.

I ultimately landed a job with an odd startup, eccentric founders, working out of an attic. In hindsight I couldn't have asked for a better start to my career. But, my expectations were rock bottom at the time.

Anyway, keep your mind open to all possibilities. You never know where an unlikely choice may take you. And, good luck!

To me, it sounds like you need professional experience on your resume so that should be your goal. However, professional experience != a full time software engineer role. Can you find something really small that pays from a freelance site? Maybe it's just a python script that takes 4 hours and pays $10 - but with that you are a professional software engineer. Do you anyone who owns a website for a business? Ask them if you can do some really basic work for $1 - because if you do that, you're a professional software engineer.

Once you have some professional experience on your resume, it should get a little easier - it's still going to take some time and grit, but it should work out.

Yeah, the world is a illusion, it tells you "study here or there and you'll have an amazing job and will win a lot of money!" but a lot of times, that never happen. You ended up felting like "was all for nothing?". I see my dad now working with his 60+ years old and I can't say to him "You can rest now, I'll pay your bills", at least was something that I was dreaming for a long time and now I know that will never be possible. I can't give you advice since you and I are on the same boat (I'm not an MIT senior but you get it, right?) but try not to lose hope and don't be harsh with yourself

> What helped you push through when it felt like the system failed you?

The feeling of inadequacy is an absolute self-esteem wrecker such that it distracts you from reality. You and your friends got into MIT, that's a big accomplishment. You're like a Tony Stark or whatever. Be proud of that attribute.

But I'll give you some reality: accept that you probably won't find a job in your field any time soon. It may take years. Once you accept that you don't have the cards, your mind starts thinking up more possibilities.

There is no shame in serving happy meals for awhile, but start aiming for a trade, perhaps some city/state work.

Many student loans can be put on basically indefinite hold via income based repayment (if you make little enough, your minimum payment is zero, but the interest keeps accruing). This gives you some flexibility to take any job you can find, even something that doesn't require a degree.

You might also look into trades, depending on your engineering specialty. A machinist with a MechEng degree from MIT or a millwright with something related to manufacturing will be extremely valuable, especially if you're willing to move where the work is.

There's some evidence that your career success depends heavily on the timing of your entry into the job market. That is, if you start working during an economic slump your career will suffer but if you wait and enter during a peak economic period you will always "ride the wave". I've seen this happen to individuals.

So I suggest that you stay in school, take a Masters degree and try to enter the market at a better time!

Don't go any further than a Master's. Here's why:

Philip Greenspun has provided the following graph at the URL titled "Career Guide for Engineers and Computer Scientists" at https://philip.greenspun.com/careers/

THIS IS YOUR EDUCATION, THIS IS YOUR SALARY

     !
 $50K!
     !                                          **
     !                                        **  *
 $40K!                                      **     *    Any Questions?
     !                                    **        *
     !                               *****           *
 $30K!                           ****                 *
     !                       ****                      *
     !                  *****                           *
 $20K!             *****                                 *
     !        *****                                       *
     !     ***                                             *
 $10K!  ***                                                 *
     !**                                                     *
     !                                                        *
   0
   +--------+----------+-----------+------------+---------+--*--------->

     no       high       some        Bachelor's   Master's  Doctor
     high     school     college     Degree       Degree    of
     school   diploma                                       Philosophy
     diploma

Is there no pipeline--or a job fair? A way to get a moment with prospective employers? It seems tragically stupid if MIT offers no such thing. Applying into the void seems like a fool's errand.

I graduated in 2009 in the middle of the Great Recession. I lived in a basement after graduation and did odd jobs for 9 months while learning how to build web apps. Then I took a job teaching English in South Korea.

After I got back from Korea 2 years later I faced a similar situation. Be flexible, take odd jobs, don't be afraid to work in the trades and use your free time to build durable economic skills for a job that you really want. Conditions will change (and they do so unevenly throughout the economy).

Get by and get ready. They can't repossess your brain. If you're from a financially unstable background - live cheap and be creative until you've built the stability you want.

For other students reading this, here is how you can work as a software developer with no experience: start your own company (just make a website for it) and work as a freelancer on freelancer.com or fiverr.com. Take on clients but charge them lower rates so they will be patient with your mistakes.