I am a college student majoring in engineering who is about to graduate in May.  I have been feeling very suicidal recently because I just got rejected from two different jobs on the same day.  I have been applying to jobs since August and have been a few interviews, but then have been rejected.  I felt that these past two jobs that I interviewed for were kinda the last “straw” in terms of getting a job before graduation. I feel like a failure and I am not sure where to go from here.  I feel pressure from everyone who expects me to get a job before graduation.  I feel embarrassed that I can’t get a job in my field.  I am second guessing myself that I maybe I should have picked a different major, but I do truly love the field. I have felt suicidal before, since high school from what I can remember. I have always felt unhappy and very anxious all the time.  I have been considering taking some personal time after graduation to figure things out and getting help with my feelings. I do have the option to go to grad school, possibly, after I graduate, but I feel like I would be in the same situation two years from now. I just feel lost and very sad. I just can’t get myself to do anything, but sit on the couch and watch tv and I have things I should do that are more important.  Where do I go from here?
3 comments
If you love the field you are majoring in you have done no mistake. There is, of course, no guarantee of a better employement in two years, but if you like the grad school do it. If you feel pressured, tell people around that you cannot fulfill their expectations. Don’t try to hide your limits, nor be ashamed of them. Give people a chance to understand and love you just like you really are. Maybe that the pressure you feel comes at least partially from yourself? That you are too much of a perfectionist? That YOU expect too much from you? Try to be gentle to yourself. It seems that your technical skills are very good, you are going to be a bright engineer and you were invited for some interviews. Your social skills are perhaps less good, and this is why the interviews were not successful. If that is the case, orientate yourself towards jobs which better suit your talents, i.g. developing engineering, not sales and management. I hope it helps, good luck!
Please take a moment to love yourself and give yourself a break. It’s a tough time in the world, but it will pass, and you can’t judge all time based on the challenges you face right now. Things go through cycles, in this happens to be a tough time for you, but it will get much better and you will be happy. Look back at the worst time in your life… does it seem so bad now? In my lifetime I’ve lost a multimillion dollar company, gone through bankruptcy and failed at numerous jobs, but it always got better. I don’t know how… but it did. You’ll find a job and you’ll be fine. Just love yourself. Please, just love yourself.
If this makes you feel better my best friend in the world has his PhD from Emory University in Biochem he worked for a year and a half doing bs sample running jobs before he found a job that was for his degree. The economy is down my friend and as a fellow engineer major I feel your pain keep applying and remember chin up and screw other people expectations of you man, you did it you got the degree you’re out there looking for a job if thats not good enough for them then they’re crazy I respect the hell out of you keep it up I know you’ll find a job doing what you want. Time, we have more of it than we think we do trust me