Why this Stanford graduate can't get hired and is juggling three part-time jobs to survive
Emma Wang, a recent graduate of Stanford University, is working three part-time jobs after applying to over 100 full-time positions with no success. Despite holding both a bachelor's and master's degree in English, Wang has been unable to secure employment that would offer her financial stability and legal residency in the US.
In a first-person essay published by Business Insider, Wang detailed her experience navigating the competitive US job market after graduation. As an international student on Optional Practical Training (OPT), she must find a job within 60 days of the OPT start date or leave the country.
More than 100 applications and no full-time offer
Wang began applying for jobs three months before graduating. She targeted roles in project management, marketing, UX, and writing, including entry-level positions and jobs at Big Tech companies.
According to her Business Insider essay, she personalised nearly every résumé, wrote original cover letters, conducted company research, and spent hours preparing for interviews.
Despite her efforts, Wang received only a few interview invitations. None led to a full-time offer. In her essay, she wrote that she was "constantly doubting where I should go and what I should do."
Securing a temporary role at an AI startup
With the OPT 60-day unemployment limit approaching, Wang learned about an opening at an AI startup through a friend.
After reviewing the company's website, she reportedly told the friend, 'I could write copy better than this,' and used that comment as a pitch. A week and two interviews later, she was hired as a marketing intern.
Wang described the three-month internship as a fast-paced introduction to the world of B2B tech, AI, and marketing. However, despite verbal promises from her manager, she suspected the company would not be able to hire her full-time.
This was later confirmed.
Three part-time jobs and ongoing uncertainty
After the internship, Wang resumed her job search while taking on three part-time jobs to support herself and maintain her visa status. As stated in the Business Insider piece, she works as a freelance college admissions consultant, an essay editor for an EdTech company, and a copywriter for another AI startup.
Wang wrote that she experienced emotional highs and lows during her search.
'The hardest part of all this is telling my family,' she stated in Business Insider, referring to the shame and exhaustion she feels.
She has since begun documenting her experience on TikTok and LinkedIn, branding herself a 'non-techie in tech.' Despite temporary work, she continues to seek a full-time job with visa sponsorship before her OPT period expires.
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