3 Years, 400 Applications, Zero Interviews: My Engineering Story

The campus placement lie

Remember those college brochures? "100% placement assistance." What they don't tell you is that assistance means they'll share WhatsApp forwards of job openings that require 3 years experience for entry-level positions.

Our placement cell had one strategy: pray that TCS, Wipro, or Infosys shows up. When they didn't in 2021, we were told "market is down, keep trying." Three years later, I'm still trying.

400 applications, the breakdown

• *150 applications on Naukri -- Result: Your profile doesn't match
• *100 on LinkedIn Easy Apply -- Result: Seen by 3 people, ignored
• *80 direct company websites -- Result: Application submitted (into a black hole)
• *50 referrals from LinkedIn connections -- Result: "Will forward to HR" (never did)
• *20 walk-in interviews -- Result: "We'll call you" (still waiting)

Not a single technical interview. Not even a phone screening. My resume might as well be invisible.

"You need to upskill"

Everyone's favorite advice. So I did. Java course from Udemy. React bootcamp. DSA from GeeksforGeeks. AWS certification.

My LinkedIn now says: Java, Python, React, Node.js, MongoDB, MySQL, AWS, Docker, Git. You know what changed? Nothing. Because without that first job, all these skills are just keywords on a PDF that nobody reads.

Swiggy delivery partner ID: 4821

That's my identity now. Not software engineer. Not developer. Delivery partner. 15-20 deliveries a day. Rs. 400-500 if it's a good day. My B.Tech degree is in my cupboard, collecting dust along with my dreams.

Parents don't say it, but I see the disappointment. Four years of engineering fees. Coaching classes. Laptop. All for their son to deliver biryani to people who probably never struggled for a job.

The worst part? I'm not alone. My WhatsApp group from college -- 60 students. Maybe 5 have real IT jobs. Rest are in BPOs, sales, teaching, or like me, gig economy survivors.

When hope becomes toxic

"Next month something will happen." I've been saying this for 36 months. Every job alert feels like hope. Every rejection feels like a personal failure. Every LinkedIn post about someone getting placed feels like a punch in the gut.

You start doubting everything. Maybe I'm not smart enough. Maybe I wasted my parents' money. Maybe I should have studied harder. Maybe I chose the wrong branch. Maybe... maybe... maybe...

It's not you, it's the system

India produces 15 lakh engineers every year. IT companies hire maybe 2-3 lakh freshers. Do the math. The system was designed to fail 80% of us.

Our colleges teach outdated syllabi. Companies want 3 years experience for entry-level roles. Government celebrates "Skill India" while skilled graduates drive Uber. The whole system is a scam, and we're the victims.

Breaking the cycle

I'm tired of motivational quotes. Tired of "keep trying." Tired of "your time will come." I need real change, not fake hope.

That's why I'm looking at programs that guarantee actual jobs, not placement assistance. Programs that teach what companies actually use, not what's in some 20-year-old syllabus.

If you're reading this with a similar story, know that you're not alone. We're an entire generation screwed by false promises. But we can't wait for the system to fix itself. We need to find our own way out.