u/AvocadoAggressive341

Hello Everyone , I have a lot going on in my life right now, and I really don’t want another math or coding-heavy class 😢 i only have DVA, Practicum, and one A elective left. already taken Optimization, HDDA, Bayesian, and DMSL and got A’s in all of them. At first , I was thinking about TSA, Regression, or Prob Models, but they seem pretty intense, and I don’t want to grind for hours just to get through a class right now. I am also wondering if switching to the B track makes sense, although I think I’d have to take two extra courses. Are there any lighter courses with a manageable workload that I haven’t taken yet?
Thank you 🙏

For context, I graduated last year with a degree in Civil Engineering and immediately started an MS in Data Science program. My goal has always been to work in the transportation field, where I can combine my civil engineering background with the analytical and data skills I’ve developed. applied to nearly 300 roles ranging from transportation and traffic engineering to construction project roles.
The frustrating part is getting rejections even for positions that mention only a high school diploma requirement and 0 years of experience.

I’m also preparing for the exam through the Texas Board next month, but at this point, I’m starting to question whether it will make a difference or help me move forward in my career path 😔😢

I’m lost here , for example ; there is literally like 30-35 applications I sent to WPS for Entry level role , all got rejected even for those that clearly says entry level 0 YOE …
I tailored my resume to match the job role, highlighted the relevant keywords, and added some civil engineering-related projects I’ve worked on, but still nothing happened.

I don’t need sponsorship ( USC) !

Any advice from people in civil engineering, transportation, or analytics would be greatly appreciated.

Edit 1: out of 300 I applied , Only had a screening call from KH and they went silent for weeks and a month…..

As the title says, I have been applying to jobs for the last 2 months and the job market is so brutal right now due to AI and layoffs. I’m tired of getting nowhere. At this point, I think my best bet is to look for federal jobs, since I’m a US citizen and that could work in my favor.
I am currently in an MS Data Science program and have an undergrad in BS Civil Engineering .
What are my options? I’m open to any federal role, but ideally something in data/IT/analytics that’s closer to my degree.
Please, any advice is appreciated ❤️

I know many of you are saying “You are not competent” — hey listen, I went to top elite schools for both undergrad and grad, finished with a 4.0 GPA, and worked as TA/RA the whole time. Yet so many qualified US citizens are struggling while the system feels stacked.
I’m tired of the sugarcoating. The market is brutal, especially for American workers. AI, offshoring, and cutthroat competition have made it insanely difficult to even land interviews. People are doing whatever it takes fake experience, fake consultants, resume padding just to get past the first screen.
Jobs should literally go to US citizens first no matter what. There is no lack of talent in America like there was in the early 2000s. This is corporate greed and a broken visa game system are always there. In most EU and Asian countries, locals get priority unless they literally can’t fill the role. Here, it sometimes feels like the opposite. Visa abuse is out of control, and too many act entitled to American jobs while citizens are getting laid off left and right.
This isn’t about hate or anything please , it’s about fairness. We need real policy changes to protect domestic talent in our own country.
Thanks for reading this

I know I just posted and thank you for your Upvotes , but I needed to say more. Regardless of your political opinion, please support our American workers and tech workers. 🙏
I can guarantee that except for some very niche fields, there is no real lack of talent anymore. We don’t need H1B, CPT, OPT, etc. at this scale. If someone is truly exceptional, there are already special visas like EB-1 or EB-2 . This isn’t like the early 2000s when tech was brand new and there was an actual shortage. If you don’t believe me, just Google pls “H1B Scam Reddit” —there are hundreds of stories.
You can’t compare the truly brilliant Immigrants(you know the ones) to most of what we’re seeing now. From my experience as a TA/RA at top undergrad and grad schools, a lot of these cases are honestly Avg/below average compared to American tech workers but of course there are some brilliants too ….
Look at other countries: In the EU or most Asian countries, you usually have to be a citizen or they only hire foreigners if they literally can’t find a local. Why is America the only one acting like this?
Lately I keep seeing these $100K+ fee stories and entitled complaints online. It really hurts.
I’m just frustrated, lost, and tired of dealing with this every single day. They might always have the option to go back home. Where are we supposed to go? My parents and grandparents fought for this country, paid taxes, and loved it no matter what.
Thank you for reading my post. Hoping for better days ahead. ❤️

I don’t get why companies keep bringing in H1B workers and offshoring to cheap labor in India and the Philippines while laying off American employees left and right.
I’m not complaining about my own situation — I’m just saying the system feels really broken and the most business are run by greedy tyrants.
I’ve talked to a few colleagues who needed sponsorship. They admitted they lied on their resumes about experience at “Company X” back home. One even said his offer almost got rejected after they caught the lie in screening.
People are doing whatever it takes - faking experience, paying consultancies for it, or getting second masters through Day 1 CPT schools.

I know this topic gets people defensive, but Americans should get priority in our own country. Companies need to be held accountable.
This whole situation just sucks. 😔
There are hundreds of these consultancies in Texas and New Jersey etc .. that charge people just to file H1Bs. Many don’t even have real offices — they just use someone’s home address as their business location. These scammers are straight-up taking jobs by faking degrees and even sending proxies to attend interviews for them. It’s insane.