24M with CS Master’s, 900+ applications, shipped a game on Steam, still no dev job. Commuting 6h/day to McDonald’s just to survive. Looking for React/C#/Angular work in Austria.
Hi everyone,
I’m writing this with a mix of exhaustion and hope because I honestly don’t know what else to do.
I’m a 24-year-old who finished both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in Computer Science. About a year ago, I moved to Austria. I’ve sent over 900 applications since then. I work with React, C#, Angular, and a bit of Java – full-stack leaning frontend, but I’m open to anything.
In my own time, I’ve developed several websites, and I also developed and published a full game on Steam. Building and shipping things from start to finish is what I love – I don’t see it as “work”, I see it as creating something people can actually use and enjoy.
Because I only managed to get my German to A2 level, the only job I could secure to pay rent and buy groceries was at McDonald’s. Recently I had to move out cause a son of my landlord wanted to moved it, so I could quickly find a place in Linz and now my commute is 3 hours each way. That’s 6 hours of travel on top of every shift, where 2 hours is the walking way…I’m not complaining – I’m genuinely grateful to have any income. But day after day it gets harder physically and mentally, and it leaves almost no time left to code or apply properly.
I even applied to a McDonald’s in Linz just to cut the commute, and got rejected almost immediately. Maybe because they have some kind of agreements between different restaurants.
My strengths: extremely motivated, I take initiative, and once I start coding I lose track of time because I genuinely care about the result. My goal right now is simply to turn that passion into a professional opportunity – even an internship or a junior role but at least I could keep paying the rent and have something on my table.
If anyone knows a company looking for a developer with my stack, or can offer a referral, a trial task, anything – I would be incredibly grateful. I‘m ready to prove myself from day one. I just need a foot in the door.
Thank you for reading, I truthfully appreciate your spent time! 🙏
TL;DR: 24M with CS Master’s, shipped a game on Steam and multiple websites, 900+ applications, still no dev job. Working at McDonald’s with 6-hour daily commute, living in Linz. Looking for a software developer role (React, C#, Angular, Java). Any lead or referral could change everything.