u/bullet_ballet_

In 2023 June I came here to start my undergrad in CS. I started applying to jobs since 2024 during my studies but only managed to find something in January during my last semester that too an unpaid internship at a startup that allowed me to work remotely. I also said yes to them because its better than graduating with no US work experience on my resume and they told me even though they can't pay me they are willing to help with OPT when the time comes so that I can continue to look for jobs if I'm still unemployed by then.
Well, I just graduated last week and the time has come and I'm still unable to find any full time paid role related to my major. My start date is July 1st but I'm not worried about that because my unpaid internship people will take care of that.

My dilemma is, do I stay here and continue to waste time applying in this job market where no one is willing to hire international? Let's say even if I do find something by November...by that point I only have 7 months of OPT left and no company will hire me knowing that. STEM OPT approval and explaining that to a potential employer is another set of struggle.

I have the chance to go to Germany on a 12 month job search visa (will need to learn the language), do I give up on the US and take that instead? I know there's unemployment crisis everywhere in the world right now but the pro is that I can still work part time jobs in Germany on the job search visa while I try to find a job related to my field whereas here I can't even do that. Do I take the chance?

I am planning on applying for a Opportunity Card visa for Germany, currently being on a F1 student visa in the US (Texas). I have a valid Texas drivers license, if I go to Germany can I transfer my license without taking driving courses and driving test? I know I can use the license for up to 6 months without transferring but what about after that?

https://preview.redd.it/uvr0ecrhyzzg1.png?width=1002&format=png&auto=webp&s=0da382b249699e1c459660356de6705f5427eb4a

I had applied for OPT on Feb 24th 2026 and it got approved today May 8th 2026.

I'm graduating in a week (undergrad CS) and I am going back home. The reason is that I have been applying for over a year and haven't been able to land a job. I have tried everything I will not list down each and every thing that I did to try to get a job (I'm tired of justifying to people why I remain unemployed) because there is nothing anyone could advise me to do that I haven't already done. Its time to stop beating this dead horse and accept the fact that its not meant to be here for me. I did pay $470 for this OPT process and additional $100 to my university but its fine its life it happens. Nonetheless I am grateful for the opportunity to have had an education from the US, I had come here with a lot of dreams like everyone else and I think sometimes luck just runs out.

I don’t know where else to share this, but Im absolutely drained by the CS job market as an international student. Im graduating in two weeks and Im 1000+ applications in since applying for the past year and a half. At this point its not even my resume thats the problem. I’ve tried everything under the sun. Cold emailing, warm emailing, blizzard emailing, stalking recruiters on linkedin like a desperate ex, messaging them, applying on multiple job platforms, even took on 2 unpaid six month roles just for the sake of gaining experience and putting it on my resume, met with professors, gone to career services at my uni, participated in networking events on campus and off campus as well, asked peers for advice, tried following peers footsteps maybe Im doing something wrong, asking relatives in big tech companies for referrals that didn’t work at all but infact got me rejected even faster, Im giving up. Ive had enough. It shouldn’t be this hard to get an entry level job, it shouldn’t be this hard to ask someone for a chance. My self worth and confidence is in the gutter due to all this. Good luck to all who are in the same boat but Im out.

I(F in my 20s) am in a place in life right now where I might have to start from scratch. Long story short I came to the US a few years ago for undergrad and Im in my late 20s, you might wonder undergrad in late 20s…due to certain life events I was not able to have a typical timeline for studies because I couldn’t afford it and by the time I got a chance to do it I was already late 20s.
Anyway, I don’t have any family (other than some relatives) my father passed almost a decade ago and my mom few years after that. I had been living with toxic mentally abusive relatives for quite a time and in 2023 finally got a chance to escape and pursue an education abroad (very long story how that happened) and I took it.

After coming to the US I was able to take on expenses while also saving some money doing an on campus job. I got an internship my last semester but it is unpaid and I only took it for the sake of having at least some sort of experience before graduating (the job market in my field is extremely trash right now) and fast forward to now where I have been job hunting the past year and a half for a full time paid role with absolutely no luck at all Im 2000+ applications in and have nothing as of yet. I only get 60 days for staying in the country after I graduate in 2 weeks.

At this point I’ve given up hope and think I’ll have to go back to Pakistan. So is it possible for a single woman to live alone safely in Karachi? I have some money saved up roughly around 30-40 lac pkr. What should my next steps be in planning my return? I would appreciate any suggestions or advice.

Edit: My field is Computer Science