It has been a couple of months since I graduated from QUT. Although I have encountered some frustrations—mostly related to job seeking—the process hasn’t gone as I expected. I was quite satisfied with my progress previously: I passed the PTE exam in my final semester and graduated with a relatively ideal GPA. However, I lack one crucial thing—the most important one—internship or local work experience.

After receiving my 485 visa, I could clearly hear the ticking of the clock: two years to stay, unless I receive sponsorship from an employer. I started to feel nervous and anxious, even with my knowledge of stoicism. Perhaps I set unrealistic expectations based on my two years of work experience, which blinded me to reality. For example, how would Australian employers view my work experience in China, especially from a company without even a LinkedIn homepage? They can’t verify its authenticity. The gap in the recruitment process, the job market, technical preferences, and more—the lack of this necessary information, combined with irrational optimism, delayed my actions.

I began my job applications in March this year. It wasn’t too late, but unfortunately, I haven’t received any interview invitations yet. I sought help from multiple sources, and without a doubt, there must be issues with my resume—or perhaps my experience is not attractive enough to recruiters. After several rounds of optimization, following advice from senior engineers, HRs from big tech companies, and even ATS systems, I had a change of perspective.

In general, the resume might be well-written, but not targeted enough. Customizing the resume for each job application is essential now. Authenticity is key. How can I prove the outcomes listed on my resume? How can I demonstrate that I’ve already mastered the required skills? Right now, I have no influence at all. I remember an unemployed software engineer who once promoted himself on the streets of Sydney, gaining a lot of attention from both the public and HRs. Eventually, this brought him opportunities.

Here are some thoughts:

Admit the truth and reset my mindset as a beginner. This helps me set reasonable goals.

Be patient. Everyone suffers during unemployment, and I am not alone.

Do something to make people trust me. Developing real programs that solve real problems using popular local technologies is a perfect way. Once these programs are accessible (perhaps deployed on AWS or Azure), my code can speak for itself.

Cherish the present. What a precious time for self-development and personal growth! I am a human, not a robot, so my growth should be multi-dimensional. How about improving my English or starting a new reading plan? Sounds good!

I love software development—the feeling of giving instructions to a computer and seeing it complete a complex task; the excitement when I get “AC” on Leetcode; the joy of learning a new technique that solves the same problem more elegantly. So why should I tie such a joyful passion to something as uncontrollable, unpredictable, and unreliable as the job market or contracts? If you love it, just do it. Everything you build with passion will influence others, and eventually, your hobby can become part of your work and your life. That’s wonderful, isn’t it?

Yes, life is wild, not a trail.