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I graduated in September with a bachelor degree in Computer Science. I didn't have a job lined up before graduating and am still looking for work related to the degree (though I have been working an unrelated job). Given some comments in Including current job if completely unrelated to position applying for it sounds like the norm is to have work lined up before graduating.

If it is expected to have a job lined up before graduating, what should I be doing at this point (aside from applying for jobs)? Even if it's not expected to have a job lined up for right after graduation, it's been 5 months since then. Things I have been doing is maintaining activity on my github account and keeping up to date with new technology (e.g. Angular 2). Is there anything else I can do? I had one potential company but they said they needed to fill the opening before I graduated. At what point does it look bad that a recent grad hasn't found work in his field?

EDIT: the school I went to does not provide any placement help for its graduates.

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    You could find a nonprofit and work for free. Looks good on your resume, keeps you busy, and uses the technologies you want to improve in(more than likely). If I were to hire someone, that would be a big plus. Shows commitment and willingness to not do nothing :)
    – cbll
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 7:49
  • Where are you looking for jobs? If you're concentrating on just websites, you're missing pretty much every decent opportunity out there. Get some business cards made, go out and start talking to people. The best jobs aren't advertised.
    – PeteCon
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 16:39
  • @cbll I'm working (as close to) full time as I can right now in an unrelated field as I need the money. I don't think I have time for a job that I don't get paid to do. Did you have any specific suggestions in mind?
    – user63507
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 21:03

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Instead of worrying about looking stale, worry about your resume and interviewing skills. What you need to do is actually get a job. If you have a Github account and are up to speed on Angular 2 you are already doing more to keep yourself from getting stale than most.

Especially if this is your first job out of college, check to see if your school provides any placement help. Alternatively, talk to a recruiter from a tech staffing company. Either one will be of great assistance in helping you figure out if there is some issue with your resume, interviewing skills, or your approach to finding a job.

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I'm unaware of any norms surrounding the industry in regards to employment immediately after graduation; some people manage to find work immediately after, and others manage to find it a bit later. There's no tacit difference or rule to which is normal, since it largely depends on one's personal financial situation.

From your perspective, you may be getting a bit antsy about not having found any work, and that's fine. However, just brushing up on your skills isn't the only thing you need to be doing. Getting your resume out on technical sites and engaging with other developers/recruiters at local meetups should also be on your to-do list.

Hiring managers rarely come to a developer because they have an impressive GitHub portfolio. You'll need to really get your name out there, which would incorporate your GitHub profile.

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