In May, Andrew Chen couldn’t stop thinking about the ticking clock. He was just weeks away from earning his computer science degree from the University of California San Diego — and still didn’t have a job lined up.
Then a glimmer of hope landed in his inbox: an email from Amazon inviting him to interview for a software engineering role in 10 days. He knew he couldn’t waste the opportunity, so he made a plan: hole up in his room to study — and document his preparation for the big day on TikTok to hold himself accountable.
“I canceled all my social obligations, locked myself in my room, and basically only left the house to have lunch,” said the 22-year-old. “I was thinking, if I don’t get this job, this is all for nothing.”
Chen is among the many recent college graduates who have struggled to find work. As of June, the most recent data available, 4.8% of Americans ages 22 to 27 with at least a bachelor’s degree were unemployed — higher than the 4.0% jobless rate among the broader working-age population, a reversal from the typical trend in recent decades.
These challenges reflect a broader hiring slowdown that’s hit entry-level job seekers especially hard. Amid tariff uncertainty and the early effects of AI adoption, US companies are hiring at one of the slowest paces since 2014. Tech professionals, including computer science graduates like Chen, have been particularly affected, with layoffs at firms including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. On Indeed, US software development job postings have declined by over 70% from their peak in 2022.
While some new graduates are still searching, others, like Chen, have used creative job-search and interview preparation strategies to secure offers.
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Almost giving up on software engineering
Chen began looking for a full-time job in the summer of 2024. As a computer science major, he’d always envisioned starting his career in software engineering. But after applying to more than 400 jobs and struggling to gain traction, he expanded his search to include product management and design roles.
But he didn’t give up on software engineering. Between September 2024 and early February 2025, Chen applied to several software engineering roles at Amazon.
In mid-February, he was asked to complete an online assessment for one of the roles he had applied to — he’s still unsure exactly which one — that included a coding test and behavioral questions. He thought he had done well — news he excitedly shared with his parents — but as the months passed, he never received an update about his application status.
“My parents would keep asking for updates on Amazon because it’s a name brand,” he said. “And I eventually told them I got rejected — I thought if I hadn’t heard from them after months, it’s probably not going to happen.”
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By the time Amazon reached out in May, Chen said he was deep in interviews for product management and design roles — and had nearly given up on software engineering entirely.
The unexpected opportunity to return to his preferred field was welcome, but its timing posed a challenge. After focusing on other types of roles, he’d largely stopped practicing his coding skills and would need to quickly brush up before the interview.
Posting on TikTok to hold himself accountable
Chen had just 10 days to prepare — and still had to carve out time for interviews with other companies, in addition to school exams and final projects. So he developed a plan of attack, dividing his days into blocks for coding practice on LeetCode, behavioral prep, and studying for other interviews.
He set out to read everything he could on platforms like Reddit and Blind about Amazon’s interview process and past candidates’ experiences, practice common technical questions, study the company’s leadership principles, and memorize STAR-format personal stories that illustrated how he embodied those values.
“This was the first big company that had given me a chance in a while,” he said, “so I really wanted to get this one.”
But pulling this all off seemed daunting, and Chen felt he needed something to help him stay motivated. Then he had an idea. He’d been interested in creating social media content for a while but had only posted a handful of TikToks. What if he started documenting his preparation for the Amazon interview? Sharing updates publicly on TikTok, he figured, would add the kind of pressure he needed to stay locked in — and maybe even attract advice from others who’d been through the process.
On May 19, Chen posted a TikTok with the caption “10 days until FAANG final interview,” sharing how much prep he’d done, how many classes he’d skipped, how much caffeine he’d consumed, and how many showers he’d taken. He followed it with similar updates in the days that followed.
Chen said his videos — which received as many as 2.6 million views — drew a wide range of reactions, including skepticism that he could land the role given his limited preparation time.
“The videos brought a lot of doubt from viewers, but thankfully also a lot of advice and encouragement,” he said.
Preparing for behavioral questions proved to be essential
When interview day arrived in late May, Chen was anxious and sleep-deprived. He said his Amazon “loop” interview process consisted of three back-to-back virtual interviews with short breaks in between. The first round focused on technical questions, the second on behavioral scenarios tied to Amazon’s leadership principles, and the third included a mix of both.
“I was thinking that these few hours will determine if I am employed,” he said.
Chen gradually settled in as the day went on and left the interviews feeling like he’d done his best. On June 3, shortly after finishing his third interview of the day for non-Amazon roles, he saw an email notification on his phone. He’d received an offer from Amazon with a six-figure salary.
On June 5, Chen posted a TikTok with the news that received over 941,000 views. He graduated in mid-June and, after moving to New York City, started working full-time in July.
Chen said his biggest takeaway from the Amazon interviews was the company’s emphasis on behavioral questions tied to its leadership principles — something he felt played to his strengths.
“They care a lot about your success stories outside your technical expertise,” he said. “I think I’m a better talker than a coder, so I was very excited for that.”
One of his top pieces of advice for job seekers: while application quality matters, volume is essential in a tough market.
“Many times I did feel hopeless, but I think it truly is a numbers game,” he said. “You just need to apply to everything you’re qualified for.”
