Assuming you mean Melissa?, she's currently looking for work in the Netherlands (where she now lives) - unfortunately they don't yet accept her Phd other there, as they require Phd's to have five pieces of published work. She currently has two, with at least three more to follow - but the time scale depends on the American company who funded her Phd, and could be a year or so before they allow publication. They do however consider her work to have merit, as they are applying for a patent based on it.
Basically she's looking for anything remotely connected to what she does, and her capabilities cover a wide range - one possibility is doing a Postdoc, but again the lack of published articles is a draw back. Although her professor said after the graduation (as we went to see him and look round her lab) that he had been contacted for a reference, for a post Melissa hasn't applied for and didn't know was available. We live in hope, this particular Postdoc would be VERY convenient, as it''s near where she lives, and at the same Uni her partner works at - and she's made herself known there, so perhaps that's why they asked for a reference?.
It's been a bit over 20 years since I got out of college the first time and I remember it well. So much hope and potential but unfortunately for people like me with technical and service backgrounds very little that was lucrative ever came around. I too came out of college with a surprising amount of high end recommendations from my professors and instructors being most everything I did I was at the top or near top of my classes.
Unfortunately I found out in a hurry the types of employers looking for people like me were one or a combination of these groups.
1. They wanted someone who could do everything that three or more people could do but for less than the average industry pay of any single one persson.
2. They wanted someone who could figure out anything so that my boss could steal credit and pay incentives for my work.
3. They were at the end of their rope and were desperate to find anyone who could fix their problems without actually changing or improving on what was being done wrong.
4. They had no clue what they were doing any more, extremely outdated, business function, attitude and processes al done by a largely grossly under qualified/incapable workforce, but it still managed to make someone at the top a lot of money so it didn't need to change.
I hit the workforce full run when I was 20 and likely made or saved my various employers over a million dollars by my late 20's. I however never made it over $13 an hour, most were $7.50 - $9.50 an hour, despite being billed out often at $85 - $120+ an hour in mid 1990's to early 2000's money. I got screwed over every time.
I did however, spend enough time working with various engineers in those years to get encouraged to go back to school again for a engineering degree being I was told, although I already had the natural knack and knowledge for such work, I was under qualified for such jobs because didn't have 'the piece of paper' that said I could do it.
After wasting 4 years of my life and small fortune I came out feeling screwed over by the educational system and a bit dumber for it as well plus above all then 'overqualified' to get any work in that area. Apparently engineering with actual hands on technical background work was seen as a threat to prospective employers (likely potential future managers who could not do their own work) somehow.
To be honest he best paying and most satisfying jobs I have had came only from dummying down on applications and resumes just to get in the door and playing dumb just to not draw attention myself once there, which rarely worked since i am not one to sit idly by as stupidity runs things into the ground for itso nw gains.
Since then everytime I hear of someone young joining the workforce I have to consider what I can do to help them not experienced the problems I had for the dumb reasons had them. Especially given the present statistics say more people will see my experiences before they see anything close to what they have been told is waiting form them while they were in school.