After years of advanced study at some of America’s leading universities, Jack Weiss might have expected his doctorate to open doors in the job market. Instead, the 30-year-old chemical engineering graduate has spent much of the time since completing his PhD applying for jobs, often without receiving a response.Weiss graduated from Princeton University in 2024, and his research on ice formation was cited by the Nobel Committee that year as an example of machine learning being used in scientific research. Yet, according to The Wall Street Journal, he has applied for more than 2,300 jobs and is now living with his parents in his childhood home in Salt Lake City, Utah.His experience offers a striking look at the difficulties facing highly qualified graduates in a job market where even an impressive academic record may not be enough to secure employment.
From an outstanding academic record to repeated rejections
Weiss graduated summa cum laude from Rice University before joining Princeton’s PhD programme in 2018. His research focused on chemical principles and the interactions between molecules, including the process through which ice forms.After completing his doctorate, he initially looked for research positions at pharmaceutical companies and competitive fellowships at national laboratories. The response was disappointing. Many applications went unanswered, while others ended in rejection.As months passed, he widened his search to include jobs outside his area of expertise. According to The Wall Street Journal, he applied for software engineering roles and even a food preparation position at a company selling frozen crab cakes.He also contacted alumni from Princeton and Rice University, hoping their experience and professional networks might help. Those conversations offered little practical support, with some contacts advising him to keep checking company websites for vacancies.
Why a PhD has not translated into a job
Weiss’s experience raises an uncomfortable question for graduates who spend years developing specialised skills: what happens when the jobs they trained for are difficult to find?A doctorate can demonstrate deep subject knowledge and the ability to conduct independent research. But hiring also depends on the availability of suitable positions, employers’ immediate requirements and competition from other candidates.For someone with a highly specialised background, moving between industries may be especially difficult. Research expertise does not always translate directly into the skills employers seek for software development, business operations or other roles.Weiss’s case also highlights the uncertainty faced by job seekers when applications produce little feedback. Without interviews or clear explanations for rejection, it can be difficult to know whether the problem lies with a CV, a skills mismatch or a shortage of openings.
An AI job brings temporary relief
In January 2026, Weiss found part-time work with a startup that hired specialists to train artificial intelligence systems. The position paid $70 an hour and offered an opportunity to put his technical knowledge to use.However, the work was far from dependable. Some weeks brought around 20 hours of assignments, while others offered as few as four. Eventually, the tasks became increasingly scarce.In mid-March, he learned through a group chat that his contract had been terminated, The Wall Street Journal reported.The experience was another setback. Even an opportunity connected to the fast-growing AI industry had failed to provide the steady employment he needed.
Law school and an AI drone project offer new directions
With conventional job applications yielding little progress, Weiss is considering a different career path. He plans to take the law school admissions test in November and is also exploring an entrepreneurial idea.His project involves developing an AI-powered drone designed to remove invasive weeds. The idea would allow him to draw on his scientific background while exploring a practical application of emerging technology.His parents, both doctors, have found his situation difficult to understand. His mother, Holly Carvers, reviewed his job applications to see whether anything might be putting employers off, but she found no obvious problems.His father, John Weiss, also expressed surprise at the difficulties his son had encountered. For a family that expected his academic achievements to lead to a promising career, the prolonged search has been hard to explain.
A difficult job market for qualified applicants
Journalist Lindsey Ellis, who reported on Weiss for The Wall Street Journal, encountered his story while interviewing job seekers across all 50 US states. His experience stood out against a wider backdrop of slowing recruitment.The US labour market has increasingly been described as one where hiring and firing are both subdued. Employers are holding on to existing staff but are also recruiting fewer new workers. For job seekers, that means fewer opportunities to get a foot in the door.Long-term unemployment has added to the concern. According to the report, the share of Americans who had been unemployed for at least 27 weeks reached its highest level in about a decade during the summer, excluding the COVID-19 pandemic and its immediate aftermath.Weiss’s experience does not mean that advanced degrees or research achievements have lost their value. It does, however, show how difficult the transition from education to employment can become when opportunities are limited.For now, he is weighing alternatives while continuing to look for a way forward. After years spent building a specialised academic career, his next step may take him somewhere he had never originally planned to go.