New York —

Abraham Rubio has wanted to be a software engineer since childhood.

On the gaming platform Minecraft, he loved tinkering with “mods,” or alterations to video games created by fans that change elements like a character’s appearance. Eventually, he wasn’t content with just discovering new mods — he wanted to build his own.

That early passion led him to study coding at Bloomfield College of Montclair State University in New Jersey, graduating with a degree in computer science and game programming in May.

But finding a software development job has proven challenging. Rubio has applied for 20 roles since graduation. He’s yet to receive an offer.

“I go on LinkedIn almost every day, just scrolling, trying to see what opportunities are out there,” he said, adding that he hasn’t “

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