[OkayPhysicist]

Having your friends refuse to refer you and a professor out-right reject a request for letter of rec reeks of there being more to the story.

(More helpfully: when applying for job's you'd be called over-qualified for, just lie. Especially jobs that don't require a degree anyway, just leave it off the resume. Had to do that for a bit during the pandemic slump).

[lordsauce]

This is the type of response I expect, since it’s the natural conclusion to jump to, but it’s also a reason why I keep my story to myself.

This same professor willingly approached my parents and me, wishing us well when I graduated, with no mention of the letter. The same friends called me sobbing, that they “forgot” to refer me to their managers, despite receiving daily reminders from me. They even tried to offer me money to remain friends. I don’t know what to make of that, either. Other friends have simply said they don’t know my quality of work, despite having me help them with assignments in college and beyond.

I appreciate the advice, however. Oddly enough, I’ve been rejected by companies due to my interviewers’ disbelief that I had actually accomplished what was on my resume. Maybe lying will convince them lol