[tjradcliffe]

The mid-20's are an interesting time of life. We expect our life to be on some kind of track by then, and the reality is it often isn't. The difference between our expectations and our reality can hurt.

The biggest thing is to take some time. Time heals, and sometimes just lying on the ground for a bit after you've been knocked down is all it takes.

There are literally thousands of companies in the world doing interesting stuff that are not Google or Amazon. Many of them are starved for talent. This doesn't mean you're settling for places with lower standards, but rather the standards at Google and Amazon are so high that--as others have pointed out here--past a certain level it is random chance if you get in or not. Hiring is a very random process.

So don't restrict yourself to big-name companies. There are a lot of interesting and rewarding places to work that pay well. Keep going.