Princeton PhD With Nobel-Cited Research Applies For 2,300 Jobs, Still Struggles To Find Work
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A 30-year-old chemical engineering PhD graduate from Princeton University has applied for more than 2,300 jobs since completing his doctorate in 2024 but has yet to secure stable employment. Despite his academic achievements and research cited by the Nobel Committee, Jack Weiss has struggled to find a suitable job in an increasingly competitive employment market in the United States.
According to media reports, Weiss is from Salt Lake City, Utah, and is currently living with his parents at his childhood home. His job search has extended beyond research positions to include software engineering roles and even a food preparation job at a company selling frozen crab cakes.
Weiss graduated summa cum laude from Rice University before joining Princeton’s PhD programme in 2018. The Latin phrase summa cum laude means graduating with the highest academic distinction.
His research focused on the chemical processes and interactions between molecules. His work on ice formation was cited by the Nobel Committee in 2024 as an example of how machine learning can be used in scientific research.
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Princeton PhD’s Research Recognised, But Job Search Remains Difficult
Despite his qualifications, Weiss initially struggled to find work in his area of expertise. He applied for research positions at pharmaceutical companies and competitive fellowships at national laboratories, but many applications received no response or ended in rejection.
He later expanded his search to include different industries and locations. However, even after applying for thousands of positions and contacting alumni from Princeton and Rice University, he found it difficult to secure interviews.
Some alumni advised him to continue checking company job websites for suitable openings, according to media reports.
His experience highlights the challenges faced by highly qualified candidates who are struggling to find employment despite having advanced degrees and specialised research experience.
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AI Training Job Ends After Irregular Working Hours
In January 2026, Weiss found part-time work with a startup that hired specialists to train artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The role paid $70 an hour, but the amount of work available varied from week to week.
At times, he worked around 20 hours a week, while in other weeks his workload dropped to just four hours. Eventually, assignments became increasingly rare, with some weeks passing without any work.
In mid-March, Weiss was informed through a group chat that his contract had been terminated, the report said.
The experience left him without a stable source of income and forced him to consider other career options.
Princeton Graduate Considers Law School And AI Startup
Weiss is now exploring different paths for his future. He is considering applying to law school and plans to take the admission test in November.
At the same time, he is working on an entrepreneurial idea involving an AI-powered drone designed to remove invasive weeds. Invasive weeds are plants that spread into areas where they do not naturally belong and can harm local plants, agriculture or ecosystems.
His plans reflect an effort to use his technical knowledge in new ways while continuing to look for career opportunities.
Parents Surprised By Job Search Struggles
Weiss’s parents, both doctors, have also been surprised by the difficulties he has faced in finding employment.
His mother, Holly Carvers, reviewed his job applications to check whether anything might be discouraging employers from considering him but found no obvious issues.
“It’s truly unexpected. I don’t know how to make sense of this situation,” she said.
His father, John Weiss, also expressed surprise at his son’s experience, saying, “I never in a million years thought this kid would struggle.”
US Job Market Faces Slow Hiring
According to media reports, Journalist Lindsey Ellis, who reported on Weiss, said his experience stood out while she interviewed job seekers across all 50 US states.
His case reflects broader concerns about a job market where employers are hiring fewer people, making it harder for job seekers to secure new positions.
The US employment market has been described as a low-hiring, low-firing environment. This means companies are recruiting fewer new employees, while workers are also less likely to leave their existing jobs. As a result, fewer vacancies become available to people looking for work.
The report also noted that the share of unemployed Americans who had been out of work 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 highlights how even advanced qualifications and recognised research achievements may not guarantee employment when hiring slows and competition for available jobs increases.
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