chapotraphouse

Have you looked into your state or city government? They have very long hiring processes and industry-bottom pay, but generally great benefits, pensions, and days off.

The positions in my state sound right up your alley given your background, including social services programs, communication roles, and if nothing else, you could start as an admin clerk/assistant and work your way up.

Private industry job availability is gonna be tough in your field, but you don’t need me to tell you that. To be constructive: try reaching out to faculty members you were close with at your university. They will have many industry connections and might refer you.

Also consider admin roles outside your field where you can use your soft skills - entry level customer/ops support in the supply chain field (warehousing, trucking, industrial factories, tradie fields, etc.).

Finally, take a deep breath and have a cup of tea or something. I’ve been there as well, laid off in a freezing cold job market. It’s not just you, every single position that opens up sees literally dozens of overqualified applicants to cherry pick from. The market is that bad right now. But the only way out is to keep looking and keep applying every day. There is a light at the end, even if it seems impossible now.