Today marks Day Zero of my journey into unemployment. After 1 year and 5 months of working a grueling overnight shift at $16 an hour in an expensive city, I finally decided to quit my job. I’ve been working from 11 PM to 7 AM, trying to stay afloat while dealing with the crushing weight of $50,000 in student loans. I thought having a job would make me a more attractive candidate for future roles, but it only led to physical and mental exhaustion. The late hours have left me with permanent back pain, brain fog, and aching feet from those concrete floors. I even developed an alcohol addiction just to cope. Despite my degree in computer science and various efforts to secure interviews, I received very few opportunities, and the ones I did have ended in rejection. I ghosted one interview that was related to my major, feeling overwhelmed and defeated. Now, I’m left questioning everything I sacrificed: my time, effort, and money spent on a bachelor's degree, internships, and certifications. I just wanted to afford basic necessities like rent and food, but it feels like the world is stacked against me. I’m struggling to see a way forward and wondering how much more I can sacrifice for a chance at entry-level employment. The future feels bleak, and I’m not sure what to do next.