I recently graduated with honors from the University of Washington, where I earned a BA in Social Work and Criminal Justice, along with minors in Sociology. I’m fluent in French, German, and English, and I have over 200 hours of volunteering experience with various human rights and advocacy organizations. I thought my qualifications would make it easier to find a job, but I’ve been facing a real struggle in the current job market. It seems like everywhere I look, employers are either not hiring or they want candidates with 4+ years of experience for positions that are advertised as entry-level. My boyfriend, who also graduated from UW with a degree in Business Accounting and Math, is having the same frustrating experience. We’ve even discussed the possibility of pursuing Master’s degrees just to improve our chances, but that feels overwhelming and confusing. We both believe our degrees have value, yet we feel lost in this job search. It’s disheartening to see so many qualified candidates like us struggling to find opportunities.