I’m feeling incredibly unhireable and overwhelmed right now. I’m a 22-year-old woman who has been job searching since my last contract in journalism ended four months ago. I’ve been applying for jobs for eight months, and the constant rejections have left me feeling worthless and exhausted. I’m autistic and have a journalism degree, but after experiencing severe burnout from my previous role, I’ve realized I don’t want to work in that field anymore. I’m trying to pivot my career and leverage my transferable skills, but it’s been tough. I often find that I lack the necessary experience for positions I’m interested in, or I’m deemed overqualified for entry-level roles. I’ve even considered pursuing a master’s degree to help with this transition, but the thought of accumulating more debt is daunting, especially since I struggled so much during my undergraduate studies. I’ve been applying to jobs daily, but I often get ghosted or rejected without any feedback, which is disheartening. I feel stuck at home with my parents and unable to move forward in my life, especially since I was hoping to secure a job that would allow me to live with my long-distance partner. I recently went through an extensive interview process for a role that I thought would be a game-changer for me, but I was rejected without any communication from them until I followed up. It’s hard to watch my younger brother thrive with his job and entrepreneurial plans while I feel like I’m failing. My family, despite knowing how damaging my university experience was for me, still sends me journalism job postings, which feels like a reminder of my struggles. I’m just looking for something to give me hope, as my dreams of a future with my partner seem to be slipping away.