I Did Everything 'Right' in College and Couldn't Find a Job. Now, I'm Going Back to School.
When I was an undergraduate student, I did everything by the book to secure my future. Yet, after applying to over 100 entry-level roles, a full-time, salaried position remained out of reach. Now, I am making a definitive pivot—leaving my original field behind to pursue a master's degree abroad.
The Reality of the 'Perfect' Graduate
When I graduated with a journalism degree three years ago, I envisioned a steady career path. Instead, my twenties in New York City became an exhausting mosaic of part-time gigs and unpaid labour:
Morning: Sprinting to a retail shift.
Afternoon: Catching the train to work as a nanny.
Evening: Wrapping up the day with hours of remote, unpaid internship work.
It wasn't the life I had pictured, especially after pouring so much effort into my education in San Diego. I had closely followed the advice of professors and industry professionals. By all traditional metrics, I did everything "right":
Maintained a spot on the Dean’s List every semester.
Served on the executive board of a student organisation.
Balanced multiple part-time jobs.
Won an award for my senior thesis project.
Graduated summa cum laude.
I assumed these accolades would unlock full-time opportunities. Instead, the only offers that materialised were for unpaid internships.
"I felt like a failure. I had worked tirelessly, only to wind up scrambling to pay rent with minimum-wage jobs."
Watching peers land corporate roles or elite grad school acceptances on LinkedIn only amplified my isolation. Desperate for a change, I relocated to New York City to broaden my job hunt. The rejection followed me.
A Systemic Hurdle, Not a Personal Failure
The turning point came through networking. As I began sharing my story with other recent graduates, a comforting—yet sobering—reality emerged: I wasn't alone.
I hadn't failed; rather, I had graduated into a brutal economic landscape characterised by:
A severe contraction of traditional entry-level roles.
Widespread corporate hiring freezes.
Rapidly shifting industry dynamics driven by the rise of AI.
Realising the game was rigged eased the self-blame. I stopped letting my resume define my worth and began investing time into things that brought me genuine joy: pottery, yoga, and volunteering.
The Pivot: From Journalism to Public Policy
My time volunteering with local and national nonprofits unexpectedly sparked a new professional passion. I found myself deeply drawn to advocacy work, particularly surrounding women's health issues.
Recognising that a journalism background alone might not open doors in this highly specialised sector, I decided to pivot to public policy. To make myself a truly competitive candidate, I knew I needed to go back to school.
[Undergrad: Journalism] ➔ [The Gap: Retail/Nanny/Internships] ➔ [The Pivot: Public Policy Graduate Studies]
This fall, I am taking a leap of faith and moving abroad. I was accepted into a prestigious graduate program in France, complete with a scholarship that covers a significant portion of my tuition.
Returning to the classroom is intimidating, and I know a master’s degree offers no absolute guarantees in today's economy. However, I am stepping into this next chapter clear-eyed, eager to learn, and ready to build a career I am genuinely excited about.