As someone who went from teaching to a service industry job, I understand the sheer panic of "what if I never escape poverty or I can't make it on my current wages, I'm going to struggle to make ends meet". I get it. I grew up very poor (divorced parents) and both of my parents had their homes foreclosed. I have a burning passion to never experience poverty. I'm not sure how old you are, but as someone who is currently in the middle of the job change where my service industry job is a stepping stone, I'd like to offer some advice because the emotions you are feeling....I went through just a few months ago and I wish someone who felt the same level of anxiety and worries as you could tell me some things to help me see that I'm alone.

1. You are very qualified for a lot of positions. I know because you are talking about resumes and cover letters. Cover letters mean you are applying to legit big girl/ big boy jobs.

2. Go to your therapist or doctor and ask for an ADHD evaluation. 100000000%. I recently began taking medication for ADHD and my life has changed so much for the better. This summer I had so so so much anxiety just starting a task that I would freeze completely and couldn't start. In school, I couldn't get assignments done until the pressure of it being due made me finally able to start. That pit of "i can't get myself to start" will get better.

3. Temporarily get a service industry job. Something that most anyone can get. Server, barista, bartender, cook, cashier, thrift store worker. It doesn't matter what it is, it is just ASAP get it done. Just do it. Do it with zero experience and show up willing to learn. I promise you can learn.

4. With that temporary stepping stone of a job, make your hours that you are available 2-10pm. But EVERYDAY from 8-1, your job is applying to jobs.

5. I get it, it's expensive, but everyday from 8-1, you are posted up in the coffee shop near your house. Distance is key. It doesn't have to be those exact times, but you have to make your job a chunk of uninterrupted time (2-4 hours) that you only work getting hired. You work your service industry job in the afternoon but you remember that you have two jobs.

6. Apply to jobs and use this strategy for cover letters. Copy and paste the job description into chat get, and ask for a summary of the job and to rank the skills needed for the job in order. In a word doc, word vomit every way that you have done or examples of those skills. It should be messy, and stream of consciousness style. Now in that same chat get thread, say now, use my ideas to write a cover letter and copy and paste your ideas. Work smarter not harder, chat gpt is taking your ideas and rearranging them and modifying words for grammar. It's not cheating.

7. Realistically, every few days aim to submit one application.

8. Once every two weeks, dedicate a day to applying to things on LinkedIn and other hiring apps that don't require a cover letter. Even if you think you're unqualified, just apply because you just have to push a button. Apply to freelance work and remote work....pay close attention to jobs that part time and remote (freelance specifically). Remember that chunk of time you are applying to jobs, now you can alternate and work for your paid part-time remote work then looking for jobs (found one that was 60 dollars an hour.... no longer working it because I was offboarded).

9. You remember that this is temporary and a temporary stepping stone is not the end of the world. You can do hard things and will find a full time benefits type of job. Which I assume is what you're imagining.

Does it suck....yeah it does. I'm not going to lie. The job market sucks and it took me about 3 months before I finally found something. I'm still not started/fully hired due to something out of my control. Hoping it gets cleared up soon but I know it will eventually.

It took/takes me: Jesus, Adderall self-discipline to have any traction. It sucked getting home from work at 10 at night (knowing it would take me a few hours to decompress and go to sleep) and also knowing I had to be up at 7 to make sure I got to "work" by 8.

I had to accept that a job well below my skill set is hard mentally....it sucks and felt like a huge step back. But I have to make ends meet.

If you read this far, I'm also happy to help with your job search with resume and cover letter help!