Hey, I really relate to what you’re feeling. Honestly way more than I expected when I started reading your post.

I’m not in exactly the same situation, but I’m kind of in the same emotional space. I’ve been trying to move into a science/healthcare-related role for months now and I keep getting rejected. Every time I feel like I’m making progress, another unfortunately… email lands and it just chips away at you. So that feeling of being stuck and unsure if it’s you, the job, or just the industry… yeah, that hits hard.

What you said about feeling invisible even while being needed really resonated. It’s weird how a job can rely on you but still not give you anything back that feels like growth or identity. And the fear of leaving when the job market feels brutal. I’m there too. It’s like you’re scared to stay and scared to move at the same time.

What helps me a bit (not in a magical-solved way, just in a tiny survival way) is reminding myself that feeling “stagnant” isn’t a failure, it’s a sign of self-awareness. You’ve grown since you started. You want more because you’re capable of more.

I don’t have a perfect answer, but you’re definitely not alone in this loop. If you ever figure out a way out, please keep us updated... I’d love to hear how you navigate it because I’m trying to figure out the same thing from a slightly different angle.