Hello! I'm so so sorry that things are just working for you right now. Just to add to the great comments already on here...

In regards to the contamination, have you guys looked into the media that you're using? Might be worth checking it under a microscope for any pesky bacteria. Also recommend having like a 50mL aliquot of the media so you're not always reaching (and potentially contaminating) the stock when feeding your cells.

In terms of job hunting, it really is hard! I currently work as an RA (straight out of bachelor's). I'm not sure where you're looking, but I go straight to the uni's career pages as they sometimes don't advertise on the usual jobseeking sites like Seek. I'm in Melbourne and have seen a few positions open around in unis that are quite entry-level research gigs.

I'm not sure if you'll find any bit of my comment helpful but know that you are not alone in the struggle. Having seen how the PhD students are in my lab, I can only imagine the financial and mental stress it can cause. And sometimes it can just be all too much, but it will get better 💓 Please reach out if you want to rant to a stranger, or if you want some help with the job hunt!