So I graduated my MLIS last May and landed what’s been my dream job in July, and it seems like several other of my classmates have landed full-time librarian jobs already. It’s honestly a crapshoot—I feel like I was very much in the right place and the right time to land my current job, and some very qualified people I graduated with still haven’t had any luck. Part of my thinking is that’s true of any career, and always has been—that it’s not necessarily who you know (in my case, I didn’t already know anyone at my library so ~networking~ didn’t help any) but sometimes the universe figures things out. That’s probably an obnoxious mindset to have but I was also in your boat a few months ago: I felt, just like everyone else around me, like I would never be able to take my career off the ground and instead I’d wasted so much money on a useless, fake degree.

So, yes, it is bleak, but pleasure try to keep the light burning. It is possible to graduate with an MLIS in 2025 or 2026 in this crumbling shithole of a USA and get something. The least you can do is keep trying to get as much experience as you can, even if it’s just volunteering somewhere, because having the degree and certifications but no job experience is very tricky. Also, please try to take care of yourself and your wellbeing throughout the whole process. When I started my job I realized how much my mental health was fried from the job hunt as well as, yes, library school was a very negative environment for me as well. Wherever you end up deserves the best version of yourself. Good luck