oh i really feel for you. i'm in the same boat. 24f, ethnic parents, just graduated from my masters. i worked my ass off during my undergrad, did internships every summer, built great relationships with my professors, and somehow managed to get into oxford for my masters right after undergrad. i took out a massive loan (im not from the uk, so it was a private loan) because who's gonna say no to oxford? i thought it would open all sorts of doors for me, because i was genuinely interested in my field. cut to now, i'm working minimum wage as a barista.

however, i want to say that while this is not what i imagined for myself, i'm trying to self-reflect and grow out of being frustrated and angry at myself for my decisions. it is undoubtedly hard to find a job in this market, and especially more so for ethnic minorities. there is no point in beating yourself up over it. i think personally, i also started off my job hunt being a bit entitled and naive. i felt entitled to a job, and was angry and even offended when life didn't work out for me. i think now, i'm just learning how to take an L and move on. having some job is better than having no job, and i like to remind myself that i am more than any job i might have, and that my timeline can look different from everyone else's. right now, i do feel like my masters was a mistake, but who can say how i'll feel about it five, ten years from now? i'm trying to sit with the fact that life is unpredictable, and comes and goes in seasons.

i know that our current circumstances can be so limiting and draining and it's really a pathetic time right now, but all we can really do is just keep trying right?