u/BasicAd15

i’m (25f) about to graduate with my MA in psych (terminal degree) and i should be excited and feel accomplished, but im just flat out discouraged rn. i plan to apply to phd programs in clinical psych in 1-2 years and in the meantime i’m trying to find a pre-doc job as a research coordinator. however, i’ve been applying for a month now and haven’t found a job. and yes, i’ve broadened my application pool to states outside of the one i live in, too. to give some background: i have 4 years of research experience (from undergrad and the MA program), one 2nd author publication, 3 accepted poster presentations, 2 poster presentations under review, and 2 first author manuscripts in preparation. so, i feel like i’m qualified for a research coordinator position, but i’ve barely heard back from anywhere i’ve applied and idk what i’m doing wrong. i’ve heard how competitive and difficult this field is and that it often comes down to the connections that you have, but damn. i wasn’t expecting this level of difficulty to just find a job. is this normal or is it me?? i’m getting to the point where i’m torn about if i should continue to follow this path because i am passionate about it and see myself truly enjoying it or if this is an unrealistic goal that is too far out of reach and i should just settle for a career that is less fulfilling, but easier and faster to achieve. if anyone has advice about this i’d greatly appreciate it.