u/feijoawhining

I've been job searching since September last year and have been unemployed for about ten months. Late last year, I had a great government job offer with a salary I was happy with, but unfortunately, it fell through (through no fault of my own). I have a long career in senior administrative/executive support roles, glowing references, and I'm always told I interview really well. I've had a few more interviews, and recently got to the final round for a government contract role and just heard back that they chose someone "with a little bit more experience" (read: government experience, which I don't have). I've never been unemployed for this long before, or had as much trouble even getting interviews. Recruiters used to jump at the chance to have me on their books and place me in a role. I haven't had any interest from a single recruiter.

Today, I verbally accepted an administration role with a private company. This role is a step backwards career-wise for me, and it's significantly less than my most recent salary and what I was aiming for. The staff seem really nice, and I'm sure I can do the job easily. The role is also permanent, not a contract. There may be some room for growth within the company. I accepted simply because the current job market is so dire, we're about to enter a recession (and possibly WWIII), and the cost of living is about to escalate. I exhausted my savings months ago. I have a side gig that brings in a small amount of extra income, and without it, it would be difficult to live on this new salary, even though I don't have an expensive lifestyle.

Has anyone been in a similar situation recently?

I know I'm being pragmatic, but I feel so anxious that it will look like a step backwards on my resume, and it's a big step back, salary-wise, too. I am really grateful that soon I'll have an income again. My solidarity with everyone also struggling right now.

I am also currently studying part-time to retrain for a different career with high earning potential, so I really hope it won't matter as much in the long run. I hope I'm just overthinking and it will only be a medium-term financial sacrifice -- and it's preferable to still being on the dole!