Don't call it entry-level if I'm required to have years of experience

I graduated in late 2023 from a state U and did everything by the book–graduated with latin honors, was active in leadership positions and multiple student orgs, and completed 2 internships. I then decided to take a six-month mental health break post-graduation. During this time, I went to therapy and sought help for my anxiety. I'm really grateful that my family is supportive and did not pressure me to find a job right away, I know this is a massive privilege.

Six months turned into a year, and now I’m still unemployed. I took online courses to stay productive, so I've got certificates for those. I got my civil service eligibility too. But recruiters are put off by my last internship being in 2022. The roles I’m looking at are in development, government, or international affairs, as I really want to do something related to my major. I understand that it’s very competitive out there, and while it’s disheartening that none of the job listings I see really grab my attention, I’m trying to remain optimistic and brave. Most entry-level jobs require (3-5) years of experience—how is that even entry-level? I want to learn and grow, but I can’t do that if no one gives me a chance.

I thought internships were supposed to help, but they don’t seem to count much because they weren’t "post-graduation experience". Knowing that paid internships are hard to come by in this country, I'm a bit disheartened that companies expect you to work for free and still consider you inexperienced. The job search has been exhausting and outright dehumanizing ngl 🫥 I've had recruiters reach out then ghost me with 0 explanation. I put so much time and effort into applications and interviews, sometimes spending days on assessment exams, only to never hear back. Don't even get me started on government jobs. Roles I've applied for had assessments that took me days to complete, and I've had 2 agencies that abruptly cancelled zoom interviews after that. I just want to feel like my time is respected man.

I know I'm smart and capable. I'm very eager to contribute. I just need a chance. But the longer this drags on, the more anxious I become. I worry my anxiety will get even worse and I’ll have to settle for a job I have no interest in nor passion for and get stuck. I have so many dreams for myself!! I want to take my MA abroad and specialize in my field!! I want and deserve a meaningful career!!

And I hate that I'm ranting because ranting are for losers. I'm ranting because today, I finally heard back from my dream gov institution about an entry-level role I really wanted after four weeks of waiting. I applied in October last year, spent a week working on their assessment exams, and went through two interviews where they praised me. I thought that was it, I'll finally have my first big girl job 🫶🏻The rejection email pretty much chewed me up, spat me out, and crushed me. I couldn’t even finish reading it before breaking down. I know I’ll move on and maybe this isn't so deep, but this job search is taking a toll. I just want someone to take a chance on me. Pagod na ako, but I'll keep moving anyway. My mom did not raise a quitter.

Edit: just to clarify—I'm not mad that job postings require years of experience, as some people in my DMs seem to think. I know that experience is valuable. But there should be a clear distinction between true entry-level (actual early career) roles and "entry-level" roles that still require prior experience. As if fresh grads applying for jobs couldn't be harder enough.

Since April 2024, I’ve applied to 64 roles and about 70% of them required years of experience that I technically don’t have. Out of those, only 19 companies responded. I've had 13 interviews and got into the final round for 7 roles (4 private and 3 in the government). The industries I want to tap in (and roles I applied for) are, as I've mentioned, quite competitive with long and grueling app processes. I've done the works–optimized my resume, updated LinkedIn, got referrals and references etc.

For example, the (research) role I cried over earlier I had to submit a log file, build an estimation model using stat software, analyze a database, and write a report and essays. I asked both of my interviewers about my assessment, and they told me, "You did well that's why you're here!" But beyond that, I didn’t get much feedback. The rejection email explicitly stated that I couldn't reply, so I have no way of knowing what I could have improved.

I could definitely be less picky as I've read on 2 different PH-based career subs na some apply to hundreds of roles everyday. Please let me know of other alternative job boards I can look at 👉🏻👈🏻 I feel like I've scaped the entire internet already lol

Edit 2: I've gotten a lot of nasty DMs and misplaced anger towards me saying I'm entitled and don't deserve to be hired forever. They bring up "I deserve a meaningful career"– I believe I don't deserve anything, no one owes me anything, and no job will magically fall on my lap–but I owe it to myself to take responsibility for my actions and get the career I dream of. Like anyone willing to put in the work. This was an emotional post and a wake-up call, and that I need to triple my efforts to put in that work. That's why I sought help in the first place. People on reddit really do be more unsympathetic and rigid than recruiters.