<prompt> Human: I just posted about being upset over financial situation, and now my friends girlfriend who doesnt have a Reddit account wants advice regarding her position. So this is her post.I studied economics in college and while I got great scholarships I was foolish and took out loans to cover remaining tuition ALL living expenses in the city. I racked up a bill of 110k mix federal and private loans. After college, job offers in my field were low and I knew I had a lot of debt. I was not patient enough to move up in the world of economics and I took an on online recruiting job that paid 55k bonus off the bat Econ offers stared at 40k. This was when I was 2223. Im now 26 and couldnt regret it more.Im in a dead-end recruiting job. The pay is good but not relevant to my degree and certainly not the debt- I dont even need a degree to get this job. I apply for jobs in my field and I get denied due to lack of experience shouldve done entry level work when I had the chance and Im sure the fact that I never once had an office job in any industry doesnt help. Now, entry level positions are being filled by college grads and Im not competitive anymore, despite going to a great school and having a high GPA. ExpensesMonthly minimum student loan payments: 1,500Rent: 800Car: 200 150 for insurance. Its a lease, I cant get rid of it, u know it was a mistake.Gas: 50PhoneutilitiesWiFi: 250Health insurance: 300Household supplies: 100Groceries: 300This does not include other expenses, like medical copays, etc. Net take home: 4ishk. I put about 100150 in savings every month. Loans:Federal: 30k, 5 interestPrivate: 80k, 10-12 interest. I keep getting denied for refinancing, despite having good credit. I have been actively job searching for 2 years now and cant find something out of recruitingHR that would use my degree and have higher earning potential. I always get interviews but when they were Ive never had an in person job, I can tell theyre turned off. Is it worth it to try to find something in my field or should i just stay in recruiting forever? I am applying to law school on big scholarship, hopefully to almost reset redo my post grad years. Im currently looking for paralegal work. Do you have any other optionssuggestions? It KILLS me that Im in insane debt and not even benefiting from it.  <response>: Im also an economics major who is a little older than you and has finally secured a job in my desired field with a decent salary. I also went through an employment slump at your age. You can do this!-Get in contact with your old schools career center. They often allow alumni to attend career fairs. Get on any email lists that are available.-See if you can do any volunteering to supplement your current experience. For example, Im a volunteer income tax preparer through the IRS VITA program. I went to a few training sessions and am now helping low-income people with their taxes. Its totally free other than the time commitment, and Ive learned a lot. Similar programs might exist in your area that are semi-related to economics.-A lot of economics and related research jobs are available in state, county, and city government. It doesnt have to be the city or county you live in. Candidates are usually required to take exams before they are considered. Do some research an get on any exam lists that are available.-If you arent using Excel at work, start using it everyday to do random stuff. Watch YouTube tutorials. You need to be able to show that you are proficient with this software. It is the bare minimum. List any software you used in school on your resume Stata, eViews, R, Matlab, etc., as it shows that you can be trained, even if you dont currently use it.-Keep a collection of any professional writing samples. Some jobs might request them. If you dont have any, start improving your emails, memos and reports at work to the point they are professional-sounding.-Reach out to old managers, professors, volunteer coordinators, etc. to ask if they can serve as references once you start applying for jobs. Its best to ask ahead of time, and initiating contact might give you some job leads.-Rework your resume. You are working in recruiting, so this implies that you are familiar with the labor and market demands in your field, as well as unemployment trends in your area. Make sure it all relates to economics. Mention any experience in conducting research, technical writing, or data analysis. A senior project or honors thesis will work. Youre only 26 and are still a new-ish grad.-Consider moving back home if your family will allow it in order to free up 800 a month. Youll be able to reduce your grocery cost as well. Thats nearly 5,000 in 6 months that you can save, or 10,000 a year. I had to swallow my pride and do this for about 6 months when I was 2526. 