When I graduated from college in 2012, I thought a world of opportunities would become open to me. I had made all the right connections, held leadership positions, was top of my major, and graduated summa cum laude. Surely, I would breeze through career opportunities like a hurricane of success.

But no such thing happened – at least not in the beginning.

Toughing it Out

In fact, it was a rough year after school ended even though I gave up my vacation to stay in Jamaica and hunt for a job. I didn’t want to come back after stretching my legs for four months in the U.S. to find all the good positions taken. But it seemed that for recent graduates, there was just none to be had.

Since I no longer had my college apartment my rent sky-rocketed, and inflation sent general cost of living up with it. In a few months, I…