I have a master's (PhD ABD) and have worked as a pentester, I was laid off prior to covid.
I have a master's (PhD ABD) and have worked as a pentester, I was laid off prior to covid.
Do you have an academic network you could reach out to? Maybe a former prof or some colleagues? I found that networking via people I knew from uni usually worked best.
It's also okay to be a little bit pushy, i.e. reach out to someone daily. Just be sure to stay nice, explain your situation.
Can I ask what your degree is in?
EDIT: I just read your credentials from one of your other comments.
My guy, I am sorry to hear that things aren't going so smoothly right now, but with your references, ever considered reaching out to european employers for a work visa? I.e. a reverse H1B if you will?
If you have a legit claim on italian citizenship, you could get a job in central europe, work here for a few months and then change citizenship in an italian embassy. You'd instantly be Schengen recognized, meaning you could work in _every_ EU country and you could migrate to italy, where you would have access to healthcare.
Other than that, I'd agree with the rest of the posts here, mainly because I have little experience on US specifics when it comes to social welfare.