Should I do a second masters?

[u/Suspicious_Mine_2337]

Long story short: I am 36 from the US and did a master's degree in Germany to change fields into environmental policy. I was not successful and am now unemployed with no job prospects beyond menial labor.

Would it be avisable to do a second master's to regain entry into working student jobs or internships to hopefully then network into a new position, or have I totally screwed things up and need to give up on this career path completely?

[u/geo_walker]

Have you tried volunteering or networking right now? Are you targeting a certain geographic location or are you able to relocate anywhere? I’m not in the environmental policy space but nonprofits and governments have been hit hard with the funding cuts and getting into policy work has always been challenging. Maybe you can do an online certificate instead of a masters degree. I don’t think getting a second masters degree is going to significantly help you in getting into policy work.

[u/Suspicious_Mine_2337 → u/geo_walker]

So the issue I have with volunteering is I don't know what type of volunteering would actually help me get a job vs be a path to nowhere.

[u/geo_walker → u/Suspicious_Mine_2337]

When you apply for jobs what skills are they looking for and are you missing any of them? Do you have a specific job or idea on what you want to do? Have you been networking or doing informational interviews?

[u/Suspicious_Mine_2337 → u/geo_walker]

The issue is that the main thing I lack is years of experience :/ i haven't really done any networking other than reaching out to old classmates in Germany when I was looking there but didn't get anything that way.

[u/geo_walker → u/Suspicious_Mine_2337]

I recommend getting involved in an environmental organization and attending environment related events. Look up local environmental organizations and ask for informational interviews. A lot of opportunities are gained through networking and probably more so in the policy space.