After a long slog and overcoming many hurdles I finished my PhD around 6 months ago and passed my viva with minor corrections. However I am struggling to get a job, feeling hopeless and am unsure of what to do next.

Some background:

During my PhD I was faced with many difficulties. My sup was incredibly difficult to work with (has a reputation for this but was something I found out too late) and their constant put downs (which were often personal) and ridiculous demands almost lead to me quitting on a couple of occasions. They did result in me having an interruption due to depression and anxiety in my second year. However I fought through and carried on. In my third year my relationship broke down, I lost my home and had to move back to my parents house (luckily this was in the same city). Following this my Mother had a bad accident which meant that she needed care and two close family members died - all within six weeks of each other - unsurprisingly I had another interruption to my PhD.

But I persevered and eventually finished my PhD - which I was very proud of as it had been such a hard slog and I had managed to overcome so many difficulties.

However I now find myself feeling helpless again. I know that the job market is tough etc but I never thought it would be so tough. I have applied for quite a few jobs and have got to the interview stage for a couple - however I have not been employed. This situation has left me feeling hopeless. I thought (albeit perhaps naively) that gaining my PhD would open doors for me. I also worked as an RA and taught across a number of subjects at the University - and it all seems to have been in vain. That's how it feels.

I guess by posting here I am hoping to connect with people who might be in a similar situation - or have made it out the other side and might have some advice.