You have an awesome point here and an excellent story.
One thing that Seth does not mention that may be worth considering is actual grad school. It is true that a master's will never replace experience, but it can help you get interviews and stand out in a stack of resumes. Certifications also help if you are interested in tech.
A certification will never get you a job (certainly not one you would really want), but it can help you get interviews. I say this as someone that was told point blank I got one of my earlier job interviews because of my certifications when I was starting out and who later used them to help weed out stacks of resumes when they were on my desk.
One thing that Seth does not mention that may be worth considering is actual grad school. It is true that a master's will never replace experience, but it can help you get interviews and stand out in a stack of resumes. Certifications also help if you are interested in tech.
A certification will never get you a job (certainly not one you would really want), but it can help you get interviews. I say this as someone that was told point blank I got one of my earlier job interviews because of my certifications when I was starting out and who later used them to help weed out stacks of resumes when they were on my desk.