Losing your job at nineteen feels like the end. It’s usually just the first line on a longer resume.

A first job ending feels like a verdict on your working life, mostly because you have nothing yet to compare it against. Within a few years it is one line among several, and most people who hire you never ask about it. The real fear underneath is whether you are employable at all, and one short job tells nobody that.

Apply for the next thing within the week, before the story in your head hardens. Ask a former coworker whether they would put in a good word, since most will. Write down the two things you learned there, because somebody will ask and you will want a real answer.