Time to get a new job.

The most important question is what did you WANT to do with that linguisitcs degree? Now is the time to look for teaching work, you could probably get into https://www.pareap.net/jobsrch.php?HTML=report on a certification path through an http://www.teach-now.org/dispstate.cfm?state=PA program. http://www.education.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/pa_certification/8635. I did this in Florida. Turns out I HATED teaching, but it was pretty easy to get hired. Another option is http://www.teachforamerica.org/. Customer Service for the phone company or electic or gas company, even the cable company is also a good job. Look on-line for those kinds of jobs. Full-time, benefits, Union if possible.

Check out job listings for entry-level records management positions at big companies. The work conditions are sane (air conditioned, quiet, moderate levels of human interaction), the benefits can be good, the locations are often in a secondary city or suburb convenient to a large city, and having a college degree can make you a competitive candidate. To be clear, much of the work will be administrative, but there will likely be opportunities to identify process improvements or solve problems that can get you into more interaction with people on the business side.

I seem to have a slightly different take on this questions than most people, but hopefully my experience as career-type employee and supervisor can be helpful. From my perspective, the first questions definitely needs to be, what kind of work do you WANT? I say this for two reasons. First, You mentioned that you would like to find rewarding, career-type work, so keep in mind that what will feel rewarding is completely unique to you. Personally, I find the work I do very rewarding (most days), but all the work I do with spreadsheets and analyzing data would drive most people crazy! Figure out what kind of work you want and move toward that. If your ideal job is inaccessible right now, chances are there are steps you can take now that will lead you in the right direction. Get your foot in the door any way you can! Even if the this means doing volunteer work one hour a week or taking a job that is beneath your skills for the moment, knowing it is a step toward the work you want will make the process palatable. Second, many hiring managers receive dozens of applications for every position, probably from people just like you. If you know who you are and why you want the job, your enthusiasm may be the thing that sets you apart from the crowd. As an example, three months ago I posted an opening for a very part-time entry level customer service position. I received 60 applications! I needed to weed out applicants quickly, and it was painfully clear as I scanned the resumes and cover letters which individuals had sent me the exact same application they had sent to dozens of other managers. Those applications didn't make it past the first reading. Everyone I interviewed made it clear that they knew who they were and that they really wanted not just a job but the job I offered. I ended up hiring a great woman who has little direct customer service experience but has done a fantastic job. She started working 15 hours for not much money but was offered full-time hours (and benefits) after just three months. Ok, my point is that given the tight job market, it can be really tempting to apply for whatever job you might be qualified for even if you don't like the work. But in this tight job market it is even more important than ever to set yourself apart. Figure out what job you really want, tailor your resume and cover letter for every job you apply for (no form letters, please!), and get your foot in the door. And remember, be professional but be YOURSELF. No one wants to hire an automaton - unless they're looking for someone who can easily be replaced - and sincere enthusiasm makes all the difference. Really. I'll get off my soapbox now. This subject obviously brings up strong feelings for me - and even though I didn't really answer your question, hopefully some of this we relevant. Good luck!

Now is the time to look for teaching work This is definitely not the time to begin looking for teaching work in Philadelphia, which just laid off thousands of teachers and support staff in the public school system. However, in PA, you do not need certification to teach in private schools-- the competition is just very, very fierce right now. Federal government positions are great, but the application process can be excruciatingly difficult. If you do apply for a government job at any level, google around for guides online to see what kinds of keywords and formatting that you will absolutely need. What you might want to do is go through the job listing on sites like Idealist.org just to see what kinds of positions are being posted: what hours are they, what kinds of jobs are they, what kinds of skills are they looking for. Look at what interests you and what your background can help with-- how can you tailor your background (customer service, tutoring, data entry) to fit what they want? Philadelphia does have a lot of education and health care-based jobs; it's also the hub for larger companies like Vanguard (in the suburbs) who hire entry-level positions. Have you used the alumni network at your college? Gone over your resume/CV with the career development office? Had networking cards made through Vistaprint or another cheap service? The good news is, Philadelphia can be relatively inexpensive and for most jobs/living arrangements, a car isn't necessary. I sublet an apartment in a relatively safe part of the city for $650 and honestly overpaid-- your "startup" costs, so to speak, won't be as high as most of northern NJ or NYC.

Having lived at home in Jersey after college (in Northern Jersey), New Jersey is a money pit and will suck away both your savings and your motivation to change if you let it. For this reason, I would not recommend getting any type of lifer 9-5 in North Jersey (and most 9-5 jobs are). I'd begin applying to jobs in Philadelphia now. One option that always worked well for me were support staff jobs in colleges and college libraries. Philly has a bunch of schools; go to each of their websites and check out their "jobs"/"human resources" section. If you have friends in Philly, get permission to use their address; otherwise, make it clear that you already have plans to relocate there and are available to interview at their convenience. Then borrow money (or do your best to save up about a few thousand dollars) to sublet an apartment in Philly until you can move there permanently. If need be, get a second, crappy, part time job in Jersey to help you do this. Wait tables at a diner or your local IHOP. Whatever it takes. Get out of Jersey. I love the state, but you will feel so much better when you do.

Take the http://www.state.nj.us/csc/seekers/jobs/announcements/

So my plan is, put a lot more effort into finding a second part-time job, get one, work my ass off and save as much money as I can for the next six months, and in the mean time, look into jobs and places to live in Philly. This has more-or-less been my plan for a while. But I feel like I have a clearer sense of what my options are, so it's easier to stay motivated. So I'd like to thank everyone for the replies! It's been helpful.

You should totally go to China (or somewhere) and teach English for a year or two! http://www.eslcafe.com is an excellent place to start researching your options.

Have you done any computational linguistics courses in your degree? We're looking for two new team members right now; large corporation, medium-size team. Memail me if interested.