Hey, everybody. How are you all? So as you may have seen in the title, I am not having the best luck in finding a job. I am preparing to go to college pretty soon, and I am in need of money, but it seems that every place I've applied to so far doesn't want to hire me. I've been applying to multiple jobs over the summer and fall, and have gotten a few interviews, but no bites. I am clueless on why I'm not getting hired. I dress up nice, I give direct eye contact, aand I answer the questions without trouble, and I fulfill the requirements needed for that entry level job or similar (diploma, 18 years of age or older, etc), but no matter what I do, I am still left high and dry. The fact that my bro nags me about not having a job at this point also infuriates me, and even more when he says that it's "easy" to get hired anywhere.

Personally, I am tired of losing the job lottery every time I take a spin. I am sick of the fact that I can't find a job for shit, while my friend is able to find two jobs. I am desperate for money, and I just wanna be able to work so I can support myself for once. Like, how do you deal with this shit? What am I doing wrong? What is it about me that doesn't get me hired?

1.) An easy way, would to be consider babysitting, pet sitting, elder sitting. Sign up on Care.com, and some people charge $15-20+ an hour for any of the three. You should make sure all your clearances are up to date (fingerprint, criminal history, and child abuse). I used it, and it works pretty well!

2.) Join some couponing clubs to save money on groceries and supplies!

3.) Use ebates for online cash back, I use it and it is 100% safe and trustworthy.

Best of luck!

I feel this hard. Lost a job because of the company's money situation and I've been twiddling my thumbs applying and interviewing places for a month now. Good luck out there. Keep going.

I totally understand how you feel and I've been there more than once. There was one point after I finished grad school that I applied for a job that required I literally do the EXACT SAME THING I'd been doing for my required 20 hr/week research experience internship (which I'd done for 2 years). I interviewed and didn't get the job.

I personally went to a school career counciler an asked for help- they suggested I find a retail job of some sort that was similar to what I wanted to do long term so I could get professional experience. I ended up working at a chain pet store for a year an a half and doing some volunteer work for a place I was interested in working for. I applied to the place I wanted, got an interview and didn't get the job. I applied later a second time and got an interview and it turned out someone else ended up getting the job right under my nose. The place said that while I didn't get the full time gig, would I be interested in a temp position (full time for 6 months, no benefits). Nearly 8 years and some promotions later, and going strong there!

It's a process but you WILL find something if you pursue it and look at other ways you might be able to get your foot in the door. Do you have a few hours a week to volunteer work to not only get experience but meet network and get some references? Perhaps go to a local convention or job fair that focuses on your area of interest so you can get names?

Another interesting thing I found, I've given my best interviews when I felt I had nothing left to lose, it allowed me to be assertive without being aggressive or desperate (something I felt I was in other interview situations). You can just give honest answers, things that may have a better chance of sticking in an interviewer's head.

And frankly, I also think a lot of companies haven't caught up with the current economic situation in which they think they can get someone with 5 PhD degrees for 9 bucks an hour (ok an exaggeration but it feels that way!) Rather than fill the job, sometimes they leave it open and whine they can't find people because it's not an absolute perfect fit. Which makes it hard for the 99.9% perfect fit person who doesn't get the job and feels like they're lacking somehow.

Sorry my thoughts are a bit disjointed- I have a lot of ideas but don't have the mental capacity right now to put them in a more coherent paragraphs :)

If this is a first job, interviewers might be hesitant just because it takes a lot of training to get young workers in the mindset of "go go go" without a moment of idling. Especially in a tough market where business owners have to make cuts and have the most efficient workforce. Another thing that might hurt is that businesses see their relationships with young students as ultimately temporary, since you are studying your way up.

Be aware of these things and know how to respond if these come up at all in the interview. Try approaching interviews from the perspective that you will be planning to treat your new coworkers like family, ready to get to know them on a personal level, and will ultimately bring a positive presence to everyone's daily workday, without being distracting from work. It will go a long way. This I've learned since my first job 8 years ago, a socially awkward mess who only got the job out of sheer luck. :0)

Also, have you checked Craigslist? Most of my jobs, including some really amazing ones, have been from there. Just gotta learn to ignore the scammy ones that promise $$$$$ without any detail to what you're doing or who you're working for.

I am disabled so I have never worked, but what worked for my fiancé was making himself stand out. Show that you are really keen for the job. Go in, speak to bosses etc. Make sure you have a good cover letter. Talk about yourself and your interests. I hope this helps. Good luck!