Why is it so difficult for me to find a job?

Question

I'm having a hard time finding a job; any sort of job with no experience. 

No one will hire me for anything not even fast food, retail, grocery stores, temp agencies, factories, hotels, warehouses, hospitals, nothing. 

It appears I'm not qualified to do anything without lieing but not a very good liar in high-pressured situations. 

I am getting counseling for my anxiety and self-medicating with alcohol to survive job interviews but I need to get a job soon or my parents going to kick me out.

I go to work agencies but they do not help at all. They just make a half-arsed resume and tell me interview tips I already know. I do mock interviews some times but doesn't help.

I am following up with employers. Making sure thank you notes are grammatically correct and nothing is misspelled.

I go in person to hand in my application/resume to managers but they tell me to go online or they take it and I never hear back.

I am volunteering twice a week for a month now (can't afford to do anymore my parents wont give me money for transportation and no other places in my area need volunteers that's walking distance) 

Can't go to community college yet until 3 months from now.

After failing 21 job interviews so far I am feeling hopeless. It's like I am making the same mistake over and over again even though I prepare so much.

I'm having a hard time staying positive and starting to sleep all day now.

Should I give up the fact I'll never get a job?

Answer

Don't give up and don't succumb to a negative cycle. Take a step back and look at what you are doing, then think about how you can break the cycle. First off, I'm wondering whether you're now preparing too much for interviews, whether this is putting too much pressure on you. An interview isn't supposed to be relaxed, per se, but if you get a bit of rapport going with the interviewer(s), you'll get brownie points for it.

I know nobody likes criticism but have you asked employers for frank reasons why you didn't get either (a) an interview (b) the job? If you say that your feelings can't be hurt and you're really just trying to improve your interview technique or how you are perceived so you can become more successful, many interviewers will be honest. I've interviewed and have been asked this question, and was frank with my answers.

Last thing I'm going to mention is self-medicating with alcohol. I don't want to go into details but I know exactly how that feels. One thing I really doubt you'll want to hear but which you should know is that even if you can cover the smell of alcohol (and it's harder than you think), there are visual clues and verbal clues. Much better to take something which takes the edge off but without any side-effects (like rescue pastilles).

The way you wrote the story did come across very well, by the way. If I was in a position to, I would consider giving you a job.

Answer

I think your first thing to do is to make a good impression. Try to read this: http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201106/make-good-first-impression/
It'll help you.

Why is it so difficult for me to find a job?

Responses (2)