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It took me almost 3 years to find a "real" job. I would recommend that you get out of the retail industry unless you want to work retail all your life. Go be a office temp, at least you get professional office work experience.
I'm trying I really want an office job, I'm sick of retail, the only reason I'm still in retail is because it pays the bills. I'm trying really hard to switch industries. I sick of the automated rejection letters.
The most important thing in this type of situation is not to let yourself get depressed or hopeless- because that is just going to make the whole process 10x worse.
Do whatever you need to do to keep your mood up while you persist in reaching your goal. Self-help books, meditation, exercise, listen to positive thinking podcasts, do yoga- whatever it takes to not get demoralized.
Good luck!!!
Thanks! I agree at times I feel myself getting depressed, and at times I feel like a failure. To me it seems like everyone is successful but me. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude.
What type of retail are you in? If it is a chain go to their website and check out the jobs in other areas. I know people that moved up in retail after starting at the bottom and then made the big bucks. Some Walmart managers started as cashiers/ stockers. Do you realize how much a Walmart store manager makes?
I currently work for Wal-Mart. I have interviewed with Home Office, but the recruiter thought I lived in the Arkansas area ( company headquarters).
A large percentage of students do not get jobs related to the degree they earned so don't feel bad. That's life. There are only so many job openings in any field and that holds true in good times and bad. That doesn't mean you wasted your time because your knowledge will always be valuable and a degree is yours forever. The skills you learned can carry over into other fields.
Try to widen your search efforts. Create Google job alerts so that you are alerted when a job that suits your skills is posted on the Internet. Also, try to save your money so you can relocate if you see a suitable job in another state. You might even consider moving to a state where the job market is better to increase the odds in your favor. Try to network, touch base with your college job office, and don't look for jobs in just one place. You might even want to consider temping to get your foot in the door of a company you want to work at.
Don't give up. In this economy it can take at least a year to find a job. Aim to submit at least 200 resumes a month but don't just submit them to random jobs. Select jobs that you really want and personalize your cover letters so they don't look cookie cutter. You might also want to have someone give you feedback on your resume to make sure that your resume isn't holding you back.
Well, don't give up hope. My first job right out of college was an 'executive secretary'. Which basically meant a lot of fetching and carrying; serving the big bankers coffee and running to get their cigarettes from the store across the street.
Not exactly what I went to school for. I spent . . maybe 6 months there and all the while applying and looking for different jobs.
My next job was . . . . better but I still had a lot of secretarial duties that I didn't think I'd have with my college degree. Ahhh, the ups and downs of being a really fast typist! Anyway, it helped me get my foot in the door of my present industry.
3 years of doing jobs that I probably could have had without a degree.
Don't give up.
I wont give up. I'm going to keep pushing on. So what did you go to school for?
Thanks, I have not done this, but I will ask my last major interview company tomorrow, I will email them.
Awesome. Good luck! Also, if you still have contact info for people you interviewed with (e.g. potential managers/colleagues), reach out to them, too. You can never get too much advice - plus, it will help you paint a clearer picture and knock out the one-off opinions which could hurt rather than help.
Keep on thinking how to break in, and you won't have time to think about "giving up hope." Go get 'em!
Awesome. Good luck! Also, if you still have contact info for people you interviewed with (e.g. potential managers/colleagues), reach out to them, too. You can never get too much advice - plus, it will help you paint a clearer picture and knock out the one-off opinions which could hurt rather than help.
Keep on thinking how to break in, and you won't have time to think about "giving up hope." Go get 'em!
Bear in mind - a company that you interview with does not have to give you any feedback or any help.
I highly suggest finding an alumni from your college who is in the field that you want to be in to mentor you to help give you feedback on your resume, cover letters, interview pointers.
Thanks! I agree at times I feel myself getting depressed, and at times I feel like a failure. To me it seems like everyone is successful but me. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude.
No, you are definitely not alone. My daughter graduated in May and is working in a bank, totally unrelated to either of her degrees. She hopes to go to grad school, but this is paying the bills right now.
Don't give up, and remember, this experience itself is worth something. Good luck.
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