So I'm a student and only look for jobs around the Summer period [June-early sept]. Last year I applied to probably hundreds of jobs during this time and never heard back, not even an interview. I accepted that because I was seventeen and didn't have much experience, it was to be expected.
After this I gained a lot of experience whilst studying doing voluntary work. I've worked in a charity shop for nearly a year, I've completed three months working in a nursing home, I've volunteered in a hospital, I've also mentored young children and volunteered to do public surveys to improve the NHS. All of this has been over the course of a year and many of these, I'm still doing today.
I was a lot more positive when applying for jobs this year with me being eighteen and having a range of experience in different fields. I started applying for jobs around end of June mainly in retail but also some other fields of work. Most of the time, I never hear back or am rejected a couple of days after with no explanation why, I'm very flexible with my times as well.
But this year, I got invited to three interviews and was rejected after the interview at all three. I made sure to prepare thoroughly for those I wanted, researching appropriate customer service answers and applying my work experience to different situations etc. Following one of my interviews, I asked for feedback, and the employer said in this words exactly - I'm happy with you, you seem very knowledgable and you have a lot of relevant experience which makes you seem like a suitable candidate for this post.
And it's saddens me further when you go into retail stores and some of the employees can't speak fluent english and are quite rude. And I just think to myself what have they got that I haven't? Are my interviews that bad?
Sorry for the long post, I just feel so disheartened because I planned to take a gap year but now I think I should just go to University because I won't be able to get a job especially when all my friends have a job and lots of poeple are employed at 16. Does anyone have a similar situation with a positive outcome?