I’m worried because I never really had a job, and because I need to pay for the bus to go to places (where I absolutely need to go), I fear that I may run out of money and I currently have a minuscule amount. Plus, I really wanted to move out of my parent’s house sometime.
So, starting in the beginning of January, I have actively been looking for part-time entry-level jobs (since I’m currently in university and just can’t have a full-time job) at places like Starbucks, McDonalds, TimHortons, grocery stores, and so on, but I never got any replies. I’ve been applying using Indeed, the company’s website, and even walking into the stores. I’ve lost count of how many resumes I’ve given out.
Since I’m also studying Computer Science, I figured that I might also apply for programming jobs (which I’m going to also do shortly). However, I figured that the chances of me getting a CS-related job are the same as me getting a minimum-wage job, and I just only want to have a job that pays at least something since it’s better than having no job at all (and plus, I think it will slightly increase my chances of getting a programming job later on).
Since I don’t really have a phone (or at least one that I carry around constantly), I’ve purchased a text-only VOIP number and put that on my resume along with my email (which I hope that doesn’t result in my never getting an interview).
It’s been like 2 months now and I haven’t heard back. When walking around I’ve also heard people saying that they’re having a similar experience. I am really stressed out because of this.
A friend of mine also said that the main reason why I’m not getting any replies back is because I have no previous job experience. I have also noticed that a lot of companies are simply not hiring right now.
Am I doing anything stupid?
As other commentators have noted, get a phone that works. Answer it on every ring while you’re job searching. If they don’t get a live person when they call, they’ll move on to another candidate unless they’re really interested.
Sign up with a temp agency for any office admin work you can find. Data entry, accounting, inventory control and marketing are good areas to focus on. This will get your foot in the door and put you in an environment where you may not be coding, but you’ll likely be working with Excel and ERP systems that may provide you an entry into data analysis and management, which is where the bread and butter is for junior coders. A prospective coder isn’t very valuable in a busboy position, but a prospective coder doing admin work in an office has a lot of opportunities to shine.
Two months is a short time to expect any response from job searching unless you get lucky, especially without experience. Start a coding project, any coding project, and make sure it has a web presence. Put it on your resume as “project in development”. It may not convince them to hire you, but it will make your resume more interesting. Include any volunteering you do or any community organizations you’re part of (non-political).
Learn SQL. It’s fucking easy, and once you do you’ll have an edge up on a lot of more experienced prospective hires for all of the temp admin work I mentioned above.