It seems like I am unemployable at this point

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jn89
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12 Apr 2016, 3:11 pm

This is pretty much the worst case scenario of how hard I though it would be to adjust to adult life. I honestly have no idea what I'm going to do because it seems like my lack of social skills (or maybe just a lack of charisma), along with my degree, lack of experience, and gaps in my resume is making me unemployable. Not to mention my anxiety, along with what I believe to be depression, makes it difficult for me to work or even attend an interview in the unlikely event that I get lucky enough to get one.

I'm 22 years old and I finished my degree in psychology in December 2014. I wanted to go to grad school and become a psychologist, but realized my marks wouldn't be good enough when I was in my final few years. I only have experience working at a grocery store in high school, and spending a summer working as a lab assistant a few years ago.

I have been searching for jobs for nearly a year and a half. I spent the first half of that time basically only looking for jobs related to my major. I managed to get a few interviews although I never got the jobs.
In the past six months I've pretty much given up on finding a job related to my major, since I wasn't having any luck at all and most require experience. I've been applying to all kinds of jobs (such as administrative, warehouse, driving, merchandising) and haven't even gotten a single interview. My resume and cover letter is as good as it can be for someone with very little to put it on, and it has gotten me interviews in the past.

I'm afraid that places don't want to hire me because my degree has nothing to do with the job and they usually hire people right out of high school. They probably also think that I'll be gone as soon as I find something better (even though that is very unlikely), and the employment gap/lack of experience scares them off. The problem is I can't even find a job to help fill in the employment gap.

I've even applied to stock shelves and still haven't heard anything back. I do have a bit of volunteer experience which also hasn't seemed to help me find a job. I've tried temp agencies and they weren't really any help (even they required experience or they said my resume didn't really fit in with the employment they offer). I'm nearly a hermit at this point, and don't know a single person who could help me find a job. I've been spending some of my free time trying to learn skills such as programming, but to be honest I'm not really enjoying it and I'm learning very slowly.

It feels like even though I'm 22 years old my life is over and there is nothing I can do to get out of this situation (even though I'm sure this isn't true). The question is what can I do besides continuing to apply for jobs and get rejected by one employer after another.



ZenDen
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15 Apr 2016, 1:13 pm

Do you have a BA in psychology then? I just Googled jobs for people with a BA in psychology and found many recommendations. I guess I'm suggesting you begin again to set your sights higher. If this is exactly what you described as the first half of your search then I'd ask how you approached the various potential employers.

Perhaps a more focused approach targeting governmental bodies could be a first step. Many of these organizations have lists of potential employees they draw candidates from....perhaps try to get on several of these lists?

Again...I'm not trying to teach you "how to suck eggs" but the key is to never stop. Good luck.



jn89
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17 Apr 2016, 12:41 pm

ZenDen wrote:
Do you have a BA in psychology then? I just Googled jobs for people with a BA in psychology and found many recommendations. I guess I'm suggesting you begin again to set your sights higher. If this is exactly what you described as the first half of your search then I'd ask how you approached the various potential employers.

Perhaps a more focused approach targeting governmental bodies could be a first step. Many of these organizations have lists of potential employees they draw candidates from....perhaps try to get on several of these lists?

Again...I'm not trying to teach you "how to suck eggs" but the key is to never stop. Good luck.

Thanks. There are a fair amount of options but the problem is people with experience get preference. I've applied for quite a few jobs including with the government and never seem to get anywhere. Most people who have a career in psychology end up going to grad school anyway, since most of these jobs aren't full time and require shift work (which definitely isn't for everyone). I guess I have no choice but to keep looking, although the process is beginning to get rather frustrating.



Chichikov
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18 Apr 2016, 6:01 am

There's nothing wrong with tailoring your resume\cv to match a job you're applying for. If you think your degree is going to count against you for a particular job then simply don't mention it.



Maple78
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18 Apr 2016, 9:18 am

All you need is for someone to give you a chance. It is VERY common, more common than not, I think, for people to land jobs in fields completely unrelated to their major. My friend with a degree in psychology works in a totally unrelated feel. Also, don't feel bad about not getting a job stocking shelves. I found that having a college degree made people not want to hire me for low level jobs, because they feel I will leave as soon as something better comes my way - so I couldn't get a job waitressing or in retail, even when I just needed SOMETHING since I couldn't get hired in my field.

Try a temp agency. Try craigslist, look for entry-level jobs. Though they don't pay much at all, there's also stuff like "Americorps" that would get you valuable experience and look good on your resume.



slenkar
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18 Apr 2016, 9:57 am

Could you go back and do a master's degree in something that would get you a job?



jn89
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18 Apr 2016, 11:09 am

Chichikov wrote:
There's nothing wrong with tailoring your resume\cv to match a job you're applying for. If you think your degree is going to count against you for a particular job then simply don't mention it.

The problem is if I leave my degree off my resume is basically one giant gap, since I haven't really done anything other than school.



jn89
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18 Apr 2016, 11:10 am

slenkar wrote:
Could you go back and do a master's degree in something that would get you a job?

I don't have high enough marks to get into grad school. Psychology is really competitive since it seems to be the most popular major right now.



slenkar
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18 Apr 2016, 1:27 pm

You still have options, you could become an apprentice electrician, plumber,mechanic,welder.
You actually get paid to be an apprentice electrician.
If you don't want to do any of those things you could do something with real estate, like training to be a real estate agent,learning to remodel homes, become a landscape gardener.

If none of that sounds good,going for an office job could lead to opportunities in the same company.



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19 Apr 2016, 2:20 am

If I were in your place, I would start my own psychology Youtube channel. I'd entertain and/or counsel people online through my vids. You've spent so much of your precious time on your qualification, you don't want to steer away from that. Believe me, it will not make you more employable to go into another field. What if you encounter the same problems down the track? If this is your passion, do it - but look for self-made opportunities along with the offered ones. You're young and I wish you luck! :-)


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SpacedOutAndSmiling
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19 Apr 2016, 8:11 am

Perhaps you could volunteer somewhere to build up experience? It's not paid work, but it can often be a bridge.

I guess it's hard to be a freelance psychologist but perhaps there are some options there.

Another option would be to look for psychologists near you and offer to be an intern or something, that how I go my first web development job. I email a local wen design agency and offered to help out etc.


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xenocity
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20 Apr 2016, 9:36 pm

I know many people who are still unemployed post graduation two years out who have nothing wrong with them.
This is due to all the damn requirements to get entry level jobs.

I'm talking people with your degree and those with more marketable degrees including engineering.

I'm also in that boat.

U.S. companies are hording their money and aren't ready to hire new unexperienced workers nor do they want to train.

Most people with your degree go on a get a Master's in something else before landing their career.


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