If there’s one thing I’ve realized since becoming a college student, it’s that finding a summer job is nearly impossible.
I’ve applied to so many places and I’ve gone on so many interviews, but I either get straight-up denied or never hear from the company again. One time, I even called one of the companies multiple times, but the manager avoided me. I was close to giving up. I felt like I was the only one struggling. I had a pretty good resumé and I always dressed nicely for my interviews, so why couldn’t I get a job?
Well, the reason was actually right in front of me — I am a student. Companies want students who can work all-year long, yet most of them aren’t willing to be flexible with schedules. I can’t tell you how many times an interviewer has told me that they were looking for someone permanent.
I tried looking for jobs marked as temporary and even tried to apply through a temp agency. But no luck. Even if I wanted to work during the school year (although I admit I’d rather have an on-campus job that’s more flexible), companies just weren’t willing to work with me because of my limited weekday availability.
And despite not knowing if I could juggle both school and a job, I’ve even started to tell interviewers that I would be willing to work during the school year and give up my weekends. But I haven’t had any luck.
I’m not sure if there are others like me out there. But if you are going through something similar, the only piece of advice I can give is to not give up. Despite being rejected so many times, I still apply to any jobs that I qualify for. In fact, I even started my job search before the semester ended to get ahead.
I know it’s frustrating and you may feel like you’ve tried everything — that’s how I’ve felt for a long time. And now, with companies requiring years of experience, it’s even harder to get a job if you’re someone like me. But don’t give up. Keep searching and applying, sign up for sites like Indeed that send you job offers, and look on the university’s website for on-campus jobs. I’ve also started to apply for internships on Handshake, and I highly recommend actively looking there for new postings.
To all my fellow jobless students out there, I wish you the best of luck in your job hunts.
