I'm having issues with getting and keeping jobs. I find it difficult to ever get that first interview, let alone starting the onboarding process. And even when I do get a job, I become so overwhelmed and anxious and I come home wrecked. I've revised my resume over and over again and still no bites. I added new skills, updated old info, used a nice template, and made sure it was grammatically correct. Finally I have issues with the interview. I get so anxious I can't think straight and I stutter and it takes me a very long time to come up with a mediocre answer for any question I'm asked. I can just see the interviewers face and they're not impressed at all, well when I can look em in the eye I mean. I have issues with that. I'm lost and I don't know what to do.
Have you asked anyone to read through your CV? Ideally somebody professional, like a teacher or somebody who is involved in recruiting, or a careers professional, if you have access to a careers advice service. You might want to have more than one CV, if you are applying to jobs in several industries, so they're tailored to the jobs you’re applying for. As for interviews, research common questions or use your own experience, and preprepare answers. So, know in advance what you’re going to say that your biggest strength/weakness is, or think about the type of job and prepare some relevant examples, such as a time you demonstrated leadership, a time you overcame a challenge, or a time you gave great customer service, or something. You need to keep your answer focused on the skill and show that you’ve demonstrated it. It’s an interview, so be honest, but don’t be too modest. And with your greatest weakness, don’t pick anything that will worry the employer and have a plan to improve on it in place. Remember to research the employer! Always have two or three questions about the job/company ready to ask the after the interview. Something about progression and training is a good choice, as it implies an interest in staying with the company long-term. Also, remember that the whole time you’re there is an interview, not just the formal bit. Be polite to everyone. Always say thank you, engage in small talk, make an effort, ask questions, hold doors open, initiate the hand shake at the end, etc. The person on reception might be asked what they thought of you. Show them that you will fit in. I hope that helps!
One thing that might help is to look for jobs that fit what you feel most comfortable with if there are opportunities available. An employer looking for someone in a retail job needs to be good at dealing with people in a clear and confident way. On the other hand, a job doing data entry or something behind the scenes may not prioritize that as much, and being a little nervous may not matter as much, provided you have the skills to do what is required and the ability to learn more.
I have been job searching for the past year and I finally landed a job. I can give you some suggestions. First, apply for as many jobs as you can. Apply for jobs that you don't even want. The reason I say that is so that you can practice interviewing. I would apply for positions that I did not want just to practice interviewing. when you go into an interview for a job you know your not going to take you have more confidence! Just do it for the practice. Like lostindaydreams mentioned have responses ready for certain questions. they will have a lot of the same questions. Here are a few questions they may ask. Were do you want to be in five years? the answer, Working here and growing and becoming more knowledgeable in my position, maybe advancing in the company. Another one they ask is, give an example of a time in a previous job were you had a difficult situation to deal with. like a problem with another co worker or a customer and how did you resolve it. That is always a tough one. So rehearse your answer for that. if you don't have an answer or example for that make one up. come up with a really good response and write it down go over it and rehearse it. there are a lot of other questions they will ask. do an internet search for commonly asked questions during a job interview. Study those questions like you are studying for a test and come up with some good solid confident answers. Make sure you dress your best too. Anything you can do to improve your chances of getting a job do it. have copies of your resume to give them. obviously show up on time, maybe a few minutes early. write down all of your qualifications and go over them with the interviewers. They may also ask what your weaknesses are as well. that's okay come up with those answers too, and tell them that you are a quick study and will work on improving your skills in those areas. Finally send them a thank you note after the interview thanking them for inviting you to the interview and that you look forward to working for them should you decide to hire me. I'm not sure where you live but in my area they have career centers that help you with interviewing and resume creating. try and look for one in your area. They do have a lot of programs to help you in your job quest. Work on the confidence, the eye contact etc. practice in a mirror if you need to. These employers hate the job interview process as well. as you go to each interview you will find your improving your interview skills. Take the things you learned from each interview and apply them to the next one. Good Luck with your Job Search and remember you may end up taking a job that might not be exactly what you want but it doesn't prevent you from continuing your job hunt once you're hired. hope I helped a little
I would get a job coach or a job counsellor. Most counties have a goverment job office to assist you.
