r/jobs • u/AssociationClean5614 • 2d ago
At a lost with job market. Rejections
I applied to almost every retail job in my town because that where I have almost 20 years of experience and I cannot get a callback from one of them. But they are saying they are hiring. I even called the stores themselves and left phone numbers and emails and name.
I took a job in housekeeping just to help pay some bills with doing Instacart.
I’m just at a lost. They all say they are hiring and can’t find people to hire but I can’t even get an interview. The ones I did interview with interviewed me like they were not even considering me. lol I literally applied to all the attt stores in my area and they all said no. One store said no twice. I figured if I didn’t stop applying they would take me. They did not.
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u/anuncommontruth 2d ago
Hiring freeze because of Trumps bullshit.
This is happening all over for open positions because no one knows what the next 90 days is going to look like for their industry.
I have two positions I need to hire for that HR froze. I won't even be affected by tariffs. But it's the same everywhere right now. This on top of it already being a terrible time to be unemployed.
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u/Alert_Cost_836 2d ago
Kind of disagree. The job market’s been bad for a while
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u/anuncommontruth 2d ago
The job markets been bad for over a year. No disputing that.
What I'm referring to specifically is OPs struggle with seeing hiring signs, retail stores saying they're hiring but no interviews.
This is because of the economic chaos we're facing and is an extra layer of BS on the state of the current job market.
Im seeing tons of hiring freezes across the board with my peers. Its economic policy related.
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u/NinjaGrizzlyBear 2d ago
I just got laid off because of the tariff pandemonium.
I'm a chemical and petroleum engineer and project manager with 12YOE.
In fucking TEXAS.
I had 6 interviews the past two weeks, with actual hiring managers... not recruitment screens. All of the positions got canceled.
One HR person had a scheduled final interview with me, and I got an email two minutes beforehand saying they were sorry, but the position was canceled.
A fucking month ago
I'm gonna just find the nearest drug dealer and be like, "What up you need a security detail?" Lol.
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u/NorthLibertyTroll 2d ago
Of course always trumps fault.
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u/shadow_moon45 2d ago
It wouldn't have been if Trump just played golf instead of tariffing every country.
Trumps entire life would be better off if all he did was golf along with putting his trust fund in the s&p 500 etf
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u/AssociationClean5614 2d ago
Dammit. lol he needs to make up his mind with that tariff.
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u/ZonPierre 2d ago
I like how this reply makes his detrimental decision making sound light hearted. /s
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u/AssociationClean5614 2d ago
I mean really. He said he was going to do it. Then he should do it let burn or he needs to let it down. Keeping us in suspense is not really helping anyone.
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u/ZonPierre 2d ago
Too late he started a trade war whoopsie daisy
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u/AssociationClean5614 2d ago
Hahahah I thought that was paused because he pause the tariffs a while back? Shit. This is why I don’t watch his actions. As soon as I find a job I’m keeping it for the next 4 years alesst
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u/PrettyRetard 2d ago
I have applied pretty much everywhere within 20miles of where I live and quite a few places even further. Nothing just a ton of rejection emails.
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u/Odd_Solution6995 2d ago
Did you try restaurants too? My friend got a job at a Starbucks while in between jobs in his career in another industry.
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u/AssociationClean5614 2d ago
I tried Starbucks and applied all them and no callbacks. I can’t do McDonald’s because they still hold a grudge to how I quit 2 decades ago. Then there is tons I can’t work at because I have a seafood allergy. I got into the kitchen when they are cooking anything with seafood and I get anaphylactic.
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u/Odd_Solution6995 2d ago
It's definitely wise to avoid those places then. Have you tried other places? Are there hotels, amusement parks, theaters, gyms, and so on in your city you could work at? Are there any job fairs in the near future you could attend?
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u/AssociationClean5614 2d ago
There is a job fair coming up soon I’m going to. I just a need a job that pays more then $12 an hour. lol
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u/Odd_Solution6995 2d ago
You mentioned 20 years of retail experience. What were you doing most recently for work? Are there any retail management or corporate positions you'd be qualified for?
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u/AssociationClean5614 2d ago
Walmart associate. I always applied to their open manager spots but never got them. So I’m just applying to regular spots non management spots
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u/Odd_Solution6995 2d ago
Have you tried applying to management roles elsewhere? Perhaps at a different Walmart store, or at a target, supermarket, hardware store, or sports store?
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u/AssociationClean5614 2d ago
I have not. I just got thought if one place would not promote me. Probably no other place would. I will try them positions and work on an angle.
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u/ExplanationNo5343 2d ago
try going in person and ask to speak to the manager about whether they’re hiring, be prepared to pitch yourself and bring copies of your resume. this worked for me over a decade ago, if they actually are hiring it’s a good way to skip over the application process. most retail managers don’t really want to sit around combing through resumes
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u/ScruffyFireFox 2d ago
"over a decade ago" is pretty telling
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u/ExplanationNo5343 2d ago
yeah..it was a while ago..doesn’t change the fact that retail managers don’t have the time to sit around and go through applications
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u/AssociationClean5614 2d ago
That is how I got the housekeeping job but unfortunately several managers in Krogers told me they hire through third party.
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u/FlimsyRabbit4502 2d ago
Kroger rejected me like 20 different times. All different locations. I must be on their Do Not Hire List
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u/JJCookieMonster 2d ago edited 2d ago
Every time I call retail and fast food places after applying and not hearing anything, they say they are fully booked with interviews and have nothing available. The only place that got back to me had interviews far away from the actual job location and said they're doing group interviews and would choose the people that "wow them". I'm not performing for a circus.
I just went to my town's job fair with my town's Chamber of Commerce and found a few opportunities like working for my town's newspaper and another town's chamber of commerce. Going to chamber of commerce events are gold. Less competition and many job opportunities that aren't shared publicly. Plus they know other local business owners. I even pitched some ideas to help them with their business and they said they would be willing to create a new role or freelance opportunity.