Haven't Had My First Job

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I'm almost 21 and I haven't had my first job yet. I think it mostly has to do with most of the available jobs being retail or fast food, and I don't do well at all in those kinds of working environments. Has anyone else had trouble finding work or didn't work until you were in your 20s?

I am 28 and the only job I ever had was a 5 months long trainee job after I graduated college at age 23.
Currently I am trying to get a disability pension (I am probably going to get it, I already got an OK from government doctor and am just waiting for official confirmation) while still looking for a job. I am thinking about moving to a bigger city when I start getting the money and then look for a job there but I am too scared to move so I don't know if I get myself to do that.

I've never worked retail or fast food. They look like horror shows to me. What are you able to do?

22, almost 23.
Only job I had was 5 days (3 of which were trial) long, 2 months ago.
Time to time I have freelance work though.

I really need a job but nobody is willing to hire me when they meet me in person. And I can't apply for disability benefits either because I'm not a citizen where I live though I was told I met their criteria.

Edit papers online for whichever grades you feel comfortable. Sell stuff online- paperbacks, name brand clothing, etc. acquired at thrift shops/yard sales. Bicycle/appliance repair. I'm just spitballing here, but there's something out there for you that requires no or very little interaction with other people.

Thanks for the ideas! Not sure what you mean by edit papers online?

when I was 18 I worked retail. cashier. it was actually by far the best job I have ever had.

then when I was 18 I worked fast food. Food Server. dished out French fries.

18 was my first job.

my most recent job was one year ago. got fired.

paranoid nobody will ever make the mistake of hiring my worthless corpse again.

Students of many ages/grades need papers edited. You could put up posters on college campuses, and advertise online about other grades (maybe get some younger relatives to post on campus), and run a nice little business just editing their stuff for format, grammar, punctuation, spelling, citation format, etc. You could email drafts back and forth and receive Paypal payments from trusted customers. New customers would have to have a face to face exchange.

Never thought about such a thing. Is this a common practice where you live? It sounds like a great idea although, as I said, I'm not native where I live so it wouldn't be possible to do it here but I might actually try to do it online in my native language.

It's common enough.

When I was 21, the only jobs I had had were as a teacher's assistant, a newspaper intern, and a camp counselor in training. Now nearly 5 years later, I work full time for a software company. You will be fine as long as you stay confident and understand where your strengths and interests are.

Working Fast Food and I love my job, and quit traumatizing the kids! Shesh, too much of that stuff going on now. Donald Trump is perhaps another president along with the Kennedys and Clintons introducing trauma to our youth of what a great president is.

I sorta went into this in other threads but yeah I've only had one formal job in my life and I'm technically older than you. I think retail is fine if it's a store I am comfortable at especially since it's practically the only entry level job they have so that's what I mostly apply for. Of course I don't get it but I know I could do it.
I definitely couldn't do restaurants anymore. That's too fast paced. That was the one formal job I've had and the place was kinda slow but I'm pretty sure if I had stayed there longer it would have been too much so part of me was content with being fired.
People say retail can be fast paced too particularly if you're a cashier but I think restaurants are worse because when it comes to hunger I would think people are worse at being impatient. This is the same reason I wouldn't work at a grocery store..people just want to get checked out and get home.

We're the same age, however I've had jobs since I was 16, I worked in fast food and was fired from two of them.
You're right about fast food and retail I'm sure most of us can agree that a lot of us wouldn't do well in that environment

I don't know what to tell you, getting jobs are hard keeping them harder the novelty wears off fairly quickly and I end up just counting down the hours until I can leave. Don't see a point though, I mean at least when you're in school you know you'll graduate and it will end and you will move on. But at work it's everlasting until you die or get fired petty depressing actually. Sorry went a little off topic there just try to find something that doesn't kill you slowly day by day.