No one wants to hire me?

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Long story by the way. Before 2017, my only real experience was volunteering as a junior docent at a history museum for about four years. Then I began focusing on school more and found a summer job as a (very) part time gallery attendant. That’s been my only paid job on record. Granted, after that I had an internship with my uncle the following summer but it wasn’t paid.

Why am I typing this? Because I’m looking for part-time work (on or off campus) while I get my masters degree and I’ve submitted dozens of applications and resumes these past several weeks but have gotten little to no response. I had an interview last week for an office assistant position but I don’t think I’m gonna get that one. Not to mention that even for summer jobs or other part-time jobs the few companies that have reached out have either questionable reputation or want me to work when it interferes with my school hours.

Basically I feel like I’m doing something wrong but I can’t figure out what. It’s also frustrating that I’m unemployed while my siblings have $30,000+ salary jobs. Not to mention that I don’t have enough money for a car without breaking into my bonds (although I’ll be getting a rebate check next week from my university). Any advice?

What is your skill set?

What exactly did you do as a volunteer or intern?

Any licenses or certificates?

Skills, experience, qualifications ... just add personality.

why do you want a job, with a masters work load? Or do you have to to pay for the education? When I got my masters I'd have killed to not have to work.

This semester, I’m taking mostly undergrad level courses as I wasn’t an accounting major in undergrad. And it’s expected I have some form of work so that I have workplace experience which employers will look for. And tbh I’m a little low on income. Partly because the salaries my sisters will be getting this upcoming year and I have nothing. One of them is also in a PHD program and getting a research stipend so that leaves me with no excuse.

Working because you need to, I get.
When you graduate, employers won't be looking for the fact you washed dishes at the dining hall, and all understand if you don't have direct experience in what they are hiring for. That's why there are "entry-level" jobs. Now, in school, concentrate on the learning itself. I subsisted in college and grad school on a myriad of part time jobs; many are posted on campus or around your college town. If you are eligible for financial aid, see if you can get work- study; there are campus jobs reserved specifically for ppl receiving work- study so you are guaranteed to have one. If you feel you need experience in the field you will enter, look for part time school yr internships or full time summer ones.

Unfortunately the only form of financial aid that is granted to graduate students through the school is unsubsidized loans. Scholarships from outside sources, but that’s it.

I did work study as a grad- it's a federal program in which almost all colleges participate. You may want to verify with your college student aid office. I'd be really surprised if they aren't in the program.

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/work-study

That sounds very strange. In many graduate programs, graduate students are offered either teaching assistant (TA) or research assistant (RA) positions that help them financially through school. Many of these are funded by the government grant programs. Most colleges also have a placement office that can help them find employment either in the college or outside the college.

During my years of college, I worked 20 hours per week during the school year and 40 hours per week during the summer months. This helped me pay for my education and also my living expenses. I worked:
* in the main branch of a bank balancing daily receipts.
* as a postman in the downtown mail sorting station.
* as a parking lot attendant.
* as a warehouseman in a large department store storage facility.
* as a night shift operator on a cyclotron.
* with a supercomputer performing heat transport modeling.

The work does not need to be in your career field.

Only undergraduates are eligible for work study where I attend. It might be because I attend a smallish state university. Graduates can attain on campus employment, but I’ve been rejected from every single position I’ve heard from (which is over half of what I’ve applied to) so that’s likely out of the picture. For off campus jobs, they’re either unresponsive or aren’t hiring.

i'm the same way right now. i have a weekend job, but i've been wanting sometime new for during the week, but no matter how honest i am when it comes to applying, i never get a call. there have been times when they've responded to my resume weeks, sometimes months later, i've lost interested because it took them to long to get back at me.

Since the OP has not mentioned a specific skill set, it may be safe to assume that he has none. Employers generally do not hire unskilled people, unless it is for unskilled work — labor, retail, and service jobs. Being on a post-graduate track puts him in a paradoxical situation, in that he is too unskilled for most jobs, yet too smart for the jobs that are left. An employer risks putting a lot of time and effort into training him, only to see him bolt and run once he receives his Master’s degree.

I feel with you. I have been trying to get a job but I feel deep killed by the search. My last interview was with a company where I should have worn a suit to the interview, but their email said snappy casual so I went with something less formal. The other candidates were suits. Then I think some of my high winning type tone snuck into the interview. I wanted that job. They said they would train people to work in transportation logistics then they told me they went with people with more relevant backgrounds.

Now I am back to substitute teaching which I told myself in June I would never do again. I had a job offer in August but they rescinded it when they dug up a criminal conviction that was expunged from my record. I am tired of a system that punishes people so broadly for crimes.

I had one response where it may have hurt I didnt recognize the job. However as I went through the phone interview and had them say I didnt have any related skills on my resume and ask if there was something not on my resume I had to wonder why they did this.

I have enough experience in phone support I can get job offers there, but my last one was rescinded because they dug up something they should never have been able to find.

Seems like maybe you shouldn't compare yourself to your sisters. My year younger sister has gone to school(I attempted college but ended up just dropping out twice, as I tried going to community college after it didnt work out at more university style schools and that didn't work out either) and now works on water quality. She can go to buisinesses to make sure they are following water regulations like its a rather official thing I suppose. But I can't beat myself up over not having as much success as my sister...it would probably make me kind of resentful and not be encouraging to me. I mean she hasn't had the same struggles as me so it wouldn't even make sense.

it comes back and bites you. you can’t get a job without experience and you can’t get experience without a job.

I don't suppose there are relevant internships available...?