Don’t worry, I am in exactly the same boat - polished resume, solid enough experience and applying to what feels like millions of jobs at every single place I can find nearby. A lot of the time it’s simply the fact that the do get so many resumes and applications that they can’t exactly take in every single person who expresses interest. The best I’ve gotten from this (as well as some advice from reddit) is to:

Make sure you sell yourself as best as possible - if you’re emailing a company or even making a new resume, make sure you don’t undervalue your skills and experience, confidently ensure each and every job knows exactly what you’re capable of and how well you’d fit their position (easier said than done but can also help boost the chances of being seen)
Email companies - whether a week after applying or simply as an expression of interest without actually applying to any jobs advertised. I find taking the time to personalise an email (or using a personalised template but changing the name of store etc) helped my chances of being seen as it directly contacts those in charge and shows you’re not just a robot or another piece of paper, but you have taken an actual interest in their business.
I’m assuming applying in person is better than online - I can’t really judge this as I’ve tried a few times and mostly get referred back to applying online, but have heard that, especially for smaller businesses, going in person and handing in your resume can be a lot more effective and you’ll have a greater chance at getting at least an interview instead of the whole ‘we will add your details into our database and consider you for future opportunities!’ bullshit.
Most obviously, people get jobs through connections. It’s tough, especially as someone who has absolutely zero connections to any retail jobs, but it always proves time and time again, that finding connections can really help with finding some work. (Ie. My best friend managed to get a job the other day at this new shop simply because one of the fathers at the daycare her mum works at, is connected to this new shop). And then here’s me, still unemployed and waiting on a miracle. Get out there, try to see who knows who or how you can manage to use that to your advantage.

Of course take this all with a grain of salt, but this is just from my experience so far. Best of luck!

6 points Jedi4Hire

What could I be doing wrong?

Quite possibly...nothing.

I have so little experience now and I feel it's holding me back.

Or it's the historically bad job market that is holding everyone back.


1 points CharacterPanic3621

It's refreshing to know this. I'm being told I'm not trying hard enough, by my parents and my peers.

parent root

2 points Jedi4Hire

Your parents and peers are woefully out of touch,

parent root
2 points Big-Championship-849
Don’t worry, I am in exactly the same boat - polished resume, solid enough experience and applying to what feels like millions of jobs at every single place I can find nearby. A lot of the time it’s simply the fact that the do get so many resumes and applications that they can’t exactly take in every single person who expresses interest. The best I’ve gotten from this (as well as some advice from reddit) is to:

Make sure you sell yourself as best as possible - if you’re emailing a company or even making a new resume, make sure you don’t undervalue your skills and experience, confidently ensure each and every job knows exactly what you’re capable of and how well you’d fit their position (easier said than done but can also help boost the chances of being seen)

Email companies - whether a week after applying or simply as an expression of interest without actually applying to any jobs advertised. I find taking the time to personalise an email (or using a personalised template but changing the name of store etc) helped my chances of being seen as it directly contacts those in charge and shows you’re not just a robot or another piece of paper, but you have taken an actual interest in their business.

I’m assuming applying in person is better than online - I can’t really judge this as I’ve tried a few times and mostly get referred back to applying online, but have heard that, especially for smaller businesses, going in person and handing in your resume can be a lot more effective and you’ll have a greater chance at getting at least an interview instead of the whole ‘we will add your details into our database and consider you for future opportunities!’ bullshit.

Most obviously, people get jobs through connections. It’s tough, especially as someone who has absolutely zero connections to any retail jobs, but it always proves time and time again, that finding connections can really help with finding some work. (Ie. My best friend managed to get a job the other day at this new shop simply because one of the fathers at the daycare her mum works at, is connected to this new shop). And then here’s me, still unemployed and waiting on a miracle. Get out there, try to see who knows who or how you can manage to use that to your advantage.

Of course take this all with a grain of salt, but this is just from my experience so far. Best of luck!
1 points DotHealthy8125

I was applying to a bunch of retail jobs as well and got no responses. This was odd to me because I had just graduated college so I must be a good candidate? I went in person to try and talk to someone face to face AFTER applying online. The first place I walked into got me an interview on the spot. The first person that I met with told me to apply online at which point I persisted and told them I already did and that I would like an interview. Worked for me so it’s worth a shot.