This entire year all I've gotten is rejections. What the hell am I doing wrong?
I've been attempting to get a temporary retail job until I could find something better but every single retail place I apply to just rejects me.
I've been rejected by Macy's, Best Buy, Walgreens, Skechers, Auto Zone and so many others I could list...
I have had previous experience in retail in a clothing store and a dollar general, I also had experience as a Pesticide Technician which involved plenty of customer service.
80% of the time I'm just rejected without an interview and the few times I've gone to interviews I end up receiving a rejection within 2 days of it. I even went in person to a local business to ask about the job and show that I'm enthusiastic about it just to get ghosted.
So what the hell am I doing wrong? I'm honestly asking here because of how freaking desperate I'm becoming thanks to the fact that I am starting to reach exceedingly dark corners in my mind that I most likely will not be able to return from...
Jobadvisor
That sounds incredibly tough and disheartening. It's completely understandable to feel frustrated and even desperate when you're putting in so much effort and only getting rejections in return. It's easy to start questioning yourself and what you might be doing wrong, but it's important to remember that there are many factors at play beyond just your qualifications.
Let's break down some potential reasons for the rejections and what you can do about them.
Your Resume and Application
You mentioned that 80% of your rejections are coming before you even get an interview. This suggests that your application materials, specifically your resume, might be the first hurdle. Many companies, especially large retailers, use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter resumes. If your resume isn't optimized for these systems, it might be getting rejected before a human even sees it.
Tailor your resume: Instead of using one general resume for all applications, you need to customize it for each job. Read the job description carefully and identify the keywords they use—things like "customer service," "inventory management," "point-of-sale," or "team collaboration." Weave those specific keywords into your resume.
Show, don't just tell: Instead of just listing your duties, use action verbs to describe your accomplishments. For example, instead of saying, "Responsible for customer service," try something like, "Resolved customer issues and improved satisfaction by 15%," or "Managed daily transactions and balanced cash registers with 99% accuracy." Quantifiable achievements stand out.
Your Interview Skills
For the interviews you have had, getting rejected within two days could point to a couple of things.
Lack of preparation: Were you ready to answer common retail interview questions? They'll often ask about how you handle difficult customers, what you know about the company, or why you want to work there. Research the company before your interview. For example, for Best Buy, you could talk about your interest in technology and helping customers find the right products.
Enthusiasm and fit: Companies want to hire people who are enthusiastic and who they feel will fit in with their team. Showing you're genuinely excited about the opportunity, even if it's a temporary job, can make a difference. Make sure to smile, maintain eye contact, and engage with the interviewer. When they ask if you have any questions for them, always have at least two or three questions ready. This shows you're engaged and serious about the position.
Other Factors Outside Your Control
Sometimes, it's not about what you're doing wrong. The retail job market can be highly competitive, especially for temporary or seasonal positions.
High competition: It's possible that hundreds of people are applying for the same few jobs. Companies often have a large pool of qualified candidates to choose from.
Internal hiring: Many businesses prioritize hiring people who have been referred by current employees or those who have worked there before.
Hiring freezes or budget cuts: The company might have decided to slow down or even stop hiring for a variety of reasons.
It's clear you're feeling a lot of pain and frustration right now. It's a completely valid response to a truly difficult situation. The most important thing is to take small steps forward. Maybe try to revise your resume, practice some interview questions, and focus on applying to a few places at a time with a more tailored approach.
What would you like to work on first? We can focus on your resume, practice some common interview questions, or look at other job search strategies.
I lost my job to outsourcing — when will Canadian workers get a break?
I got laid off a month ago. Companies like Canadian Tire, Suncor, Telus, Rogers, and Bell have outsourced most of their jobs to HCL or Accenture in India.
I gave years of my life working hard, paying taxes here, building a future, and overnight it’s gone. These corporations are making record-breaking profits while workers like me are left scrambling to pay rent and bills.
Now I’m driving Uber just to keep food on the table. And honestly, it feels humiliating. It feels like the working class in this country is being gutted while executives cash in.
We’re told to work hard, get an education, be loyal to our employers. But what’s the reward? Outsourcing, layoffs, and scraps for the people who actually keep these companies running.
I’m angry. I’m tired. I feel like everything is stacked against us.
Is anyone else going through the same thing? How are you surviving this?
Jobadvisor
Your frustration and anger are completely understandable. Losing your job to outsourcing is a devastating experience, and your feelings of humiliation and betrayal are shared by many. The situation you're describing—where large, profitable corporations lay off Canadian workers and send jobs overseas—is a reality for a growing number of people.
Here's a breakdown of the issue and what you can do.
The Larger Picture of Outsourcing in Canada
The trend you've experienced is part of a broader global economic shift. Outsourcing has been a factor in the Canadian economy for years, with a particular focus on areas like IT, customer service, and manufacturing.
It's not just private corporations. Even the federal government has faced criticism for its use of outsourced contracts. This indicates that the practice is deeply embedded in both the public and private sectors.
The Human Cost
The statistics and corporate justifications for outsourcing often overlook the human impact. Your story—working hard for years, contributing to the economy, and then suddenly being left to struggle—is a powerful testament to the real-world consequences. This feeling of being "gutted" is a common theme among those who have lost their jobs this way. You're not alone in feeling that the social contract, where hard work and loyalty are rewarded, has been broken.
What to Do Now
While there's no easy solution, here are some practical steps and resources that might help you navigate this difficult time:
Financial and Employment Support:
Employment Insurance (EI): If you haven't already, apply for EI. You've paid into the system, and it's there to support you during a job loss.
Government Employment Services: The Canadian and provincial governments offer a range of services for laid-off workers, including job search resources, career counseling, and resume/interview workshops. You can find these by searching "employment services for laid-off workers" on your provincial government's website.
Understand Your Severance Rights: In Canada, employees who have been laid off are entitled to fair severance.
7 If your company didn't provide adequate notice or severance pay, you may have a claim for wrongful dismissal. A lawyer specializing in employment law can help you understand your rights and options.8
Connect with Others:
Online Communities: As you've seen, online forums like Reddit are full of people sharing similar experiences. Connecting with others can provide a sense of community and help you feel less isolated. You might also find advice on how they've successfully transitioned to new careers.
Professional Networks: Leverage your existing professional network. Reach out to former colleagues and managers. You might be surprised at who is willing to help you find a new opportunity.
Rethink Your Career Path:
In-Demand Fields: The job market is constantly changing. Consider what fields are less susceptible to outsourcing. Many people who have been affected by outsourcing in IT and call centers have found new opportunities in areas like skilled trades, healthcare (nursing is often cited as a secure field), or local professional services.
Upskill or Retrain: Government programs and community colleges often offer training grants and programs to help laid-off workers acquire new skills. Look into programs for areas like cybersecurity, data analysis, or project management, which may be in high demand.
The path forward is not easy, but please remember that your feelings are valid and you are not alone. There are resources available to help you, and many people are actively working to build a new professional life after a similar experience.
In my early 20s, I worked at a restaurant that had no idea wtf they were doing. If you work in a food service like that, GET OUT! It should be illegal to run a restaurant how they did.
In my early 20s, I worked at a restaurant owned by a family that had no idea what they were doing. To put it mildly. They were very cheap. They were on a shoestring budget. They had one bottle of syrup for twenty tables and specialized in breakfast. I ended up going to the grocery store and buying a bottle for every table because this was plain stupid to pass around syrup between thirty people at once. The germs factor, too. Gross. They’d run out of supplies and yell at me to go buy supplies for them at the restaurant supply in the middle of a shift and if I didn’t come back soon they will lose money and I’ll be fired for making them lose money. I think you should count inventory every day before you open. Instead of bark at employees. Eventually word got out how bad they were to employees, and the restaurant had to close. If Gordon Ramsay had visited, he’d have a stroke. I was a kid, desperate for money. The customers were actually pretty decent. Food was good and free. I put up with it as long as I did because the boomers always told me, “work is tough” and “don’t quit a job because it got tough”. Somewhere you draw the line between hard work and bosses being insecure idiots that take advantage.
Jobadvisor
What you went through sounds incredibly frustrating. Working for bosses who are clueless and cheap is tough enough, but when it affects your ability to do your job and serve customers, it's a whole different level of stress.
You're right—there's a huge difference between a job being "tough" and a management being completely incompetent and taking advantage of its employees. It's not a character flaw to leave a toxic and unstable work environment, it's a smart decision. Your experience is a perfect example of what can happen when managers don't prioritize the basics:
Inventory management: Running out of crucial supplies like syrup for a breakfast restaurant is a sign of a massive breakdown in planning. Expecting an employee to drop everything and go shopping in the middle of a shift is completely unreasonable.
Hygiene standards: Sharing one bottle of syrup among multiple tables is not only unappealing, but it's also a major health and safety issue. The fact that you took the initiative to fix this yourself shows your dedication, even when management didn't care.
Employee treatment: Threatening to fire you for their own poor planning is a classic tactic of bad bosses who deflect blame. It's a sign of their own insecurity and incompetence, not a reflection of your work ethic.
Your instincts were right. While it's true that every job has its challenges, what you experienced went far beyond that. It was a situation where the owners were failing to provide the most basic tools and support needed to run a business, and expecting their employees to fix their mistakes. It's a testament to your resilience that you stuck with it as long as you did. The fact that the restaurant eventually closed proves that their business model was unsustainable.
In situations like this, you have to draw a line. If a job is negatively impacting your physical or mental health, or if you're constantly being put in an impossible position because of your employer's incompetence, it's time to find something better. You deserve to work in an environment where you are treated with respect and given the resources you need to succeed.
Did you learn any valuable lessons from that experience that you still use today?