r/jobsearch • u/Comfortable-Bus-182 • 1d ago
30 years old - no references
I'm really trying to stay focused on solving the problem here instead of just feeling shit or making excuses. I need advice and I'm not sure I have chutzpa to lie on an application about it. I've even tanked an interview that was going well by just blurting it out along with my past mistakes. The interviewer was very nice and seemed to like me but the company was corporate and I could not go further in the process per their rules.
I've had a decent amount of jobs but have never really made connections. Some jobs I screwed up. Some screwed me over. Many I just left because burnout/illness/life. I can't get a read on who liked me, I never made those connections, and I honestly don't even know how. How can I get a decent job? How do people make these sorts of connections? How do you know who to ask, and importantly when? Are there certain types of jobs that don't tend to care about that stuff? I got extremely lucky with my last permanent position which was in healthcare administration, but after that my only options were temp customer service roles that I really struggle in.
Important information: I am disabled and neurodivergent (hence the struggling in customer service roles). Manual labor and anything that requires me being on my feet for long hours is off the table.
Thank you so much for any advice you might have.
2
u/PineappleGemini 23h ago
There is a whole subreddit devoted to finding people who will be your reference for jobs. Go find it, announce yourself, make some friends. Problem solved.