I don't know if you are looking for a job. But, you either have, you currently are, or you will eventually look for one. In today's world of online applications and necessity for connections, the days do not get any easier.
You see, employers are like those people who want the perfect boyfriend or girlfriend. They want someone who is kind, fit, has goals, their life together, some experience, has the perfect jawline, the perfect personality, and the entire package that you have always dreamed of without helping shape the person whatsoever.
I apologize for that long sentence.
However, employers are the same in that they want someone to pass a multiple choice personality survey that is over 100 questions, someone to have at least 5 years of experience (but just out of college), be fluent in three languages, and work for the lowest wage possible.
I have honestly gone to a job fair where they wanted someone with a college degree to be a barista. I just question why that is needed, to make coffee? I'm not degrading the job. Instead, I'm trying to say that college is not necessary for everything because everything is learnable (via apprenticeship). But, today it is almost impossible to get a decent job with decent pay, without a degree.
I admittedly got nervous applying until I realized that I am lucky enough to even get an interview. But in all reality, it is not so easy for the employers either. You post one job and thousands of resumes flood in. How are you supposed to get a feel for someone's personality and know if they are truly good for the position? Applications take me sometimes an hour or more to fill out....just to APPLY! It is basically a full time job. Indeed is my breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It certainly isn't easy. While technology helps a lot of things, it actually also worsens the job market--making it more difficult to get the chance of an opportunity. The stakes in this case are higher because it is easily available for anyone to apply.
So how do you stand out? I'm trying to figure that out.