When I moved back to Connecticut over the summer my first goal was to get a job. Since my move was unexpected, I didn’t try to secure a position for the summer. I found out that the places I previously worked at were filled up which meant that I would have to start from scratch and enter the job market on my own. Here are a few things that I’ve learned trying to find a summer job.

1. There's More Competition For A Job Than You Would Expect.

In the past, I was able to get a job because I knew someone in management and would be hired if a position was open. Since I don’t have the same connections as I did before, this is my first taste of entering the competitive job market as a regular person. I am not only competing against high school/ college students for summer positions, but also adults who are looking for anything. Websites such as Indeed and Monster.com make it easy for anyone to apply for a job online.This allows companies to have a more diverse pool of applicants which gives them many options to choose from for who they hire.

Being a college student who excels academically doesn’t guarantee that you’ll earn a job or even an interview. Robert Meier, President of 'Job Market Expert' found that, “98 percent of job seekers are eliminated at the initial resume screening and only the “Top 2 percent” of candidates make it to the interview,” meaning that most applicants don’t fit what the company’s first screening. Each position is looking for a different skill set and education level, which means that I may not be the most desired applicant for some jobs and will fail the initial resume screening. I’ve applied to multiple jobs ranging from a sales associate at a Microsoft store to a cashier at CVS and I have only been called back for one interview so far which means that I’ve only passed one resume screening.

2. The Waiting Game Is Terrible.

The worst part about looking for a job isn’t applying for one, it’s waiting to hear back from the employer. It’s annoying to wait to hear back from a company hoping that you will be offered an interview. Since I’m waiting to hear back from somewhere I applied, I have a lot of down time. Spending my time watching TV gets boring quickly and writing articles doesn’t take a while. Waiting to hear back is the worst part since the company first has to go through your resume, do a background check, and then call you in if they are considering hiring you, which takes between five to seven days. The company then has to make the decision whether or not they want to hire you, which may take a couple more days after the interview. I’ll be happy once I have a job that I’ll be able to spend my time doing something productive and having a source of income to help pay for college.

3. I’m Going To Have To Get Used To This.

Even though finding a job is difficult, it gives me a taste of what will happen when I’m applying for my first job. When I first start applying for internships and a job after college, I am going to do my best to network to make sure that I have a position available for me. If not, I will just apply for a position that I feel I can excel in and hope that I will be hired, knowing that the wait is long and I may not hear back from the company.

Not getting a call back hasn’t discouraged me from applying for another job. either. I wasn’t the right fit for what the company was looking for and I move on to the next one. I’m confident that, for at least one job, my resume will show the skillset that the company is looking for and I’ll convince the employer in my interview that I will be the right fit for the job.