Reddit reviews What Color Is Your Parachute? 2012: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers

I would recommend this book:
What Color is Your Parachute?

The guy has written the book for 30 years. It explains how to analyze yourself and how to effectively interview, search for jobs, network as well as helping you realize your dreams and goals.

Good Luck.

First of all, I don't think your parents see you as a waste of space: they have their problems, you all live in a small apartment, it never helps.

Now, I understand how frustrating it is to not being able to get a first job. I remember looking for mine. The first job is always the hardest to get, because you don't have any experience.

My advice on this, as a former business owner, would be to do everything you can to stand out. A formal resumé won't do it. A formal letter won't do it. Calling again and again won't do it. I remember about an applicant who sent me her resume via FedEx. I had to sign and hence receive the thing in person. Her resume was great, she was hired on the spot.

If your girlfriend is artistic, could she help you graphically design a great looking resumé? You can also add a PQR code leading to a YouTube résumé. You think this takes time, it sounds overwhelming, but if you think about it, the efforts you put designing that piece of paper you send to companies, will land you a job. Not so bad now, is it? What kind of work are you looking into, by the way?

Also, buy this book now. It's the absolute best for finding a job.

Finally, I know you're desperate and tired, but realize you've been going at it the wrong way. If you reset your mind and your strategy and follow my advice, you will get a job and start living your own life. Take care and remember that SW is here for you. Please keep us posted.

Businesses invest in employees who invest in a specialization. Few things make you look as unfocused as saying you are a "jack of all trades" or "well rounded."

And you've also experienced yourself out of entry level jobs. Take all of this as signs that you need to present yourself as someone specialized in IT since you have both experience, and to some extent, an education in it.

Craigslist is a good place to look, but postings there get flooded with applicants. A better way to look for jobs is know the business that are physically located in your area, going to their websites, and seeing postings there. Many business post jobs this way because they are not flooded with applicants, and the people who want the job most are usually willing to go through all the tedium to find one that way.

9-10 resumes a week and nothing yet doesn't mean that you need to put it more. That's already a lot to put in every week. Something about what you're doing just doesn't add up. Either you don't tailor them very well, you ruin yourself with the "jack of all trades" approach, or your skills in IT are behind your competitors. I don't work in IT, but have you considered getting more certs?

There is a job fair tomorrow at CSUF with about 75 companies recruiting there. Have you heard of that?

Also, buy this book:
http://www.amazon.com/What-Color-Your-Parachute-2012/dp/1607740109
It has lots of helpful advice on how to find a job that's backed up with solid research. Putting in a resume in response to an ad you've seen has one of the lowest success rates of any method out there. Also, calling businesses back after you have put in a resume doesn't help your chances at all. It makes you look desperate. It also gives great advice on how to direct your career in general.

Good luck

I agree with strap7Tongue (they beat me to the suggestions for exercise and diet and reading). But maybe I can still add SOMETHING...

Finding your passion in life can energize you tremendously. But how?

What Color is Your Parachute is widely acclaimed for its capability to help you figure out what sort of career you'd like most to pursue.
http://www.amazon.com/What-Color-Your-Parachute-2012/dp/1607740109

The Whole Earth Catalog from the early 1980s (available in many public libraries) is basically a sampler of all the best human knowledge and ideas from all of history up to that time, and an excellent way to stretch wider your personal reality and interests, and find something new to better motivate you.

Read this.

It'll help you figure out what you like to do. My wife and I both loved it.

Firstly, I recommend the part-time/not in your field job. Because it's easier to find a job when you already have one. Isn't that sad?

I also second calling that friend's wife. I've been reading What Color Is Your Parachute?, and that books talks about how one of the best ways to network and find a job is to form an unemployed circle. Maybe your friend has passed on a job that wasn't for her, but that is perfect for you, and she can clue you in on it.

Thirdly, if you must reddit, be sure to check out r/jobs!

I forgot about r/NeedAdvice. That's probably a good place to go for future reference. You're here now though so let me chime in a little given that you've put more details down.

Even though you have lots of things going for you like a job, fiancee, and a place to live it is still completely understandable that you can feel tired, lost, depressed and adrift. Expectations (from society, media, family) get ingrained very easily and guess what? You'll never live up to them all.

What is encouraging about your situation is that you have an awareness that things are off and you want to start wrangling it back to what you want. Good for you! As for how to find out what to do that's a lot harder but the key is for you to understand that it is ok to make breaks. You already made one by figuring out that your family is emotionally draining. If you need to, you can make a break from school as well. If you do that don't drop out though, do so thoughtfully by sticking out the quarter/semester and then taking a leave of absence. That will give you some breathing room.

Careers and jobs are tougher. One way to approach a change is with the classic guidance books like What Color Is Your Parachute.

I've just thrown together some thoughts based on a very brief snippet into your life. None of these may be appropriate but if nothing else I hope that they get you thinking about possibilities, and the fact that there are lots of resources out there be they books, websites, career counselors at school, or random folks on the interwebs.

What colour is your parachute.

Um, it's What Color Is YOUR Parachute.

Solid advice though.

You should consider grad school in another country.

Also, let me recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/What-Color-Your-Parachute-2012/dp/1607740109

Good luck

I am however starting to change my job search strategy. I'm reading 48 Days To the Work You Love and What Color Is Your Parachute I checked them out at the library.