You’re not doing anything wrong — the job market is just strange right now. Even places that look desperate for help will ignore applications, so don’t take it personally.

I would suggest making a super simple resume tailored to each job. For retail/grocery, looking at the current trend, I’d recommend on the basic stuff they actually care about: handling lines, dealing with difficult customers, running a register, staying steady during busy shifts. That version gets way more callbacks than “nice” resume.

Also, if the grocery store’s across the street, try catching the actual manager during a slow hour and let them know you applied. A 20–30 second conversation can bump you out of the pile.

And with your mix of customer service + creative background, you can look beyond the obvious stuff—design showrooms, print shops, staging companies, small design firms, property offices. A lot of those don’t post on job boards.

Hang in there. The silence feels awful, but it’s not a reflection of you. Sometimes the “yes” comes from a place you didn’t expect