_TinyRodent_'s journey

I've been on the job hunt for 13 months now, and it's been incredibly frustrating. I've applied to thousands of positions, sending out multiple applications every day, but I've only managed to land three interviews. One was at a new shop opening, which was a group interview, and the other two were at Greggs, one about a month ago and another just this week. As a teenager about to turn 18 in three months, I see many of my peers in year 13 getting jobs, which makes my situation feel even more disheartening. I know the job market is tough, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm doing something wrong. I've primarily focused on fast food, cafes, bakeries, and retail, applying through company career sites and platforms like Indeed and Reed. However, I keep seeing the same job postings for places like McDonald's and KFC that seem to be ghost listings. I wonder if they even hire anymore or if there's a better strategy for me to find openings. I've also applied to places like Costa Coffee, Nando's, and Gail's, but I often receive the same disappointing responses. I've tried applying to supermarkets like Sainsbury's and Tesco, but many of the available hours don't match my schedule. Still, I apply to any role that I can find, indicating that I'm fully available and flexible. My CV highlights my experience with tills, front and back of house roles, inventory management, and customer service tasks from various work experience placements and volunteering at a charity shop. I've even used Google AI to get tips on improving my CV, ensuring I include relevant buzzwords for customer service roles. I understand that employers may prefer hiring adults with more experience over a teenager like me, but it feels impossible to break into the job market. Despite the thousands of applications I've submitted, the three interviews feel like a drop in the ocean. I've also attempted to hand in my CV in person, only to be told that everything is online, even for jobs that are posted. I don't have any connections to help me either, which adds to the frustration.