What is wrong with me?

Hit 3 years of Unemployment, and then we'll talk.

Not ever having met you or worked with you, I have no idea if there is anything wrong with you. Why did they feel you were unsuitable? Was it just their company or the fashion industry in general?

Don't worry - you may be broke right now (can you borrow $ from anyone?) but you won't stay that way. Make sure you don't put that job on your resume! Just say you were doing something else - helping out granny or something.

You may feel depressed right now, but as I said, it won't last. You WILL get a job and you can try to re-enter the fashion industry once you've paid your bills, etc. Sometimes we are thrown these challenges and we don't understand why, but what's most important is learning how to handle them. If you don't have any challenges, you don't appreciate how good your life is when it is good, so try to take something positive out of this experience. It could always be worse, that's my motto, so be grateful you have your youth, your education, and your health. Keep a good attitude and keep on plugging away at getting any kind of job. Nobody's life goes perfectly smoothly. Imagine if this had happened to you when you had kids and a mortgage...

Blondie,

I am very sorry for what you are going through. I just got a job after 5 months of being unemployed. I understand what you are feeling. And my first thought is to tell you that what you are feeling is normal (and being felt by thousands of other people).

A bit of practical advice.

First, there is nothing wrong with you. It's not your fault. Stop blaming yourself. The economy stinks right now. There is no sense dwelling on this since none of us can change it. But you need to accept that things are really bad all over right now and there are lots of really smart, talented people who are out of work for months.

Second, you need to be realistic. It is really hard to find work right now. You should be prepared to be a few months out of work. Figure out how you can get money, if there is any way to get unemployment you should do it.

Third, you need to figure out how to stay upbeat and motivated. A job search takes a few months (on average) and during this time you need to keep working at it. During my job search I had a place and a time set aside to work (send resumes, send emails search boards, research companies etc. etc.)

But keeping things you enjoy is also important. Make sure you have time with friends doing things you enjoy. You will need this.

Fourth. You will find a job. It might take a few months, but you will be employed again. You need to keep this in mind as you are doing what it takes to get there. Keep the goal in mind.

Good luck. You can get through this.

If any of the applications you've made involved writing, your post might be a good indicator.With so many spelling & grammatical mistakes maybe you could address that issue and perhaps the problem might be resolved.
I wish you well in your endeavours.

Come now...look around you...and read what is going on in the world economies: recession. The fashion industry is notoriously fickle. If after 3 weeks you haven't been hired and you're in despair and in debt, then you aren't in the real world.

Only 5 interviews? Ask around to the candidates that have been on 50 interviews. The times are hard for job-seekers but you can't allow discouragement into the picture. Keep applying and don't look back.

In 3 weeks you're in financial difficulty? Why is it that you have not saved much? Come to grips with responsible adulthood. You have to plan for the down financial times and have at least 3 months (more like 6 months) of rainy-day savings.

Reality has caught up with you and it stings.

Please, take a deep breath and calm yourself. You are not a worthless human being. The first thing you are going to have to do is realize that your full time job right now is finding a job. Focus on that, alone. Don't look back.

She just graduated from school and this was her first job - she was only there 6 weeks - not much time to save up $ - please give her a break. She didn't expect this and is finding out how reality stings. She's only 20, for Pete's sake.

When they do a background check on her, that job will show up.

What do you mean by background check? I don't think I've ever had one.

Here's the lowdown mame...

http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs16-bck.htm

While I'm sure very few places will check everything on that list, it's common to bring up, via social security # I'm guessing, the last 2 or more jobs a persons had.

We occassionally will get someone who states they worked X amount of time at a job, and the background check will cover a time frame significantly different. I don't sweat a discrepancy of a month or so, but I've had them come back with 6 months to a years difference.

If a person has good longevity on other jobs, I wouldn't immediately disqualify someone for a short tenure.

However, I do want to know what happened. To the original OP, please don't try to lie, chances are the interviewer will hear it in your voice, or you will use a certain word or phrase that will raise a red flag.

I'd be truthful, but don't say Anything negative about your former employer, or people you worked with.
You have a clue as to why you were terminated. Please don't say your are absolutely unaware of what went wrong.

You don't have to discuss the details when being interviewed, but present it like it was a learning experience, which it was. Don't make the interviewer have to dig, and pull teeth to get the story out of you. Be upfront and calm about it. Admit if a mistake was made, and that you learned an important lesson in life from it. Don't just repeat those words, really examine what happened to you, and what you gained from it. Don't make something up because you think it sounds good. It'll just sound made up.
If you present it right, you can actually impress them with your honesty and candor.

Give me a break!

I have been on both sides of this- I was part of a team that hired other people, and I was recently hired. Suggesting this level of paranoia is laughable.

There is no way for someone to find out you worked somewhere for 6 weeks. And there is no reason to tell them-- you certainly aren't obligated, it is your own private business. This won't be on your credit report, and it doesn't matter since an employer can't get your credit report without your permission. The one thing to watch out for is facebook, etc. which employers do check.

I would simply keep this off my resume (and make sure that it couldn't be Googled in any way). It is none of their business and there is no way for them to find out anyway.

This young woman has enough to worry about without this crazy nonsense.

Wow, we don't have anything like that here. We usually supply three work references. Driver's Licences have nothing whatsoever to do with a job, unless driving is involved of course, so that never comes up, neither does vehicle registration. Also, unless you're working with seniors, children or money, we don't ask for a Criminal Record check. They might check education records, but it's doubtful when you've been in the workplace for a time. Of course, they will want to see proof of graduation if it's related to the job (P.Eng, for example). We never check a person's credit records, court records, WCB, banks - those are none of our business. Ditto with medical records. When I was hiring, I called work references and had long interviews.

Since the OP only had the job for 6 weeks, I wouldn't mention it. Especially if she was fired/let go. Not good. I would definitely lie about it. You know what they say, don't put a bad reference on your list.

I don't even think it is lying Mame. They don't ask. She doesn't tell. It was her private experience.

Well, yes there is. I don't know why you think that would be hard, if you received a paycheck.

Sorry if you don't believe that, but it's true.

I have seen the background checks on every single person hired in my region since 2008, and per my companies parameters, we see at least the last 2 positions they were at, and exactly how long they were there.

If they worked somewhere for 1 week, and it was within the last 2 jobs they had, it will show up, and I will, and have, asked them about it. If we wanted, we could have the background check give us the dates on the last 3 jobs.

Most typically the response would be it was some temp assignment, or they were doing a short term seasonal job.

Never lie about your past work history. If you are found out, you will be branded a liar, with good cause, because you are.
If you explain the short tenure honestly and fairly, without blaming anyone, chances are you will be treated honestly and fairly. I have gone to bat for more than 1 person we hired, because I saw so much good in them as a future employee, and they were able to use the experience gained as a growing experience. Just about 6 weeks ago, I asked someone "what did you learn from that?" Instead up making up some complicated, convuluted answer, she laughed (softly) and said "I learned not to do THAT again!" I laughed too. That's exactly what I would have expected her to learn. She was hired, and is, so far doing very well.
Everyone makes mistakes. Don't lie about it.

I don't buy it.

I have been working for a few months. I have received a number of paychecks. Let's assume I give you my social security number and any other information that I would normally give a perspective employer. Tell me, how would you figure out where I have been working?

And even if you did find out, through whatever nefarious means you have, how would that "brand" me? That would be information that you had that you would be legally obligated to keep to yourself. Companies don't exchange information on job seekers.

You are being overly paranoid. It is not fair to put this on a young job seeker.

Do you hire someone to do the background checks? How do they check? Do they get access to the candidate's bank?? How do they know?

I have been part of this. The way employers check for job dates for previous employers is they call the previous employers they find on your resume or job application.

If you don't give them the name of one of the previous employers, there is no way to find them (let alone ask them for employment dates). Generally employers will ask about missing periods of time on your resume, but this isn't a problem in this case.

Agree, and the whole time period is consistant with being a recent grad.

I assume because you used the term centre link you are in Australia.
Centrelink is frustrting organisation to deal with. I feel your pain and sympathise.
Go to your local shire/city offices and ask if they can refer you to a financial councillor. Dont wait till its too late. Often Financial councillors can negotiate payment terms and help with budgeting.

If your shire/city cant help use Afccra.
http://www.afccra.org/counselling.htm.

There is nothing wrong with you because you have been umemployed for 3 weeks. 3 weeks is nothing. Use this time to get education in other areas that may interest you. Centrelink and some employment services may be able to assist with course costs at TAFE.