Out of work, mounting debts, very depressed

It may be that you just aren't suited to certain roles. I'm in the same position but with 3rd level. Companies are looking for certain personality 'fits' for their teams as well as someone having the right work experience. I completely understand how de-motivating and depressing it can be getting knock back after knock back. The only thing you can do it try and stay as positive as you can- I know it's hard to do- you will get a job eventually- just make sure you're applying to jobs you are suitable for.

As for walking into a recruitment agency and asking for interview advice as suggested- it's not a done thing and the consultant won't give you the time of day. I'm ex-recruitment and they're very busy with all their normal duties. You need to be a registered candidate with them for them to give you any interview advice and you would be attending interviews they've set up for you. Go onto the large recruitment agencies websites- they usually have interview and CV advice up on it.

Best of luck in your search!! You will get something...

Would I be right in assuming that your 60-100 applications a week are pretty generic? I would presume so given the sheer volume you are sending out every week. Now more than ever it's important to tailor your CV and covering letter to the specific job. The CVs should match the criteria in the job spec and your covering letter is your chance to outline why you are so different compared to all the other applicants for the role.

What line of work were you in OP?

If you are getting interviews then you are doing something right, so don't give up. You can NEVER prepare too much for an interview. I don't know what type of jobs you are going for, but no doubt google will help you find a list of prep questions for whatever job it is.

The first thing you need to do is study the job advertisement, and whatever skills they mention, you want to make sure you have stories ready about your achievements or experience which display these skills. Be a bit creative, it just has to be based on the truth, not 100% the truth.

You need to have an answer prepared for any question that they may ask you. Again you want your answers to be backed up by stories of your achievements and to display examples of skills relevant to the job. Study your answers like you're studying for an exam. Have a word for each answer that encapsulates the point that you're trying to make, and associate this word with your prepared answer, so that all you have to remember is the word and the spiel is triggered. When you're alone in the house repeat your answers to yourself over and over again while looking in the mirror. Sounds crazy but you'll become much more comfortable selling yourself that way.

So you should ideally be 100% comfortable talking about yourself, your achievements, and your experience, before you even apply for a job. Then when you get an interview all you'll have to prepare for is your knowledge of the place you're applying to. Again you should know what they do inside out. How many people work there, where do they have offices, what do they specialise in, what's the culture like, etc etc. Again google will help you with a list of things you should know about any company you're interviewing with. If you happen to get an interview with a company and a friend of a friend of a friend works there, try your best to meet up for coffee to get the inside edge on the place. This will educate you about the firm/ company and will also display enthusiasm and drive to the interviewer when you mention that you've met so and so.

Then obviously smiling and eye contact can't be overstated. And don't be afraid to pause and think of an answer if you're not sure, it's much better to pause for a sec than shoot your mouth off about something you've got no idea about. If you can try to be natural and make a light joke or small talk this really helps. Talk about the weather, anything, just try your best to turn it into a conversation rather than an interview.

Another thing that Irish people (myself included) do alot which is very bad in an interview is to talk themselves down. Don't be like "oh it was nothing", or "it was actually really easy". I mean, you don't have to make yourself sound unbelievably amazing at every stage, but you definitely don't want to put yourself down either. If you're doing that in an interview, what will you be saying about the firm in front of clients?

And lastly, here is an absolutely awesome CV makeover site:

http://www.lifeclever.com/give-your-resume-a-face-lift/

It talks you through MSWord step by step, and makes it look ultra professional by the end of the process.

Good luck, it's an absolutely miserable process but you'll get there, just try to keep focussed. There are literally tens of thousands of people out there who aren't even getting interviews, so you're actually in a very good position, relatively.

Also maybe start going to the local public library to do your daily job searches rather than staying at home on the internet all day. Anything to get out of the house is a big help.