Is there a secret trick to getting a job?

Does anyone know if there is anything else I should do to get a job? I’m 18 years old and in my first semester of college. I’ve had an under-the-counter job in the hospitality industry for a while, but never a legitimate, government-recognized, Uncle Sam-paying job. I’ve applied to plenty of places but all online. I feel like I’m just wasting my time filling out surveys of myself on different websites. Are they even going to get back to me to let me know if they don’t want to interview me? Should I e-mail someone? I tried visiting the human resources in person a few times but that’s such a joke since they’re never at their office.
I need money to pay off college and don’t want to have to take out a loan. I’ve applied for jobs at hotels as a room attendant (a gender-inconsiderate term for maid) and a front-desk person. Am I aiming too high for my age and experience? As I said, I have “unlegitimate” experience, which I listed as experience since I still worked for a company. Is there anything more I can or should do? I don’t know…I’m just in this loop and not getting anything accomplished.