Graduate blues and how to get through it
You've got the degree. Where is the job?
You've spent your whole academic life being told that a degree is what will get you THAT job. The dream job. A car, a mortgage. Your parents will be proud of you and you'll be made for life. Except you can't even find a job. You're handing out CVs on the high street like you're sixteen again and you start to wonder if all that studying was worth anything.
Trawling job sites is only making you feel worse. 'Unpaid internship', 'You'll be paid £20 a day', '£5 an hour', 'Unpaid, but we'll compensate you for travel', and everybody's favourite, 'You must have 5 years experience working in a similar role'*
The truth is that that job is out there. Just maybe not right now. Nearly 40% of graduates are job hunting 6 months after graduating, so it isn't just you, I promise. In the meantime, here are some tips to get you by:
*They are all real examples, by the way. Oh, and I missed out the one where they were expecting you to pay them a few hundred to work for them for a couple of weeks. Seriously.
1. Stay open minded
I know that you've probably left university with a job in mind. Or maybe an idea of the kind of company you want to work for, or your dream job title. Most people reading this have probably known what they've wanted to do since they were six years old, and have studied tirelessly for fifteen years to get there.
Except you're not there. In fact, you've done everything you were told to do, and that job doesn't even seem to exist.
I know, I've been there. You panic. You think, "If I don't do [enter ideal job], what will I do? Am I any good at anything else...this is all I know!"
Chill out. Step one, you might have to put that dream job on hold for a second. Instead, apply for all sorts of jobs! Anything that you think might interest you (note: this is how I found the job I'm in now)! You have nothing to lose when you apply for a job, the worst they can say is no, so just go for it!
Remember, many of the skills you learnt at university are more transferable than you think. I didn't imagine that a journalism degree would lead to a marketing job. I didn't even know I wanted a marketing job. Try to relax, and don't be afraid to try something out of your comfort zone. It'll probably be the making of you.
2. Do whatever you need to to get by
Money matters. Not everybody has the financial ability to 'wait' for the ideal job, or go on a six month unpaid internship (I have strong feelings about internships of that nature...I'll be writing about this soon!). If you need a job, take it.
There is no shame is minimum wage unskilled work. None. I've never been paid more than minimum wage (my intern position is min. wage). I've worked unskilled jobs since I was fifteen, and work of any kind looks great on your CV, as it teaches you the kind of lessons that university can't. I'm confident, assertive, quick, professional and emotionally unshakeable because of some of my most undignified experiences in customer service. It also taught me how to handle money well, and it's how I met some of my best and long standing friends (nothing bonds two people like being screamed at by nasty customers).
However, so many graduates have their confidence knocked because they're not in a 'proper' job. I know, after years of studying you feel like you should be in professional work. The fact that you even have a job in today's financial climate is fantastic, and I salute you! 868,000 young people are out of work, and this brings me to my next point...
If you have to sign on, sign on. Please.
To conclude, stop being embarrassed and just get whatever work you can! Don't get me wrong, if your life is anything like mine, it is highly likely that you'll bump into one of your smug ex classmates (who's managed to get that brilliant job you would kill for) on the way to the dole queue, or in your work uniform (probably sweaty and scruffy after a nightmare shift, to top it off). They'll talk for twenty minutes about their incredible job and about their amazing selves, and then ask "so, what are you doing now?". You can't not answer. Trust me, they will give you an awful, patronising, pitying look, and you'll feel tiny. But hey, lie if you want. I would. Anyway, sooner or later, you'll be smug too, except you'll know better than to rub it into a struggling schoolfriend's face.
3. Volunteer
I cannot stress this enough. When you are struggling to find work, the worst thing you can do is play video games or watch jeremy kyle all day. Being unemployed can make you feel as though you have no place in your community, and 14 hour Sims marathons will do nothing for it.
Volunteering is a great way to use your time while you have it. So many charities need your help, and many offer the chance to earn qualifications while you're there.
I volunteered at St Clare's Hospice for six months. I was only in University once a week, and I was getting bored. I didn't feel I could commit to a job whilst in the last leg of my final year, but knew I needed to be doing something. I volunteered in their charity shop at least once a week, and I absolutely loved it. So much, that when I got my internship I didn't want to leave!
I learnt new skills, made new friends, and had my eyes opened to the struggles of the third sector. Oh, and volunteering always looks good on your CV!
The benefits to volunteering are endless, and you will be truly valued.
4. Learn
Learning is always good for you. If you can get on a course, any course, get on it. Especially if it is free! First aid, customer service, photography, whatever. It might have absolutely nothing to do with your degree subject, but it gives you something to focus your energy on and an extra qualification can only do you good - it certainly won't do you any harm. If anything, its shows that you can adapt to new skills outside of your speciality, and that you know how to use your time wisely. When you get an interview for the job you truly want, and they ask what you've done since leaving university, do you really want to say "nothing"?
5. Try not to worry - it isn't just you!
You are one of many who are struggling! If you don't believe me, google 'graduate unemployment' or 'how many applicants per graduate job'. Notice how google completes your sentence? This is a common problem for so many young, talented, intelligent people, just like you.
Most importantly, keep your head up and keep going! You'll get there eventually, and it'll feel so good when you do.
About the Author
0 comments