It has been a while people... The fact that my last blog post was in June speaks volumes. Well, since June I have been doing what some people describe as a 'living hell'... The Dissertation. For those who don't know, I have spent the last year doing my Masters at uni, and due to it being a 12 month course, while all my friends have been enjoying their Summer off I spent mine doing my 15,000 word dissertation. I celebrated hard though; the hand in date was the day before my birthday, I did a 4 day bender, was kept busy by a trip to Southampton, did some stage management work experience and enjoyed my final Freshers' Week. And then it all stopped...
I had no lists, no motivations and was very much stuck in a 'now what?' mood. I am going to be totally blunt when I say that finishing uni does not prepare you for life after graduating, finding a job or help you find any direction in getting work; and it sucks. That sudden feeling of all the pressures being taken off your shoulders is both a blessing and a curse; on one hand, yay it's all over I can relax now. But on the other, wow, what do I do now? Being without any motivation after enjoying the best 3 or 4 years of your life is really tough, tougher than people think. You are so used to spending your time waking up with your housemates, having control over your own schedule and before you know it you are back in with your parents, missing the fun of your friends in lectures and the societies you are involved in and are a fair distance away from everyone. And when you are feeling quite lonely and have nothing to do except job hunting, it is really draining and you can feel like the most pathetic person. But, one thing you need to remember is that YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
I recently came across an article which actually made me feel better about my situation of being stuck in the endless job hunt cycle, feeling worthless after every rejection and not feeling good enough for anywhere. I have had a couple of unsuccessful job interviews since September, and after a month of not getting anywhere I just felt ready to give up and book a one way flight somewhere... The temptation is real! However this article made me realise that there is so many people in the same boat; trying to find work, missing uni and being back home with your parents.
If you take a look at the article here, it feels like it is stating the obvious; yes you have achieved a lot, yes you don't have to rush into anything (even though the pressure is there), but it does make some valid points. I am lucky to still be on a zero-hour contract so the days I am busy are the days where I have a 4 hour shift at work, it is at least some income while I find something more permanent. And, yes I do enjoy the company of my parents again, getting my laundry done and my meals being made for me.
And making rash decisions about the type of work you want to go into is something important to note to, you may be that bored and ready to earn money that you want to find any full time job and stick with it until you find something more related to your degree. While this might be perfectly OK for some people, those with a specialist degree may not want this; someone I work with said to me "I'm 27 years old and I have been working here since I was 21 while I was trying to figure out what I want to do, I am still figuring that out now". While this may be terrifying, he has a point, he hasn't found the job that is right for him and doesn't want to jump into a job which will keep him stuck in a rut where he does nothing with his degree.
So what I am trying to say in this is that getting over uni and trying to find your place in the world does suck, the process of trying to find your job sucks when you are waiting around and are bored of waiting. But you need to take every day as it comes, so many people are in the same boat as you, and when the boredom strikes that is when you need to take action. Evaluate your goals, learn a new skill or a hobby, do that thing you have been wanting to do for so long. While this might be the time to find your 'dream job', this is also the time to reflect on yourself and enjoy your own company, and fulfil what you have always wanted to do. For me, that is to get back into regular blogging, having a good sort out of my bedroom and getting back into theatre as a hobby. At the moment, these are my goals, and while doing these I am also trying to find the right job for me. It could take weeks, months, or even a year; but if you are ever feeling down have a read of the linked article to remind yourself that you are not alone, if anything, drop someone a message and have a good catch up- they are probably feeling exactly the same and you don't know it!
I recently came across an article which actually made me feel better about my situation of being stuck in the endless job hunt cycle, feeling worthless after every rejection and not feeling good enough for anywhere. I have had a couple of unsuccessful job interviews since September, and after a month of not getting anywhere I just felt ready to give up and book a one way flight somewhere... The temptation is real! However this article made me realise that there is so many people in the same boat; trying to find work, missing uni and being back home with your parents.
If you take a look at the article here, it feels like it is stating the obvious; yes you have achieved a lot, yes you don't have to rush into anything (even though the pressure is there), but it does make some valid points. I am lucky to still be on a zero-hour contract so the days I am busy are the days where I have a 4 hour shift at work, it is at least some income while I find something more permanent. And, yes I do enjoy the company of my parents again, getting my laundry done and my meals being made for me.
And making rash decisions about the type of work you want to go into is something important to note to, you may be that bored and ready to earn money that you want to find any full time job and stick with it until you find something more related to your degree. While this might be perfectly OK for some people, those with a specialist degree may not want this; someone I work with said to me "I'm 27 years old and I have been working here since I was 21 while I was trying to figure out what I want to do, I am still figuring that out now". While this may be terrifying, he has a point, he hasn't found the job that is right for him and doesn't want to jump into a job which will keep him stuck in a rut where he does nothing with his degree.
So what I am trying to say in this is that getting over uni and trying to find your place in the world does suck, the process of trying to find your job sucks when you are waiting around and are bored of waiting. But you need to take every day as it comes, so many people are in the same boat as you, and when the boredom strikes that is when you need to take action. Evaluate your goals, learn a new skill or a hobby, do that thing you have been wanting to do for so long. While this might be the time to find your 'dream job', this is also the time to reflect on yourself and enjoy your own company, and fulfil what you have always wanted to do. For me, that is to get back into regular blogging, having a good sort out of my bedroom and getting back into theatre as a hobby. At the moment, these are my goals, and while doing these I am also trying to find the right job for me. It could take weeks, months, or even a year; but if you are ever feeling down have a read of the linked article to remind yourself that you are not alone, if anything, drop someone a message and have a good catch up- they are probably feeling exactly the same and you don't know it!
Elisa :-) x
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