As I write this post some 18-19 year-olds sleep soundly in their beds (as that is what the youth of today do) dreaming of the prospect of going to University. An educational mecca where they can fill their braniums with a whole host of knowledge which, in theory, should prepare them for the "Wider Working World".
In. Theory.
Employment statistics regarding graduates tend to be quite surprising; showing that most students after graduating are able to get jobs (80-90%) whatever University they went to or whatever degree they studied. However a key question which is missing from these statistics is whether this is the job they intended to do once they had graduated.
From a personal perspective I can answer this question with a resounding "NO". In terms of My Plan (a phrase which will most likely become a common occurrence throughout this blog) I am on track.
My Plan
a) make my part-time job my full time job thereby earning money whilst...
b) applying for work experience, volunteer stuff and internships.
c) make contacts through aforementioned work experience, volunteer stuff and internships and get permanent job.
d) quit previous soul-sucking full-time job with some sort of clever/self-aggrandising outburst at manager. (hair-flip non-essential)
e) become astonishingly successful and rich.
Though I am still making the transition to part b) all-in-all the five parts of the Plan I feel, or at least felt, were entirely do-able. However I forgot a few things whilst envisioning said Plan. Which brings us neatly to my first rule when finding a job:
Rule 1: You are your own worst enemy.
It is extremely easy to lose focus or become disheartened whilst job-seeking. I haven't even started looking properly for a job and yet many, many times I have found my self sobbing in some quiet corner or dramatically flailing my hands whilst describing to an empathetic friend my strife at working somewhere I don't want to and struggling to figure out if I have what it takes to realise my dreams. Just to reiterate, this was before I had even started properly looking for a job. *sigh*
It's easy to stay in the same place and think about 'what if's', it's harder to take the plunge and see if there is any truth to the words you've been spouting about "what you want to be when you grow up".
Anybody wanna dive with me?
Rule 1. Rule 1. So true. If only we could push out that part of our mind that says 'I am going to be stuck in a dead end job everyday for the rest of my life barely able to afford the necessities.'
ReplyDeleteLiterally reading a book right now called 'Get a Life', if that is any indication or where I am right now. I think the biggest chunk of the battle is just figuring out what career would really make you happy even if you didn't get paid to do it. As long as you are working toward that utopia of a career it should all be okay, right?
I'll dive with you but just keep reminding me that it's not going to be 50,000 pound salaries or self fulfilment for some time. Banging of head against wall and crying is to be expected. (Does it have to be this difficult really?)
If you could get the bloody "Prophet of Doom" in my head to STFU then all problems would be solved.
Your encouragement on here helps shed a ray of sunlight on the VERY black cloud of job searching. Thank you.