Penguin

I can very much relate to this – being a graduate and heading for an industry where the competition is fierce and there is no job stability in it whatsoever (I graduated in illustration and I’m more than likely going to end up doing my masters next year). I would very much like for illustration and art to be my full time job but it’s not possible at the moment – I was making very little money from it, I’m burned out from making art and it takes time to establish yourself as an artist. I’m looking for any kind of job that I can do until I start my course next year.

I’m not sure what jobs you have applied for but have you tried applying for any retail or customer service jobs at the moment? The thought of working in retail terrifies me (I’m not really much of a people person, especially the outgoing trendy type!) but it’s around this time that all the shops are going to be taking on seasonal staff for the Christmas season so it might be worth a shot? You could try the local bookstores to see if they have any vacancies? They might be hiring at a nearby library? Are there any jobs going at the university for campus staff?

As for long-term goals, have you maybe considered the possibility of teaching?

You are NOT worthless. There are many people in the same boat, myself included – graduates not knowing what to do with their lives and being out of work. Some of my classmates whom I graduated with 2 years ago, they still haven’t been able to find work. I’m not saying this to scare or discourage you, I’m just saying this to let you know that you are not alone. It’s best not to focus on everybody else, you just focus on you. I know how easy it is to feel discouraged from applying for a job because it seems like an exercise in futility (lots of people applying for the same job).

I hope this helps, and I hope you will find something soon.

Take care

Joe

Hi Penguin

Finishing study is an extremely difficult point in life, but many people don’t recognise it as such. I remember when I was at the same point as you, and feeling like I was alone in a space rocket on the launch pad. Up until then, everything had been mapped out for me, people were there to guide me. Suddenly, it was time to put everything I had learned into practice.

Was I scared? Hell, I was terrified. I thought I was supposed to have everything all mapped out for the next 40 years, and I just didn’t. I had spent all of those years studying, receiving praise for getting things “right”, only to find that I was now in the world of work, where instead of praise you get paid, and if you get it wrong, you wouldn’t get helped, you’d get fired. No wonder it’s frightening.

I took a job in a bank because I thought it would be a guaranteed future. Since then I’ve been made redundant 4 times as a result of restructuring or takeovers. So if you or any of your friends think that they are embarking on a safe and solid career, they are seriously deluding themselves. Who knows, they may still be working in the same field in 2056, but the odds are massively against it.

I don’t know what roles you have been going for, but as someone who has both sought employment and employed people, I can tell you one thing for certain – there may be lots of people looking for work, but not nearly enough who have the right attitude. So you can stand out, not by having a degree, but by having the right attitude to work. Whatever you do, be it freelance writing, studying, helping out, or working in a bar, use it all to build a reputation of being trustworthy. Turn up, do your best and keep your promises and you will be streets ahead of a lot of young people. As a result you’ll be recommended to others and get more work and the financial backing to follow your dreams much more easily.

Your studies will at times have taken you well outside of your comfort zone, so don’t think that any job is beyond you – almost by definition, it isn’t. You have been able to stretch yourself and create things beyond anything you would have thought possible even a short time ago. So keep doing stuff that takes you outside your comfort zone. Do stuff that is uncomfortable and difficult, on purpose, every day. Take an action every day that moves you towards becoming an author. Write a thousand words a day, every day. Get into the habit of becoming a writer. Because those habits will help you in any other work you undertake.

Build your skills and experience to take advantage of whatever arises, and the opportunities that come your way and you won’t fear uncertainty – instead you will relish it. Remember that the world changes very fast. The job I do now didn’t exist 15 years ago, and now it is over-subscribed. My skills are no longer valued, so I need to look to something else that will make better use of them. So whilst it may seem like there are too many people out there chasing too few jobs, the reality is that new jobs are appearing all the time. I’ll bet that not many of your parents’ friends left school to become website designers, podcasters or smartphone engineers.

So all I would suggest is to have confidence in your skills – you have already proved that you have them. And accept that it may feel uncomfortable and alien to you to promote yourself. Once you get used to feeling discomfort and fear and can overcome it, you can do anything. Nothing will frighten you again. You are no longer limited to a cosy, safe bubble – everything in the world becomes yours for the taking.

You have already come a long way and learned a lot about yourself. The mere fact that you are nervous about the next step shows that you have the intelligence to understand what it involves, and that intelligence is what will take you through it in whatever direction you want to go.

Good luck!

Hey Penguin 🙂 ! I like the idea of a temp job to build skills and confidence. I would also suggest looking for a temp job with a project that excites you or for people that you find inspiring.
Axuda, I would just like to thank you for reply here! I’ve been going thru something similar and it really helped!

I hope everyone found a purpose.

The world a really does NOT need me.  I’m a 46 year old man, divorced for 4 years (her infidelity, if it matters), two children I have 50/50.  Unemployed for a year as of today.  Just another oppressive white man no one will miss.

The world actually does NOT need me.  I’m figuring out the most effective means of suicide.