On the day of my graduation all I could think was,
'I've done it. I've actually done it.'
Receiving my degree was a huge achievement. The world was now my oyster. I was prepared for me and my 2:1 to do great things.
The tutors I spent the last three years of my life listening to waved me goodbye and said, 'Keep in touch.' What they didn't, but should have said was,
'We've released you into a recession, all the jobs are few and far between, you are more likely to end up on a call centre or behind a bar than actually doing what you've spent three years studying.'
So there I was, full of promise and hope and excited about my new prospects. I was convinced that I would get a great job that was related to my degree by the end of 2009. The reality was far different.
I sent hundreds of copies of my CV out in to the world, applied for endless jobs, bombarded companies with phone calls and unexpected visits, hoping they would take one look at me and say, 'We'll create a job especially for you.' But they didn't.
I thought I was employable; I had a degree, lots of skills, work experience at numerous companies, including the BBC. Yet still no one wanted me. Out of 98 job applications, I received only one interview.
I was very close to giving up hope when an unexpected email pinged into my inbox. It was from an old employer of mine. They had a maternity cover position open and asked whether I wanted it. I didn't go through a formal interview process, I didn't even have to send in an updated version of my CV. The job was mine, if I wanted it.
The penny finally dropped. Why would companies look to employ desperate outsiders when there are so many relatives, friends and old employees who are unemployed. Now that I know that, I see it everywhere. It's not what you know, it's who you know. In the company where I currently work, there is a large percentage of staff who have a relative or friend who also works there. Some jobs are only passed through the family and any hopes of a career progression are slim.
I wish I knew then what I know now. Perhaps if I had, I would have spent less time in the library and more time networking.
So here I am today, working a 9-5 job that I'm not even qualified for, not even enjoying. All my hopes and aspirations from university have wilted away one by one. I am left in a predicament. Do I carry on this journey that has been placed upon me, or do I break away and try again for forgotten dreams?
