I put out a tweet last week asking if it was possible to become burnt out from hunting for jobs - and after pressing the ‘tweet’ button I found myself saying “Grace, don’t be ridiculous. You can’t be burnt out because you don’t have a job."
My journalism studies concluded at Lincoln in May earlier this year, and I have been searching for something to earn some "pocket money" since March. Over six months later, and here I am: applying for 5+ jobs a day, walking my dog, doing the laundry for my mother and sitting in the unknown for 50+ jobs who haven’t been in contact with me to let me know whether or not I’ve been hired. Oh, and I’ve signed on to The Job Centre today.
I would be lying to you if I said I wasn’t feeling embarrassed.
I’m 22, a first-class graduate with years of media experience under my belt - and I’m struggling to get an email back from employers. (I’m not sure what’s worse… not receiving a text back from my boyfriend, or an email from a company I’ve been dying to work with for years).
It feels demoralising and draining. Putting your heart and soul into an application, only to never hear back about your progress or find out that someone else has received the role via social media (true story, btw).
I didn’t expect to be feeling like this after working so hard for so long. But why do I feel so ashamed?
According to BBC News, the unemployment rate has risen to 4.1% in the country (BBC News, Sept 2020) which has meant many young people (like myself) have been affected by this. I am not alone and there are many others out there who are in the same situation.
It’s funny how when we have career celebrations, we share them across social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, to prove that “we did it, I’m a professional now!” But we don’t share the negatives, the job rejections, the difficult application processes or even “The Post Graduate Slump” (abbreviated to PGS).
So here I am today, sharing the reality from someone who is still unemployed during this unprecedented time.
The "PGS" has been sitting on my shoulders for quite a few months now. I don’t feel filled with creativity as I used to six months ago. Instead, it feels like a chore, something which I don’t want to be doing and get no enjoyment out of. It breaks my heart that something I know I have the passion for fills me with dread and hatred.
But as the old saying goes - there’s light at the end of the tunnel and silver linings to look for
The PGS plus the job hunt burnout has taken its toll on me in the last few weeks. It is hard to remain positive when you’re itching to take a step into “the real world” after sitting on the side lines for the past three years.
But, I am grateful.
Life is full of its awesome ups and dreaded lows, and this is just a bump in the road. I have a wonderful support system around me, which I know some may not have. I’m lucky enough to have access to The Job Centre, job searching sites and more - so I need to remind myself that this isn’t something to feel embarrassed or upset about.
This post was for me to vent, get back into my groove and reach out to others. I know many of you are also feeling the strain and pressure at the minute with the way of the world. I want you to know is that I understand the part of the struggle and I’m on this rollercoaster ride alongside you.
I’m not really sure where this puts me now. I want to get my creative juices flowing again, but they simply don’t feel accessible at the minute. I hope that something will kick in soon, as I am missing the enjoyment I had for creating “stuff”.
I wasn’t really sure how to end this post, but a comedy duo always knows how to recharge my batteries in the form of a song when life is getting me down, and I hope it helps you too:
I would be lying to you if I said I wasn’t feeling embarrassed.
I’m 22, a first-class graduate with years of media experience under my belt - and I’m struggling to get an email back from employers. (I’m not sure what’s worse… not receiving a text back from my boyfriend, or an email from a company I’ve been dying to work with for years).
It feels demoralising and draining. Putting your heart and soul into an application, only to never hear back about your progress or find out that someone else has received the role via social media (true story, btw).
I didn’t expect to be feeling like this after working so hard for so long. But why do I feel so ashamed?
According to BBC News, the unemployment rate has risen to 4.1% in the country (BBC News, Sept 2020) which has meant many young people (like myself) have been affected by this. I am not alone and there are many others out there who are in the same situation.
It’s funny how when we have career celebrations, we share them across social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, to prove that “we did it, I’m a professional now!” But we don’t share the negatives, the job rejections, the difficult application processes or even “The Post Graduate Slump” (abbreviated to PGS).
So here I am today, sharing the reality from someone who is still unemployed during this unprecedented time.
The "PGS" has been sitting on my shoulders for quite a few months now. I don’t feel filled with creativity as I used to six months ago. Instead, it feels like a chore, something which I don’t want to be doing and get no enjoyment out of. It breaks my heart that something I know I have the passion for fills me with dread and hatred.
But as the old saying goes - there’s light at the end of the tunnel and silver linings to look for
The PGS plus the job hunt burnout has taken its toll on me in the last few weeks. It is hard to remain positive when you’re itching to take a step into “the real world” after sitting on the side lines for the past three years.
But, I am grateful.
Life is full of its awesome ups and dreaded lows, and this is just a bump in the road. I have a wonderful support system around me, which I know some may not have. I’m lucky enough to have access to The Job Centre, job searching sites and more - so I need to remind myself that this isn’t something to feel embarrassed or upset about.
This post was for me to vent, get back into my groove and reach out to others. I know many of you are also feeling the strain and pressure at the minute with the way of the world. I want you to know is that I understand the part of the struggle and I’m on this rollercoaster ride alongside you.
I’m not really sure where this puts me now. I want to get my creative juices flowing again, but they simply don’t feel accessible at the minute. I hope that something will kick in soon, as I am missing the enjoyment I had for creating “stuff”.
I wasn’t really sure how to end this post, but a comedy duo always knows how to recharge my batteries in the form of a song when life is getting me down, and I hope it helps you too:
Catch up with you soon,
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