Back to the drawing board

(Would my job hunting be more successful had I an actual drawing board to return to? It may be a wise investment. Could I find a job as a drawing board? This could be a line of enquiry worth investigating).

Graduate schemes have been an epic fail. I know I'm amazingly awesome and fantastic (modest, too), but it's hard to prove this in a sea of 1,000 other applicants.

So, I'm currently now applying for admin jobs in a variety of exciting locations (NB: this is a rare instance where I am not actually being sarcastic. I'm going for the cool admin jobs rather than working for a double-glazing company). I know it's not often the words 'admin' and 'exciting' are used in the same sentence, but I'm a slightly strange person who actually enjoys tasks such as photocopying and putting things into alphabetical order. I think it's my inner pedant asserting itself.

My life in song...

If anyone can answer that burning question, I'm all ears.

Unless you suggest teaching, in which case you can fuck off.

Worries

I'm not generally a worrier, but two scary dates are starting to loom. The first is 17th May, when I have to hand in my dissertation. Thanks to the weighting system, it's worth the equivalent of my entire first year of university (joyously, QM is one of the few places where the first year actually COUNTS). So, no pressure there, then.

The second, and even scarier date is 20th July, where I shall don a ridiculous hat and pay a ridiculous amount of money to get myself photographed clutching a rolled up piece of paper (to clarify, I'm graduating, not going to Glastonbury).

I have no idea what I'll be doing post-May. I'm desperately trying to find a job, but as I'm up against nearly 1,000 other people, my optimism is gradually diminishing. In a sea of Oxbridge graduates, I have no idea if a degree from a lesser-known college of the University of London makes me stand out for good or bad reasons.

Apparently, the graduates from 2009 who've already got their rolled up bit of paper and a year's work experience under their belt are also aiming for the decent jobs, so while there may be more jobs available than last year, there's also even more people to fight for them. And I have no idea how to make myself look better than everyone else.

It's at times like this that being best mates with the Queen or my dad owning a newspaper would probably come in useful.

What worries me is:

1) I have no idea if I'll be able to get a job.

2) I think I know what I want to do, but may turn out to be horribly wrong.

3) What I want to do is related to, but not actually, the thing I really want to do. But there's no way I'll ever make a career out of the latter, as - to be blunt - I'm simply not good enough. So I'm having to settle for something I know I can do, and hopefully enjoy.

Then of course there's issues to weigh up. I want to travel, but also would quite like to get out of rented accomodation one day. What do I put my money towards? Do I concentrate on having fun or establishing a career?

It's a big, wide world out there, and unlike most graduates I don't have the option to run away back home for a few weeks when it all gets too much. So I'm on my own. Which, to be honest, terrifies me. At the moment I've got the support network of uni, but that'll all be gone in a few short months.

I think it's time to break open that bottle of banana beer. And hide under my duvet until the real world buggers off. I may be here some time.

Gissa job?

After the slightly mad week of job applications, I have received my first rejection letter. (Well, email). They were very nice about it, it's more the issue that they received 800 applications that worries me.

When I manage to grow a moustache, it's time to start worrying.

Eek

I have started applying for graduate jobs. This terrifies me. I don't want to go out into the big bad world, I want to stay a student forever. I like not getting up until midday and spending all my time reading and being able to go out drinking any night I want. Sigh.

Real life is knocking at the door. I'm trying to ignore it.