An Open Letter to Myself - You Won't Get the Job You Want Now
This year I have found myself on a second gap-yah, post-uni. I would like to say this was my preferred choice, that I’m not ready to begin a 9-5 yet, to move to a big city again, to leave my parents at home. Last year I travelled Australasia and Southeast Asia for five months and it was the best experience of my whole life so far and I guess in some cliché way I did ‘find myself’, and I didn’t want it to end. But it did.
During my final year of university, I knew I wasn’t ready to apply for jobs because I wanted to travel so desperately. So despite feeling the pressure to apply for postgraduate degrees and jobs like most of my peers, I knew I wouldn’t feel satisfied until I’d done a big stint abroad. Although I still have the travel bug and know there’s still so much more out there in the world that I’d like to see, I feel ready to begin a career that fulfils and excites me. Having lived in Bristol for three years during university (I love you Bristol), moving home to my small market-town in Derbyshire, was a massive shock to the system. And now, with my travelling over, I’m back home and sometimes it can feel like I am just stuck. It can feel like my life is on hold despite being so ready to live it.
Hunting for jobs post-graduation can be incredibly difficult. Similarly to when I first moved to university, I feel like a tiny fish in a massive sea full of sharks. Sharks who can master an application screening, online tests, interviews, you name it, and of course, they ALWAYS end up in the graduate scheme or job they want.
I am aspiring to work in the NHS or the charity sector, particularly in a mental-health related role with young people. My most desired role is an Educational Mental Health Practitioner, offering therapy to adolescents and children who are struggling with mild to moderate cases of anxiety and depression, and additionally helping their educators to identify when one of their students is struggling. However, it’s no easy game getting there….
Despite my relevant experience and passion (I spent much of my time at university running a platform that helped people discuss mental health issues), there seems to be a theme in my life right now…. Rejection, rejection, rejection and oh! Another rejection.
It can be so hard to stay motivated and keep dedicating hours to submitting applications. It’s unfortunately so easy to get stuck in a rut of not believing you’re good enough, qualified enough or well-suited to the roles you want. Every email I get now my heart leaps a little, only to be brought down by a confirmation of my ASOS return or a spam account.
I think there needs to be a more free-flowing and open discussion about how tough life can be for students who have finished their degrees. A lot of people are still under the assumption that university sets you up for life, that it opens doors so wide that you’ll have job offers falling at your feet. When in reality, millions graduate each year. In the academic year of 2017/18, over 14 million students graduated from a higher education institution, with studies showing that approximately 50% get graduate jobs. So that leads the other half without - a statistic we need to come to terms with.
As I’m getting older, I'm beginning to try and just have more faith in myself, and faith that something will work out. I’ll get the job I want, I’ll move out of my parents house. Undeniably, it’s tough. I feel like a hypocrite even writing this and definitely need to listen to my own advice. It can be hard when this period of anxiety-inducing ‘limbo’ that I’m now in feels everlasting and hopeless.
BUT let’s establish the facts. Resilience is key! We graduated and that is a huge achievement in itself. To be honest if I can write a 10,000 word essay and travel the world, I should have faith in myself to do whatever I want. Secondly, it’s important not to draw comparisons between yourself and others - we all have different strengths and talents to play with. Plus, you never know what they went through to get where they are now.
Making a conscious effort to remember the positives amongst the negatives is crucial when it comes to staying motivated in the face of rejection. What do you have to offer? We have to remember our potential to be incredible and change the world, regardless of age. Look at Greta Thunberg - a sixteen-year-old girl who has openly struggled with her mental health and discusses her experiences with aspergers syndrome - letting nothing hold her back from doing what she believes in.
I try and remember that I am a daughter, a sister, a friend, a granddaughter, a volunteer and so much more. Instead of thinking ‘I’m not good at this’ think - ‘I can improve by doing this’. It’s the small changes that make a difference. Write down the things you’re grateful for, listen to your favourite music, read a thought-provoking book, put things into perspective, make the best of a bad situation. I’m grateful to have wonderful parents who support me through every decision I make and to give me a roof to live under. I am also grateful to have amazing friends who are in the same position as I am, as well as part-time work to keep me getting out of bed in the morning. Not everyone has these privileges.
Put yourself out there, do what you love, make a difference to people’s lives and DO NOT give up. Don’t let anyone, least not yourself, destroy your ambition - because time actually passes very quickly. Days slip away, months fade like the seasons and before you know it we’ll be in a whole new decade. Life is short - preserve yourself, spend time with loved ones, laugh, cry - before it all moves too fast and you realise you spent too much time wishing it away.
Don’t compromise on your happiness and accept a career for life that you take through desperation, Trust in yourself and remember, especially when you feel least like this is true, everything always falls into place.
Written by Molly Gorman
Hello! I’m Molly, a 22-year old History grad. I’m passionate about mental health, travelling, being outside and making people feel good. I’m currently working part-time in a pharmacy at home in Derbyshire, and aspiring to move to London to work in a mental-health related role in the NHS.