“Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.” – Baz Luhrmann’s “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)”
I’ve posted on this subject before but I wanted to take another look at it as I think it is an interesting topic. I recently applied to start receiving Job Seekers Allowance due to now leaving education and only have a 4 hour contract at a clothing store we have here in the UK called Primark (you can do up to 16 hours work and still claim Job Seekers Allowance).
The conditions that my career advisor set out for me was that I have to search for work for 4 to 5 hours a day 7 days a week until I find a full time job. Now, this is kind of flawed as the instruction I was given was “use our website and these others to look for work” and that was it. So far no advice on cover letter writing for example, which isn’t the end of the world as you can find advice like that on the internet quite readily. I just thought it was strange.
I graduated from University with a degree in Film & TV Screenwriting with Creative Writing…a pretty bad degree in terms of employability upon graduation. From my experience so far there are no jobs that ask for this specific degree, some do ask for Creative Writing but the trouble with the career I have chosen is that the companies that I’d like to work for are all based away from me in bigger cities like Manchester or London.
I’d happily relocate but the trouble is, that’s expensive. One of the best ways is to secure a job and THEN move but this has a host of troubles like for example, this still costs a lot and with a maxed overdraft and credit card from being an irresponsible student I can’t just up and move.
I have now decided to focus on passing my driving test because this at the moment seems the most viable option in expanding my opportunities and not having to rely on public transport but, you guessed it this has it’s own problem like costs and having to then rely on your car to not breakdown.
The main problem for me though is this: with no career prospects from my degree, it’s left me not knowing what to do in my future. When I chose my course I didn’t really think it through and it was such a hurried jump from my old course (in Games Design) that I was just glad to be on something that I enjoyed.
And that’s a key thing, I do enjoy writing, I enjoy being creative it just seems there is no opportunities out there, but retraining is very hard now I have a degree because most apprenticeships won’t have you because you’re TOO qualified (ridiculous, I know).
I’ve been digging around into how to become a teacher and this is something I would like to do and seems like it could be achievable so for now I just have to concentrate on this and how to pursue this, but the regulations are so strange to get into it I need to speak to a careers advisor as soon as possible.
I take heart out of the quote at the start of this post because I just turned 22 myself and I am feeling so lost with destination in sight ahead of me but it’s nice to be reminded that that’s okay. I’ll get there.
I just have to be pro-active and get myself there.
danposwriting.wordpress.com 
This is a really, really hard time. Almost thirty years ago now, but I still remember the summer after I finished my undergraduate degree. Mathematics and philosophy, with honors, from a U.S. university whose name you would recognize. It was 1985 and all of my contemporaries were set up; I felt like the only one who wasn’t sure where they were going. I had a job that summer that had nothing to do with my studies (doing medical dictation)… well, some decades later it proved to be valuable. I would venture to say, no experience is wasted. But it certainly didn’t feel so at the time.
And right now it’s hard times, plural. The details are overwhelming, and I hope that it helps to have written them down. Keep faith with your writing, as you are here; set aside an hour or so a day and shut out the world and write. Take care of yourself, too, and remember that you’ve committed to a craft whose true apprenticeship stretches over decades. Keep up the practice, and you will become good at it.
On the job search, the very best of luck. I don’t know how writing professions work in the UK. I got a start in technical writing as a sideline to various jobs that didn’t have “writing” in the name, but that’s on this side of the pond.
You can drop me a line at my blog’s Contact form if you would like to chat.
It’s tough times right now. I know that doesn’t help, but know that you made it to holding a degree. It’s a huge commitment to finish and you should be proud.
Hang in there…stay strong, stay positive. Keep on with expanding your options because at times it’s all about timing and luck.
And keep writing!
Thanks for the advice 😀 I have some things in the work volunteering which will hopefully lead to something more so things are looking up, just the immediate future is a bit cloudy. I’m in it for the long run haha!
I would suggest trying local paper or tv station even radio the hardest thing is getting that foot in the door also check out the BBC writers room for when they are accepting submissions http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities