Post Graduate Blues

It's something many of us go through.
You're gone from school to college to university and now you're left looking for a job. You've done what you feel was expected of you. Suddenly you're without a framework, without duties and maybe, for the first time in your life, you're no longer a student. There's that pressure to get a job. Maybe because you're so tired of friends and relatives asking the inevitable question of "So what are you plans? What are you going to do now?"

I know I most of my time at university, particularly during my final year when doing my dissertation, just wanting to come out the other side and to be done with university entirely. But once the mortarboard cap is gone you may find that you are almost wanting to go back due to a longing for structure and an end to CV writing, cover letters and the endless sea of "no" and rejection from potential employers. This post-university transition period can be a real muddle. There's a common misconception about university that all students go to university to party and have a crazy time and, though this may be true for some, it isn't true for everyone. For some of us it's the last step up to a diving board and we're expected to simpy take a leap into the unknown from that point. It's that last moment of structure. After study we're expected to find work. What if you go through university and don't know what to do with your degree? What if studying a subject made you realise that it's not your true passion? Do you move back in with your parents or try to make a go of it on your own? What happens when you can't find a job?

For those who can't find a job after leaving university it can be a truly disheartening time. You're told getting a good degree will get you a good job. After spending thousands of pounds on an education you may feel a little cheated. A degree can bring plenty of stress but so does the potential emptiness of whatever comes after. If you've recently graduated and still don't quite know what's going on in your life then don't worry. Things take time. Whilst waiting for work to come why not take the time to think about other ways to boost your CV or what things you want to achieve that you could do in this time. I used my post graduate period when I couldn't find work to work on a novel. Find what works for you and focus on it. You've got time. Good things will come.