'Catch 22'

Looking back at my blog entry around this time last year, it horrifies me slightly to see that not much has changed! I am still baking and knitting (just new location: London, and new project: teacosy!) and desperately hoping that this information might somehow find its way to Kirstie Allsopp or her producers. Granted, a lot has happened in the past year, not least the fact that I have quite literally travelled around the world- an experience I do not regret one bit, but I can’t help thinking that I am no further ahead in life than I was a year ago. I of course now have the gift (or curse, depending on how you look at it) of hindsight, and there are probably a few things I would have done differently had I known what I do now. (I will warn you now, this is probably not going to end up being my most positive entry to date, but if you can’t moan in your own blog, then where can you?!)

So I have moved to the Big Smoke, more commonly known as London, in the hope of seeking my fortune- a modern day Dick Whittington if you like. For the last three weeks I have dedicated myself fully to the task of finding a job. On a positive note, I have now managed to narrow my job search down from anything to two areas. As I have explained in previous blogs, I have always had a passion for music and so as a result I have been looking and applying for jobs in this area- mainly administrative with music and arts organizations and orchestras. The other area that has recently grabbed my attention is Conference Production (exactly what is says on the label). This area in particular excites my inner geek- being able to research and produce my very own event from scratch? Great! It will probably involve an element of international travel. Perfect!

Now, as I mentioned, I have applied for several jobs in these areas and so far have received mainly rejections, and the odd ‘no reply’, and most of the reasons for ‘not taking my application further’ have been related to my lack of experience. Fair enough for the Conference Producer roles- that is perfectly true and it is a very specialist area, which involves a great deal of responsibility on the part of the producer, and trust on the part of the company. But for the administrative roles, not only do I have experience (ok, possibly not as much as other candidates) but also, as a job it’s hardly rocket science! Sorry to belittle anyone who works in this area, but what I mean by this is that the skills required are ones that can quickly be picked up by most people with a degree. The other issue I have with this reason is that it puts in me in a ‘Catch-22’ situation: I’m not getting the jobs because I have no experience, but until some takes a chance on me and gives me a job, I will never have the necessary experience!

I think this just demonstrates how high the competition for jobs is these days. When I chose to study History at UCL, I did so because I thought that it would give me a good head start when it came to looking for a job- a solid degree with transferable skills from one of the best universities in the world. The problem is these days that having a degree isn’t that unusual anymore, and in fact what makes people stand out, especially in the areas I am looking for, is actual work experience in a business environment. This is the one piece of information I really wish I’d known a year ago. Everything you do in your year out has to be carefully considered if you want to make finding a job at the end of it easier. As I said, I do not regret for one minute going travelling, and I think that was the most positive and beneficial thing I did on my year out, as it improves confidence, teaches independence and communication and shows that there is more to you than just your degree. However, I wish that I spent a bit more time thinking about what sort of career I wanted to get into once I got back from my travels, rather than putting it off. If I had, I might have considered taking on a temporary job that would not only have funded my travels, but also given me the all important business experience. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed working at Hoopers and Rural Insurance and I met some great people and made some great friends. I also did learn some valuable skills, but compared to some of the people I am up against in interviews, and what these companies are looking for it’s just not enough.

Having said all that, I am a great believer in ‘everything happens for a reason’, and had I done things differently a year ago, it possibly would have changed a lot of things. I might have chosen not to go travelling, instead choosing to carry on working, and of course, I would not have made half the friends I did, or had any of the experiences I did, so it that respect, I have no regrets. Also, my career ideas have changed over the last year, so even if I had thought about it more, it might not have helped much anyway. For now though, I am just plodding on and hoping that eventually someone will see my potential and give me a chance.