How did you get there?

Nix,

I've been in a similar situation to you. graduated plymouth with a 2:1 but with rubbish a levels. i ended up doing a job i despised for two and a half years, and then left citing stress and chronic fatigue as the main reasons.

Have you thought about applying to do a masters? a couple of my friends graduated with geography degrees, and were able to get government grants to study geography-related masters (town planning, etc.). So a complete change socially and professionally, plus you don't add too much onto your current student debts, and you end up a lot more employable.
 
Graduated from uni with an average engineering degree. Had bad A levels due to really not caring at the time. School bored me and I had no motivation at all. I enjoyed my degree however slacked off in the second year which brought my grade down.

Was working in retail in a job I'd had throughout school/uni when I left whilst applying for jobs. Wanted to stay down here which limited options, was applying for big company grad schemes but knew it's not really what I wanted to do.

Even though I'd done engineering, and enjoyed it, knew I wouldn't be able to get a job doing the bits I liked, esp down here, so looked at IT jobs.

Then after about 6 months post graduation I got an IT role at a large local business. I had no real IT experience but they were more concerned about getting the right type of person rather than someone with the knowledge.

Spent almost 5 years there, was a very comfortable position, too comfortable, hence I had to do something or risk being 'stuck'. During my time there I learnt a lot, a hell of a lot, but got to a stage where I could do no more. There was no room for promotion, the company was quite large (say 2000 employees which for Devon + Cornwall is quite big) and it was a case of there's plenty of people in the dept who'd been there longer than me who would be up for any more senior posts before I would be, rightly or wrongly. It seemed to not be based on ability who got them, just who had been there the longest.

So I left for a more exciting 3 month contract, which turned into a perm role, and where I am now. Using the skills learnt at my previous place I've been able to move forward, learn a hell of a lot more, and get more development where I am now.

Finding a job after uni for me got very depressing in a way as I seemed to be going nowhere, but on the other hand I never really gave in and just kept trying. I got a lucky break and will always be thankful for the chap who hired me in my first 'proper' job, hate to think what I'd be doing now if I hadn't have started there.
 
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toshj said:
Nix,

I've been in a similar situation to you. graduated plymouth with a 2:1 but with rubbish a levels. i ended up doing a job i despised for two and a half years, and then left citing stress and chronic fatigue as the main reasons.

Have you thought about applying to do a masters? a couple of my friends graduated with geography degrees, and were able to get government grants to study geography-related masters (town planning, etc.). So a complete change socially and professionally, plus you don't add too much onto your current student debts, and you end up a lot more employable.
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:p

See I also have friends that did Geography, did masters in town planning but never got any jobs after. They ended up doing jobs looking at planning applications to check they are correct ect, iir they are on about £16K and are only paying back like £9 of the student loan a month so not even the interest!

There just simply are not that many town planning jobs out there and even then didn't Nix get 2:2? That's hardly going to help the situation tbh :(

Why not consider something like carphone warehouse or starbucks? Friends I know that work in both places really enjoy the atmosphere both the job and people (this is Bath tho). They do not dread going into work at all and pay is better than minimum wage at £6.50 ... I think in CPW they even get all the drinks paid for on the nights out ect and give you extra qualifications :)

All I am saying is don't rule out these places as they could improve your social life, be okay jobs to get you more employable, improve your confidence and more importantly earn you some money!

Good luck
 
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I left school straight into a Engineering Apprenticeship, got myself the HND and settled into working at a family owned company with much nepotism, this turned into a dead end for me. Due to generally laziness I spent 10years there before basically deciding enough was enough, and gambled my "safe" £20k job for a 12month temporary contract at Rolls Royce. This contract ended up being 18month and then turned into a full time position. The work is better, the future prospects are better and the pay is better at £30k+, best and scariest decision ive ever made, the extra money has given me the opportunity to do the things i always wanted to do, but, could never afford.

Ive never been out of work, i basically walked into both of the jobs ive had, so, i honestly cannot fully appreciate the position your in, i consider myself very lucky, and i work very hard to ensure im an asset to the company, times are hard in the industry atm, so, job security is always dodgy.
 
It all happened in about a month for me.. July this year:

I finished uni in may and had been relaxing for a little while, not really bothering looking for jobs. At the end of june I had an interview with a games company for a 4 week internship (unpaid) and ended up getting it and I accepted. I figured the experience was worth it itself and I had little hope of actually getting a job, like everyone else right now.

A few days before I started the internship, i recieved an email offering me an interview for an actual job at another company (they'd recieved my cv a few months earlier).. So i went along and had a chat with them and didn't get my hopes up.

So i started the internship and on the first thursday I graduated with first class honours. The next day, as i was coming out of work and going home to get ready for my graduation ball, this other company phoned me and told me I'd got the job!! and that they wanted me to start in a couple of weeks, after I'd had my holiday with my girlfriend in Barcelona.

I went to barcelona, had my birthday there and came back to my new job with a nice salary in one of the biggest games companies in scotland :). I've been there for 3 weeks now and I'm really enjoying it.

Pretty good month all in all!
 
Currently working for Blockbuster which isn't ideal but that is coming from unemployed to 8 hours at the weekend and rising to get a full time contract and now supervising,



Doesn't sound like a lot but it got me off the dole and pays for my car plus my CV now looks a million times better
 
I'm glad others with bad A-Levels have still got somewhere...although i have just been employed by 'Next', i only have 3 AS and 1 A2. Hopefully my retail experience of 3 years means people won't look at it.

I'm currently studying Psychology but i don't wish to pursue a career in it. :(
 
Very interesting thread here, thanks for the stories all :)

Planning on a Maths degree but have no idea what to do with my life after that, as I've stated on here many a time. Degree could potentially be from Oxford, but if not, one of the top ten Maths unis in the country, looking strongly at Leiscter due to both it's strong performance in previous years and acceptable entry requirements, and some personal reasons.

Financial sector is tempting but I just do not know, but it's nice to read others stories!
 
i'm a senior web developer now, i started out doing work experience for the the university that i was studying at, on an european funded e-commerce project.

They offered me a fixed term contract for two years once my exams were finished, I guess i was lucky to go straight into a job.

I have had an 8 month period where i was unemployed, looking for the right role, and perserverance prevails as i landed the perfect job. I was pretty low during those 8 months, but tried to fill my time, with helping out a magazine, trying to up my skills. I succeeded in landing my perfect job for that time, and it really set me truly on the path i am on now, working with big blue chip companies as customers, and having to interact with them.

I've been in my career for nearly 10 years, and fairly happy with it, earning reasonable salary, own my own house and have a family.
 
I know it's not on your career path in anyway but if you want disposable income then surely going for jobs in McDonalds, Burger King, etc. would be a way forward.

If I was unemployed (which luckily, at the moment, I'm not) then I would take any job just to keep the money coming in. As said in this thread many times: it's easier to find work when working. Get a job doing anything then try and move on to where you want to be. Employers will look at your job history and if there's nothing there then, to them, it means you don't want to work as you'd do anything to work.

That's the only advice I can think of.



M.
 
I understand where you're coming from m4cc45, but I simply do not wish to work in fast-food. Nothing short of having to support a child or physically facing starvation will make me change my mind on it. It's not that I think I'm too good for it - work's work - it's just that there are better jobs out there and I've already waited this long...

Just heard from a friend that his company (betting company) are recruiting. Although admitedly it's not particularly my cup of tea, it will certainly help my cause if I'm employed again. Can't hurt to try.

Just for the record chaps, not suggested that the accusation has been laid, but I'm not a lazy git; I actually enjoy a good day's work and I've worked part-time almost continually since I was 16. Sitting around not doing anything really is a nightmare situation! :p
 
Nix, I'm going to give you some good advice: You need to talk to someone - Not on the internet and preferrably a professional (Psychiatrist/Psychologist/Cousellor). If you had depression years ago, these things can flare up again and sometimes can be very serious. I have a friend a lot like you (similar situation with depression) and also has a lot of other problems too, and I really feel for him not being able to move on. He needs help but his problems are very serious and I can't help him the way that he needs. Hopefully you are not at that point, but I still think you could do to get checked out. (Usual route is goto GP and tell your problems (hopefully they will be good)) and get referred to the local trust.

There is some good information in this thread, and I would read through it carefully and think about what has been said. Stay well man.
 
nokinidea said:
Nix.. Start with the basics..
what are you good at?
Have you got the gift of the gab - could you sell ice to Eskimos
Have you got a good eye for detail
Have you got good literary skills
Are you good at working things out mathematically
or are you more hands on.. this may help you and us try and decide where you should be heading

I couldn't even get in to sixth form with my GCSE grades... You just have to follow what you are good at!

A prime example is a kid we had / have as work experience. He knows al about which model of car is which and could tell you at 20 paces what it is from it's silhouette, he knows all the F1 grid positions, follows the GP, Top gear and is TOTALLY into cars.
HOWEVER, he is totally ****ing useless with a set of spanners and will never make a good technician because although his heart is in the right place he's not following what he's actually GOOD at.
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heh I was always taking things apart from an early age.

Do I understand you right if I say that Interest without ability = fail, but ability - interest = win?

Eg if someone is not interested in F1 but great with bits and spanners they could do well but not the other way aorund?
 
wush said:
Hope this isn't "mothering", but there are plenty who are "there" career-wise and are just as unhappy overall. It's shouldn't be your foremost measure of success..
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For sure - there are lots of very happy people with rubbish jobs and lots of very unhappy people with great jobs. Being happy or not has very little to do with one's job.
 
Was un-employed for a while with a family, so had a chance of a job with British Rail as Carriage Cleaner night shift wage was not that good but plenty of overtime, so for 3 year's cleaned sick and crap up, had a chance of be coming a Shunter did that for 2 year's, then passed out as a Train Driver. So my advice is start at the bottom and work your way up, you'll get there in the end m8.
 
Nix said:
The market here is terrible and what's more I can't apply for a good 50% due to not having a driving license.
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It doesn't cost a massive amount to take a driving test, but the lessons can add up. I recommend getting a license, especially as you have the time to practice, in fact it may be good way to get out the house. :)
 
Graduated in 2002 with a good degree and plenty of good industrial experience behind me at big names. Struggled at first to get a job because there was a small economic downturn and ended up working freelance for not a lot in the special effects industry. I was looking for ways of getting more money in and, because I was already self employed, started fixing computers. I did this full time for a number of years and then went into employment when business started to dry up.

In 2008 I passed my 30th and decided my life was going nowhere in a very dull job so handed in my notice, with the intention of getting back into engineering and design. Well that went nowhere because the recession then hit. I've done a few bits in exhibitions and tv but the dream of finding employment hasn't happened. I'm seriously considering going back into education to sharpen my skills up and ride the recession out.

At the moment I'm working on house renovations. Treading water to pay the bills basically.

I know exactly how you're feeling Nix. I was a bright young lad with lots of hope, motivation and a good future ahead of me once, but it all seems to have disappeared and suddenly I'm a lot older. I know where I went wrong. When I was younger I had a dream, a vision of where and what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I didn't stick to that. Do a little of this and that too much and before you know it you're good at *stuff* but not specialised enough to get where you wanted to be. I hope that makes sense. Try and make a plan and stick to it as best you can. Look at what the consequences of your actions might be in the future.
 
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MikeHunt79 said:
It doesn't cost a massive amount to take a driving test, but the lessons can add up. I recommend getting a license, especially as you have the time to practice, in fact it may be good way to get out the house. :)
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I know how to drive mate. I was shafted by the test centre here prior to university. Anyone local knows how ridiculous it is here to pass. My second theory literally just ran out so I've got to do it for a third time...

My old man used to be a driving instructor too, so trust me: I've had plenty of hours behind the wheel. My dad thought I could drive, my old instructor thought I could, I thought I could; the test centre just wanted my money.

Christ, I'm sick to death of being a 'have not', you have no idea! It's ridiculous. I see 17 year olds driving fancy cars which mummy and daddy have bought now and I just want to smash their bloody windows. Some people get such an easy ride and it does my head in.
 
Nix said:
I know how to drive mate. I was shafted by the test centre here prior to university. Anyone local knows how ridiculous it is here to pass. My second theory literally just ran out so I've got to do it for a third time...
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If you can already drive then you're already 90% there - I think I only passed my test on my 3rd attempt. :o I can only suggest booking the test in another centre even if it is a little further away, having a car makes things so much easier. :)

As for the job hunting itself, I think the only other option is to start a (profitable) business, easier said than done tho.
 
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