FOUR IN TEN FEEL THEY ARE NOT PART OF SOCIETY
*Thinking dark thoughts?
We promise you’re not alone – and there is help available. Please contact PAPYRUS or the Samaritans now.
New statistics provide a startling glimpse inside the minds of the hundreds of thousands of young people who are currently out of work in the UK, including graduates.
Fresh figures from the online mentoring service FutureYou show that over three quarters of the nation’s unemployed young people (aged 18-24) agreed with the statement “My life is being wasted.” One in four admitted they are relying on state benefits as their main source of income. One in five believes they are unlikely to ever get a job or career in the future – and seven in 10 say their potential is being thrown away. Four in ten feel they are not part of society.
The report also reveals that the average NEET (that horrible term for anybody not in employment, education or training) spends eight months unsuccessfully searching for a job or training – and over a quarter say the support and advice available (such as local job centres and careers advisers) is inadequate.
Patrick Gifford, programme manager at FutureYou, says:
“Traditional methods of getting young people into work aren’t working. Young people have told us that career advisors and Job Centres were the least useful tool available to them. What they want is support from people their age, their families and working people they can take realistic advice from, and it’s online which is their ‘go-to’ destination.”
FutureYou – which is funded by local authorities, schools, colleges and public bodies such as the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts and Nominet Trust – has already reached over 100,000 young people. Since its launch in 2010 it has helped a third of its members into employment by providing free career information, advice and guidance – and 85% feel more positive about their future. An army of FutureYou Mentors from major employers such Google, Thomas Cook, TalkTalk and Barclays are trained and ready to help.
But FutureYou say their offering goes deeper than just offering career advice. As their latest figures show that one in five young unemployed people feel their life is not worth living and a quarter have contemplated suicide to escape their situation, it’s clear that in a personal sense these are very dark days indeed for many young people. As Gifford explains:
“They need our help more than ever now. So, in addition to the more practical information, advice and guidance, we also provide young people with access to experienced counsellors who can offer emotional support and help pinpoint any wellbeing issues that may be holding them back from releasing their potential.”
Graduate Fog is disturbed by these new figures – but I can’t say I’m shocked. Anybody who’s ever been out of work for more than a few days knows how scarily fast your confidence and motivation can evaporate. Successful job-hunting is about so much more than CVs and applications. (If anything that’s the easy bit!)
If your job-hunt has stalled, there’s a lot you can do. Dig deep and make a new plan to find work:
If you’re struggling with confidence and motivation, visit Graduate Fog’s Advice pages:
How to stay motivated and How to handle rejection
If you’ve become convinced there are no jobs out there, read:
How to fight the recession
How to find vacancies
And if you feel like you want to get your job hunt going, but somehow it’s just not happening, read:
How to organise your job hunt
For more information about Future You, visit thefutureyou.org.uk or facebook.com/futureyouuk
*Is job hunting getting you down?
Do you think there should be more emotional support and counselling offered to young people struggling to find a job? What do you do when you’re having a ‘down’ day?
Since graduating in summer 2010 I have applied for over 500 jobs.
I have had only temporary work, internships and long periods of unemployment. I too feel like my life is being wasted, the future is a blank canvas and all I do is take each day as it comes. I have no long term plans even though I am engaged as I have no idea what will happen tomorrow.
I hardly leave the house and only leave my bed to search for jobs most days. I’ve put on weight and sleep only sporadically. Some times I wonder if i can carry on much longer.
The only consolation is that there are many other people in a similar situation. Yes the Job Centre is useless and the employees at my local branch are almost as hopeless as I am about the future and have no a advice to offer, other than to carry on applying for jobs.
I have never heard of FutureYou and am looking at their website with interest. Thank you for your support of people in my situation.
These are the statistics that nobody (ie. government) wants to know about. Unemployment numbers and percentages, those are tolerable, they’re just numbers. But these numbers are quantities of feelings:
“four in ten feel excluded from society” means a lot more than “45 students applying for every graduate job”.
You have a big campaign going here with GF, but if there is one bit of it I would like to see plastered everywhere and hammered into the brains of policy makers and politicians, it is these statistics and stories like that posted by A Graduate above.
but if there is one bit of it I would like to see plastered everywhere and hammered into the brains of policy makers and politicians
And parents and students?
There simply are too many grads and not enough jobs. Alter one of those variables and you may have a solution.
I graduated last year and have yet to land a graduate job despite applying for over 700 jobs and having travelled the country for interviews with around 25 companies. I feel that my life has also been wasted but I have no choice but to keep trying but attending interviews is quite expensive and I am close to running out of money so I need a job even more.
I have found that for shop assistant and other none grad roles your best bet to get to the interview stage is to leave your degree off the application and dumb your application down a bit. You may not want those jobs but it may be our only option to earn money which will allow us to keep travelling the country in the vain and expensive hope of getting a job.
@All
Thanks so much for sharing all your stories – I think it’s so important that we talk about this side of job-hunting, as you’re right @AGraduate, this is about so much more than just numbers – it’s about young people feeling at home feeling worthless when they’re NOT.
Do any of you have any tips for getting through the really low days?
Have any of you sought advice / help from any other source other than job centres? Has anything else been helpful?
I have been unemployed for 3 years now, applied for over 1000 jobs. I’ve actually all but given up, not with the job seeking but in hope. I live off my parents and JBSA, and while not exactly loving it, I make do. I even manage to go out once a month. The free time has allowed me to concentrate on cooking, something which I hated at uni – now I love it. Even cleaning is therapeutic… amazing what unemployment does to the soul
Hmm, feeling that my life is being wasted…. actually I’ve been feeling like that for years, ever since Thatcher got in in 1979 to be exact. Even when there were jobs around they were usually spirit-crushing, brain-numbing pittance paying jobs in call centres, supermarkets and the like, unless you had a degree that is. So, eventually I discovered that mature people could be acceptable to some universities, so I went off and got a degree, and that was in 2008 and hundreds of applications later, still nothing. My response in November 2010 was to set up as a freelance writer. I still get little more than £50 a week as I’ve just started, but at least I don’t have to deprave myself in front of the benefit people. The truth is we’re living in a turbo-capitalist society that pays the minority mega-bucks while most people get paid a pittance – or nothing.
When I was unemployed I volunteered for 7 hours a week in a charity with children with learning disabilities and found that it helped me to feel I was not wasting my life, I enjoyed it and it looked good on my CV. I left when I found a job I wanted. You can volunteer in something to get work experience to help you get a job http://www.volunteering.org.uk/
@graduate27 …I agree volunteering is a fantastic way to gain experience and add to your CV. It’s just a shame that those who rely on benefits to cover the bills whilst they search for paid work are unable to claim under the jobseekers agreement, thus eliminating it as an option.
I do volunteer but that still hasn’t got me a grad job. I have volunteered for a local credit union since December 2009. For 10 months I volunteered at a local radio station where I had my own radio show for 6 months. I also volunteer for a local homeless charity and have done for over a year.
Plenty of interviews that cost a fortune to attend but no job yet.
Unemployed people used to be able to reclaim the cost of attending non-local interviews from the job centre – probably they still can. Please check very carefully what you’re entitled to and how the process works.
In theory, every claimant will be told about every benefit that might help them while job hunting. I bet that doesn’t happen in practice.
That is still the case but I have been told I can’t use the Travel To Interview scheme anymore because I have had too many interviews outside the area. Maybe they have a cooling off period which will allow me to use it again.
Wayne, in a time of such high unemployment it’s RIDICULOUS for JCP to stop you taking up interview offers.
Ask to speak to the JCP advisor’s section leader as you think the advice you’ve been given is mistaken. If the section leader doesn’t help, go up the management chain as high as you need to – and can. And if all else fails, set up an appointment with the Citizens Advice Bureau who will be able to tell you what JCP are REALLY supposed to do. GOOD LUCK!
I’m in full time work and I still don’t feel like part of society. In your twenties you have the worst of both worlds. You are expected to work and behave like and adult and yet you are still regarded as a teenager by the older adults.
with all the graduates struggling for employment, where is the best place to advertise when you have a job available??
Is there not a database available with listings under specialised / studied subjects?
I graduated in 2008 and still struggling to secure a job, been to almost every possible interview and assessment centre to most of the grad jobs I applied for. The big problem here is the UKBA rules, international students such as me are struggling big times with the govn. changing rules every now and then leaving the impression on employers that visa processes are hard and not worth the hassle. I was successfully offered 2 jobs at different companies yet I couldn’t start due to the companies pulling out 2 weeks before the start date stating they cannot sort the visa out (whereas agreeing in the beginning to do it).
So its getting really hard, especially in interviews when the people ask you what have I been doing since 2008 and now being end of 2011!!
In the beginning 2008 I was studying for a degree and became unwell. My doctor suggested I go home to get well and sort myself out. She told me staying at uni was just going to make thing worse. So I followed my doctor’s advice and went home, thinking I’ll get well, spend 6 months working in a shop or office somewhere and go back to uni with some cash and carry on.
It’s now 2012, the opportunity to go back to uni has long gone. I spend most of my time alone and have done for what feels like years. In 2011 I had 10 temporary positions and still spent most of my time alone. I’m now a shell of my former self, steadily becoming over-weight despite regular bursts of exercise. I’m on anti-depressants, I don’t sleep well and I have no social life what so ever.
Older people tell me if only they could be in their 20s, turning 20 was the best, they tell me they were the richest they ever were, working full time and not supporting wives, elderly parents and children.
I have none of that. I’m 24 now, I’m about to move over from unemployed 16 – 24 year olds to 25+. It means I move to a new advisor that is supposed to help me and yet pretends to ring me at home (where I almost always are) and then sends a letter out saying ‘we tried to contact you several times but you weren’t in’. For three years I’ve being going in and out of that job centre and the over-riding impression is the people inside have no idea how to help me and the people outside are surrounded by the stench of piss, alcohol and weed!
It’s not surprising really, some find the need to get high before stepping over the threash-hold. The only thing that keeps me going on the very worst days is my cat. If I wasn’t here to look after her, I’d worry to much for her.
To sum up I do believe my life is being wasted. I should be young, fit and happy, Not growing older every day, getting fatter ever day and becoming more and more miserable every day!
Finished my BSc in geology in 2009 (2:1), got a merit in a related masters in 2011, been looking for a career job for 12 months with still no luck. Did Christmas temping at ASDA and then some more unemployment. I am not entitled to job seekers as I live with my girlfriend who works 20 hours a week so just going further and further into debt.
I recently got a bar job and was forced to work 80-90 hour weeks or be fired, regularly underpaid, shift changed the night before (at 3am the night before told I would have to come in at 10am when I was meant to be in at 5pm) and when I eventually complained I was told to ‘F*** Off and quit then’ as ‘I don’t matter as they can get a replacement the next day’… and this was a high-class restaurant with a good reputation. I was forced to leave and then never received my final months wage.
This is what a masters qualifies me for. Depressing and a common story.
I feel exactly how this article says. I’ve been on anti-depressants for years and often think about suicide. I live for my family really there’s so little pleasure in my life. I’m also angry that so much support/schemes focus on ages 18-24. Does this mean those of us still struggling so many years after graduating are being chucked on the scrap heap? After even longer unemployed we’re even more desperate for help than younger people.
@Caitlyn I’m fast approaching my 25th birthday – on the one hand, it’s a relief to know I will no longer have to put up with ridiculous rules regarding benefits and tax credits. On the other, I’ll be locked out of a lot of government schemes which are supposed to help young people. They’re failing us all, as far as I can see. I hope things improve for you soon.
Thanks Sarah. I hope things work out for you too. We’re probably not actually missing out on much as most of the work schemes the government comes up with are useless and unhelpful anyway.
I agree with pretty much everything here. I graduated last year with no work experience, as when I was about to take up some work experience two of my family members fell ill and later died, so I had to cancel my plans for work experience to move home for a while during their illness.
I’m now at the Job Centre every two weeks, with a patronising advisor who let a freudian slip out the first time I met her. “You should be applying for more realistic jobs.” despite the fact that I’ve never applied for anything that I know I can’t do. Most of the advisors, admittedly, tell me that I’m doing great and it’s just a matter of time. This one, however, would rather get me in to the first job that comes along, no matter how unsuitable so she can tick a few boxes on a form and go home thinking she’s done a good day’s work.
I can’t help but feel like this is what most jobseekers get. And the people at the job centre would rather have more people in work, regardless of whether that work is good for them or not, so they can quote a few figures to people higher up and the 6oclock news can say that the economy is improving. They don’t realise that they’re potentially ruining lives. Forcing a graduate who has been told for the last five years that they can do whatever they want with their lives in to the wrong job is just wasting a generation of potential.
I have a similar story to Jessica Currie. I was studying a few years ago at a good university before I became unwell. Years have since passed and the opportunity to finish it seems to have gone.
I’m 24 now and I want to return to higher education. The higher fees are making me worried and anxious about my decision, and the thought of all the wasted time gets me down.
I have no alternative. My last employment was through the future jobs fund, which was fantastic. Now it’s been scrapped and there is nothing out there. I’ve been signing on for 13 months and it’s sapping my confidence. I don’t fit in at the job centre and the work programme is depressing.
It’s hard to know what to do, there is no real help out there.
My aim over the next few years is to become more qualified and make connections. I think this is the key. Clearly there are people out there who are doing ok for themselves, so i’m going to learn from example.
Hi Richard, sorry to hear of your experience. What you need to remember is that finishing your degree might not make that much difference to your employment prospects as myself and other posters here have struggled to find a job even with our degrees. It sounds like you had a decent role for awhile without finishing your degree so consider how likely your subject is to enhance your prospects. I don’t mean to discourage you if completing it is what you really want to do, it’s just that experience and contacts seems to count for lots more unless you’re doing a subject that’s specific to a role. It might not be worth spending the money to complete your studies just to find yourself back in the same situation a year or so later. Saying that, the intellectual stimulation and social aspects of university might raise your mood and self esteem.
I know exactly what you mean, the Jobcentre isn’t geared up for anyone intelligent or qualified, there is no real help, no suitable training, placements or jobs.
Also, I know it’s hard but don’t dwell on wasted time. I wasted years and then more years dwelling on the wasted years. Focus on the present and future: they’re the only things you can change.
Thank you for the reply Caitlyn. These are all very real worries of mine: debt and employment prospects.
Just to be clear, if I go I will be starting a new degree course. If I do go I will be sure to seek further careers advice, internships (if possible), i’ve even looked into the erasmus scheme, if that would improve my prospects. Another thing i’ve considered is that by 2015/16, the economy may be better.
The intellectual and social sides are my main reasons for still considering university. This might sound silly, but if I don’t go I don’t know if I will ever forgive myself. I will regret it. I spent a year at university many years ago (commuting from home) and made a complete hash of it. Since then I have achieved much of nothing, i’m isolated at home and still suffer with anxiety. I’m really lonely, as sad as it sounds. This may be my big chance to change myself. I’m scared as hell about the prospect of moving out, but i’m stuck in a rut. I’m also worried about getting older.. I want to go before it’s too late. If I go this year i’ll graduate at 27.
I wish there were job clubs for young unemployed to discuss these issues. Is anyone here from Manchester by any chance?
You’re welcome Richard, any advice I can give to help others avoid making the mistakes I did is some consolation for me. Glad to hear you will make an informed decision. I do think university is valuable as a life experience, I was very shy when I went and it was hard for me to be away from family but it forced me to talk to new people and I got better at it. I found it tough living away from home though, I did it for the first year but went home and commuted for the next two. I still have two close friends from university 8 years on. Other people I lost touch with as often happens, but the social life was good when I was there and I enjoyed the intellectual stimulation. I was just very focused on getting good grades as it gave me a temporary lift from my low self-esteem and anxiety. I got much too stressed and nearly burned out. Managed to get the first I wanted but then didn’t have the emotional energy and reserves to succeed in the tough job market. So, my advice is to avoid pushing yourself too hard at university as the real struggle is getting your first job. I mistakenly thought a top grade would give me a head start, but it didn’t. Not in my subject (English)or the industries I wanted to work in (publishing/ journalism.) I tried for many basic admin jobs just to get started and couldn’t even find one of those. I’m from London.
Another report on young people and happiness was published by The Prince’s Trust earlier this year, http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/about_the_trust/what_we_do/research/youth_index_2012.aspx. Although I agree that it’s important to consider the potential damaging mental and physical effects of youth unemployment, I think it’s vital to try and put some perspective on the issue and, therefore, where necessary, help individuals to appreciate that there are factors beyond their control that should be considered alongside approaches to jobhunting. A report by a leading labour economist and his colleague looks at the specific damaging effect of unemployment on young people and explains why this group has been effected the most in this recession and the potential long-term mental and physical effects for young unemployed people today. The report, published in October 2010, and available as a free pdf download, by Bell and Blanchflower on the Great Recession is vital reading, http://m.ner.sagepub.com/content/214/1/R3.abstract is a mobile webpage providing the Abstract and link to the full report. The desktop version can be found at http://ner.sagepub.com/content/214/1/R3.abstract.
Hey Richard,
I live in Widnes, but I work in Manchester five days a week. If you want someone to go for a drink with or discuss any issues you have, I’m more than happy to do that. I love meeting new people and I’ve gone through the “My life is being wasted” phase very recently. I know what it’s like, and it’s impossible to get through without friends or good people around you.
Got an email address I can contact you on?
Thanks for replying again Caitlyn. Is it really that bad out there? Have you managed to secure much work at all? Why was it so difficult to get into publishing/journalism? My friend has graduated this year with a 1st in english and she lives in london too.
I don’t think i’ve ever felt so stressed. I’m constantly pondering whether or not to give university another shot, and getting older at the same time. I’ve even booked myself to see a therapist again. If I go I won’t be doing a vocational degree, I don’t know if I should be very worried about this.
I can relate so much to your earlier post though, I pretty much live for my family too. Do you have an email, if possible? I’d like to chat a little bit about our situations. I won’t waffle on for too long, promise!
Thank you for the offer Craig. My email (hoping this won’t show up in google) is [ADDRESS LATER BLOCKED OUT BY GRADUATE FOG AS IT DID SHOW UP ON GOOGLE! PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REACH RICHARD]
Hi Richard, I’ll mail you on the address you’ve left, don’t want to write mine publicly! Publishing and journalism are just dying industries that too many talented people want to enter. I did manage to find some work, yes, but it took me seven months after graduating (This was back in 2004-5) and the first role I got was just stewarding. Then I got a temp admin role through an agency which was sorting voting forms in piles and entering data (almost died of boredom). A couple of months later I heard about an editorial assistant role through a friend and got taken on at a press agency. It sounds good but it was awful, lots of phone work, pressure and low pay. Didn’t get on with the manager. They let me go after my 3 month trial as they thought the job didn’t suit me, which was true, but it was still stressful to leave before I was ready. I had been struggling with anxiety and feeling low anyway (something I’d struggled with most of my life but which got worse after I graduated) and when I applied for Christmas temp shop roles to tide me over and didn’t even get an interview it was the final straw and I lost all motivation to do anything. After a few months I went to the Dr, was told I just needed to keep going! Went back a few more months later, was given medication for depression and referred for therapy. Waited a year and a half for therapy, struggling and doing next to nothing except seeing close friends. Still felt awful after therapy. Got pretty suicidal. Family, in despair, paid for me to see a psychiatrist. Finally got on medication that helped over 2 years after first consulting a Dr about my depression (and suffering for months before the first appointment.)It’s been a long road back to health, only in the last couple of years have I felt like I was beating the illness and been able to engage with the world again. I started with some adult education classes, then a voluntary communications assistant role with a charity. It was really good and I felt hopeful for the first time in years that I could find a job I didn’t hate. I started looking for paid communication assistant roles, hoping now I had the voluntary experience I could find one but so far I don’t even qualify to apply! The starting salary is only £20,000 but they still require 6 months-a years experience and sometimes computer programmes I don’t know. So I’m back to where I was before, stuggling to find anything I can even apply for.I’ve been doing meditation and trying to enjoy the small things rather than letting the job problems get me down and I’m managing OK at the moment, taking 1000mg epa in fish oil seems to really help. Also doing stuff I enjoy, like writing, and remembering I do have talents and my identity isn’t depending on my job (or lack of.) I do think talking to a therapist will help you look at your situation objectively enough to make an informed decision. I’ll mail you and we can speak more.
Hi caitlyn, I received your email so i’ll reply to you there.
I just noticed my email in my post has appeared on google
Could the administrator on here please remove / blank it out if possible?!!!
OK, maybe contact Tanya via the contact form on the bottom right of the page. It is annoying that you can’t delete any of your posts.
@Richard – I have removed your email address from that comment.
@Caitlyn – I will look into the options for creating a way for GF users to remove your own comments – thanks for the feedback – always useful!
Yeah I’ve been feeling pretty worthless for a while now and I’m edging ever closer to the not being part of society statement. I’m approaching 24 and been unemployed for about 2 years now. My life was going pretty well, driving lessons, out every weekend, money in the bank and all that. Things couldn’t be more different now. I’ve not got a penny to my name and haven’t been able to claim JSA for the past 5 months due to some tax credits rubbish. Another problem of mine, I owe a few thousand to the tax man because of not doing the bloody tax return stuff. Didn’t think I’d have to seeing as ive not been in work. Every letter I get that looks like tax stuff goes straight in the bin because I can’t bear to think about it. I’d do anything to be working again and I don’t care what job it is, I’m wasting the best years of my life sitting indoors playing the xbox whilst my friends are enjoying theirs, progressing how I want to. One thing I am grateful for though is my mum because if she didn’t put a roof over my head I’d probably be homeless right now. Can’t wait for the day I can pay her back. Needed to get that out, been trying to sleep since 2am and now it’s coming up to 7am. Laying here worrying about this crap everynight is doing my head in. Ah well, back on the job hunt Monday, not very optimistic about it these days though.
Best bet for young people with talent/degree is to spend time abroad; look for interesting opportunities through VSO, teach English, don’t waste your time; be pro-active and involved.
The problem with unpaid volunteering abroad is the same as unpaid work here, i.e. what do you live on? Moving abroad for a paid role would make more sense but not everyone is self-sufficient/confident enough to up-sticks and move to a new country on their own.
Volunteering abroad is certainly something I’ve considered, but like Caitlyn says, would I have the confidence to up sticks and become transient for six months? Possibly not. I used to volunteer a lot and I saw people my age do similar things, but they had an entirely different upbringing to me (grammar school, etc). I don’t know, I’ve never had that kind of ingrained confidence, but maybe that is the whole point of moving out of ones comfort zone.
My life is being wasted. I’m frustrated that I can’t do what I want to do, and I’m frustrated that actually I don’t want to be wasting my life.
Hi all, I completely understand how everyone feels since I am in exactly the same position. I finished University in 2008 in accounting and haven’t found a role yet, I have had interviews every year (asked for feedback which has been positive in the last year). Between 2009 – 2010, I didn’t have an interview for 10 month and I had to do voluntary work for a charity. The frustrating thing is their are jobs in my field but its so competitive and difficult to even get a basic bookkeeper role. Recently I applied for a role where no experience was required and they received > 150 responses. People have told me to change careers and go into teaching, its so frustrating.
Hi all,
I am in exactly the same position. I studied Law at a top ranking University and graduated in July with a 2.1, however I have yet to find ANY job let alone a decent grad type job. I am finding it increasingly frustrating that every rejection revolves around the fact that ‘I don’t have enough experience’ even though I’m sure I have the intelligence to learn how to do a simple administration type job. I feel like my potential is being wasted. The job centre is absolutely useless; after discussing the difficulty at finding a job my ‘adviser’ replied with: “rather you than me!” I can’t understand how these people even get hired?!
I feel like going to University was an absolute waste of time. I would have been better off starting at the bottom and working my way up.
I honestly don’t know who to turn to for help. Confidence and motivation is increasingly disappearing.
@Lo
i am a recent computing graduate with a 2.1, my problem that i find is my GCSE’s and A-Levels hold me back from the graduate schemes, i have found out one thing there will never be jobs for every offical unemployed person. You will find that when you apply for any jobs mainly the entry level jobs you will find at least 100 graduates applying at the same time, my advice to you is try and get a paid job, any job and help a charity to get some experience
Really comforting to read these comments from fellow graduates struggling to find the jobs that they were hoping they would get, or at least, were told we would be able to get if we just went to uni. I went to a grammar school, we were encouraged to attend uni because it looked good for them on the league tables, and the people who chose not to go to uni were considered as letting the school down. I think I just chose the wrong subject for my degree, one that has a really weird career path, you can do anything you want with it (Psychology). I found that when I graduated, which was in 2009 ( and now I am left on the scrapheap, because there are people graduating every year to compete against) many of my friends were struggling to find work, so it was ok. Now, most of them, one way or another, have figured out what they want to do, and have worked things out for themselves; some went into teaching, which is in demand, or to do masters degrees ( which I think is a way of avoiding unemployment by studying further) , some have worked their way up and now have fantastic jobs, and finally, of course it helps a lot to have the right friends and connections. I find that my biggest problem is that I truly lack confidence, I always have. When I attend interviews I get so nervous that I come across as an incapable person. Even at uni I was really shy, really quiet, I commuted to uni and would go to lectures and then go home. I didn’t do any internships during the summer holidays, and the uni never encouraged us to think about our careers and future plans. While I was there, my biggest concern was to work really hard to get a good grade, and I got a First. This is a big achievement, however, I have found that if you don’t have the people skills and energy, no employer will be impressed by you. I find myself applying for jobs that I never needed to study for. My work experience is lacking and I have gaps on my CV which I have noticed freak employers out a lot. In a way, my situation is my fault, for not planning things and for being so lacking in confidence that I just didn’t apply for jobs as much as I could have done. Not knowing what you want to do is also a big challenge. I have volunteered, and worked in jobs that were worse than the part time job I had when I was studying, jobs that people would judge me for doing because I am ”overqualified”. My friends are doing really well in comparison, and that really affects me, because I can’t even ask them for help, my CV is that embarrassing. I have been hiding, unemployed and unable to tell people what it is that I am doing.
I envy people that have jobs: the people at my local supermarket, the people at the newsagent, McDonals, even people on TV, or commuters going to London; I wonder where they work and what jobs they have and I just envy them, wishing I could be like them. Just so I can have my self worth back, so I can feel proud and so I can say, yes, I am heading somewhere. Being jobless doesn’t just affect your self esteem, it’s a lonely experience too; you find that no one wants to associate with someone who is, literally speaking, a nobody. I have found my ”friends” to be snobs, supportive but still, they would be so embarrassed to introduce me to their friends who have good careers. That’s the price of being long term unemployment. I am tired of lying to people about what I do, there is no one I can ask for help and I resent that a lot because I know for a fact that the job market functions through networking. I know people who have just moved to this country and have got themselves better jobs than I, a graduate, am able to get. I don’t know how they do it, and I really don’t know how I will get out of this rut.
@another graduate, if you have not yet given up expecting a response to your comment, I want to respond. First, congratulations on attaining your Psychology degree. Regardless of the fact that employers believe a degree has a ‘shelf life’ of 2 years, I hope you will believe that your degree can sustain you through the good and the bad.
It is appalling how so many people jump on the bandwagon and write off young unemployed people. It’s equally appalling just how many parasites there are who make a dishonest living from young unemployed people, through setting up welfare-to-work companies, motivated out of selfish greed to win government contracts and patronize young people, helping them to “release their potential”, by throwing them on work programmes, forcing them to work for their JSA.
I do not trust any government official or private sector or charity which aims to help people find a job. The government and private sector role should be to create jobs and training should be a part of the job, which pays a proper wage. A young person should be paid the same hourly rate as a 25 or 30 year old.
In one sense, it’s easy for me to write this because I’m a mature unemployed graduate. I have my own space. I have a roof over my head – rented – with a bit of money in my pocket and in the bank. For the moment, I have few worries. But I have turned my back on employers, with their broken promises. I have turned my back on the government and politicians, Labour, Liberal or Conservative. I have turned my back on my local Labour council because they do not care about people.
Instead, I have reconciled myself to using my History degree to conduct historical research on my town and region, hoping to publish a book before I retire and pay off my Student Loan and live a reasonably comfortable life in my twilight years. I live for me and my family. If I can help people along the way, then that’s good also.
2013 is promising to be tougher for graduates than 2012. It might even be the toughest year since the start of the crisis in 2006. Best save what money you can and take greatest satisfaction from those things that cost little or no money. Walk with your head up and never feel guilty for being unemployed.
I should add that I have not become self-employed – I don’t have the means. I work for an employer when I can, but I no longer believe their lies of a permanent job. I expect the next 25 years to be a cycle of short-term jobs and long-term unemployment. A job is only a means to finance my research.
@brian
. I agree with a lot of the things you say and thank you also for sharing your experiences of what the working world has been like. I have been in and out of work myself. When I was working, I loved it, even though the jobs were worse than the first job I ever had (things are that bad). I do feel guilty for being unemployed. Someone once told me that people don’t know that you are unemployed when you go shopping or for a long walk on a weekday when the rest of the world are at work; you could work in the evenings, could be working from home, etc. The world doesn’t know therefore you shouldn’t feel guilty. But I do, because I know reality, and I think being jobless is pretty destructive on a person. When I finished uni (I was younger too I guess) I thought I could do anything, and felt really confident. Now I have to say I have become pretty dull as a person, and just in general when you are not doing anything it affects you. Imagine what it’s like to go to a job interview, and the interviewer is the first person outside of home that you are speaking to all week. It’s not a nice situation to be in; it means that your socialising skills are awful because (in my case anyway) you actually forget how to interact with people. I think I would feel better if I had friends to support me with their advice etc, to give me confidence and big up my self esteem, but I don’t. If anything, my friends are quite snobby, like I have already mentioned they have got themselves really good jobs- in fact out of the people I went to uni with, I only know myself and one other person who have struggled to make it. This knowledge stresses me out, because the people I went to uni with are supposed to be my contacts and to help me out, but if they saw my CV and the jobs I have been doing, they would judge me and probably ask, what is wrong with you? (What is wrong with me is that I lack confidence. ) In fact, a couple of years ago I was working as a Teaching Assistant and when I told a friend that I had graduated with- who was at the time working for the NHS; I don’t know how she did it- she was pretty appalled, not impressed at all. She didn’t express it, but I could tell. So it’s hard to get a job and then when you do, you have to be aware that your snobby friends are doing much better than you and they think you are now beneath them.
Thank you for replying to my comment. Likewise, congratulations on your degree- I would have done History if I hadn’t chosen my subject. It sounds like you have figured out what you are passionate about, and so I wish you lots of luck with your research
I only found graduate fog by chance and it’s been equally depressing and interesting to read all the blogs and comments written on here, and I wish I had seen it sooner.
I remember when America was known as the “Land of Opportunity”. However, I often find myself and many others considering it the “Land of Hardships and Struggles”.
My experience: I’m 25 years old, still stuck in college, due to laws being made for MORE requirements in classes just to obtain a simple Bachelors. I’m stuck having to re-take a Praxis I test which I cant pass because of the pressure of it digging a hole in my pocket every time I take it, deadlines to submit the test IF* I end up finally passing it.
I have minimal job experience because of my focuses on school and college my whole life. Therefore, no one wants to consider me. In turn, I’m just.. stuck. No job, cant go to school because of what’s holding me back.
What has this world come to?
“Land of Opportunity” my @SS. (Apologize for the vulgarity)