I have news… someone employed this struggling graduate!

Yes that’s right…. My terminal unemployment will finally be coming to an end starting March. If this teaches you anything then let that be with hard work, lots of applications and a little bit of luck, you will get where you want to be. Whilst Tyson is not going to be happy about his daily snuggles being taken away, I have to say the happiness I felt when I was told was incredible. 

In that moment, it was the first time I’ve cried happy tears in a long time. Tears that I didn’t have to feel ashamed of, that I could actually enjoy. I actually may have also danced around my living room a little bit… I am still trying to get down with the kids and master the floss. I am petrified of starting a new career, of learning from scratch and from wanting to always do my best, but I am also super excited to prove to myself that I can do it. 

For those wondering I have got onto a Graduate scheme and I will either be doing e-commerce merchandising or buying. At the beginning of my job search, 4 long months ago, i’ll admit it is not where I saw myself going. About 2 months into the hunt I took a step back from the pressure I had put on myself to get into media. As much as I thought that this would be the best career path for me, I had only looked at the idea superficially. It is so easy to get swept away with the idea of a job without considering the details of it. 

I would recommend to anyone going through the tough path of looking for a career to consider all your options, to not close yourself off to opportunities just because you think it might not be the perfect path for you. I have said it before and I will say it again, I am only 23, and I do not have to have my life mapped out. For me, all I needed to know was that whatever path I landed on, it was one where I could put my happiness first. 

I think thats how I knew that this opportunity was the right one for me. When I was calling my family, texting everyone I knew, and cuddling Tyson (mostly against his will), to tell them the news, I felt a surge of happiness that comes rarely to someone with depression. 

I will be the first to say that I know that a job isn’t going to solve all my problems but it is a really good start in helping me move forward and to finally feel like I am productive. I am super hard on myself because it is a lot easier to knock yourself down rather than praise your successes. Maybe my resolution for this year is to start to recognise that I am doing alright. 

Everyone needs to step back sometimes and see that it is so easy to undermine anything good we have done. Degrees are a good example actually. With the job market recognising them less, and a 2:1 being called an average mark, I found it almost inevitable that it wasn’t something to write home about. But, it should be! It’s actually so impressive to put the work in, and my degree is actually a big part of why I got this job. 

Ok, I’ll stop going on about the job now, did I mention I’m excited? Yay for us struggling graduates!