Finding Full-time Employment is a Difficult Process

If you’ve been reading my blog from the beginning you’ll know that I’ve been having a hard time finding my first full-time job – especially following my graduation earlier this year. I’ve known that this is a difficult stage in a person’s life – after all, every acquaintance I’ve made in recent times has mentioned at some point or another how tough it is to get that first job.

It’s not that I didn’t believe them, it’s just that it’s impossible to know what it’s really like until you’re in that position. Theoretically I understood how brutal the process was going to be, but in reality, I was clueless as to how disheartening it all is.

I thought that if I worked hard enough I would get the job that I wanted. However, I discounted something very important – luck. I worked hard on my CV; it was flawless. (I made sure of it). I applied to so many jobs in the first few months after graduation. I even got an interview from one fairly early on in the process (though I didn’t get the job), which raised my expectations a little higher than they should have been.

I was terribly, terribly wrong.

I graduated in February and it is now April. Though not much time has passed in the grand scheme of things, it feels like a long time. Though I’m not unemployed – I have a few shifts at my old part-time job – I’m scraping by financially. It’s pretty uncomfortable, so I really do need more work. I just haven’t had any luck yet.

I’ve got to be honest with you all, it’s hard to stay motivated and optimistic when you’re facing so much rejection. Whole weeks have passed me by because sometimes I just don’t have it in me to job hunt; it’s exhausting. During these periods, I live day to day. I try not to think of the future.

However, I recognise that I can’t let myself stay unmotivated for too long. I’m never going to succeed if I give up altogether. After I’ve finished moping there is nothing left to do but pick myself up, dust myself off, and pull out that CV again. I try to work out what it is that isn’t working, so I can change it for the better next time.

Of course, finding a job would be a lot easier if I could stay motivated the whole time and recognise my own self-worth, but I’m only human. Sometimes rejection is going to get me down. As long as I get back up again and keep on trying, then I really do think I’m doing the best that I can.

If you have yet to go through this experience or are currently in the middle of it, I’ve decided to list a couple of things I’ve learned along the way:

• It’s hard to find that first job.
• Sometimes you are going to feel bad about being rejected, and this is okay.
• Even if you feel down in the dumps about your lack of employment, you still need to keep trying or you’ll never get anywhere.
• If one method isn’t working – say, applying online – then you need to try another, (such as Networking, as terrifying as that may seem).
• You’ll need a lot of hard work and good luck to get you that job!
• At times, you’ll want to compare where you’re at in your life to your peers. Do your best to not do this.
• If you do compare yourself to others around you, don’t beat yourself up over it – but please do acknowledge your own hard work and everything you’ve achieved so far. Even if you think that you’ve done nothing, know this is a lie! Don’t let yourself believe it. Really think about your accomplishments and be proud of yourself.

Questions:

• Are you trying to find your first full-time job?
• If you’ve already been through this, was your experience this difficult?
• How long did it take you to find this job?
• How did you keep your motivation up over this period?
• What do you wish you knew before job hunting for the first time?

The Images You See Here Are from ivorymix.com