You can consider this an introduction of sorts. There is so much more to this story than education, but it's a good place to start - and no-one's that bothered about all the David Copperfield details really, are they?
I graduated from The University in June 2009 with a PG-Dip in Journalism, on top of my undergraduate degree: a joint honours BA (Hons) in Journalism and Media Studies from the same institution. I had completed several months of work experience at The Weekly Ennui in Hometown during my degree, and was employed there as a trainee reporter on both The 'Ennui and The Sister Paper prior to my Post Grad. I re-enrolled at The University to better myself and get some training under my (real vintage) belt which Tricorn News - the company in charge of The Papers - couldn't provide for me. I was chomping at the bit, ready and raring to go. The course had provided me with all sorts: rudimentary shorthand (mainly practised with how to swear and write amusing words), a few more people skills, greatly improved interviewing skills and a genuine new-found (and perfectly logically held) fear of Big Estate in University Town.
In all honesty, I had returned to The University in order to escape the jobs market for nine months as well as to gain better and further qualifications. Silly girl.
This move has since turned out to be a bad one for various reasons which I will now skim over in the briefest of details.
- Jobs. There aren't any. Well, that's not entirely true - there are some, but the majority are on very small town newspapers with little to no future prospects, and are mainly editorial positions to replace the prematurely grey former madman who somehow flung together The Despair Express and Star with his merry band of trainees too scared to use adjectives for the first few months. So, yeah. Jobs are a major problem.
- ...That's about it, actually.
- Interviews. I have had two (count them) since graduation in the summer. One was positive, fun, exciting, in London in June and would have been perfect - a music reporting role! My inner 16 year old reviewer was rejoicing. The only downside was that it was only an internship, and an unpaid internship at that, but I had plans for that. The other slight issue that may have swayed the interviewers against me was being half an hour late after I lost my sheet with directions on it down the tube - not in any romanticised gust of wind blasting through the tunnels - I just dropped it, like a twat. So I was lost, in east London, but it may has well have been Mozambique, as I got fantastically lost and had my only panic attack of the year in the street. Nice. I didn't get the job, in case you were waiting for another punchline.
The second - Hometown is getting a branch of Popular Coffee Shop! How exciting, I thought, I could definitely do that; it's waitressing, not rocket science. The interview in October goes well; I am one of around 20 applicants, and there are around 15 positions available. This is in the bag, I thought. Interview goes well: I am punctual, charming, can work all the hours available and more, and just sycophantic enough for them to raise an eyebrow at my pious "employ me, you idiot" smile. I got a call a day or so later - I didn't get it. Why? I'm not available for enough of the required hours. I put the phone down before I got violent.
So that's it, really. That's where I am so far.
I am currently putting my mind to other things I can do with my currently redundant skills, other than writing long rambling notes in shorthand, forget to transcribe them, then find them a few days later and find they have rapidly become ancient Greek. I am working on my first novel (ha, I've always wanted to say that) and investigating into publishing, which I think looks quite interesting and not beyond my skills at all. I will keep you updated.
I am currently putting my mind to other things I can do with my currently redundant skills, other than writing long rambling notes in shorthand, forget to transcribe them, then find them a few days later and find they have rapidly become ancient Greek. I am working on my first novel (ha, I've always wanted to say that) and investigating into publishing, which I think looks quite interesting and not beyond my skills at all. I will keep you updated.
