| For anyone who has experienced an extended | | | | The reason I was having a great deal of trouble in |
| period of unemployment, they will understand | | | | my search for a job was that I was stuck in the |
| how hard it is to conduct a job search. I know | | | | 'experience catch twenty two'. Every job I |
| from my own experience that being involved in a | | | | seemed to look at asked for at least two years |
| search for a job can be one of the most | | | | experience, even low level entry position jobs |
| demoralising events in life. Endlessly scouring the | | | | seemed to have a prerequisite for applicants with |
| job pages of websites and finding nothing that | | | | knowledge of the industry. I knew if I could just |
| suits you or anything you are experienced in is a | | | | get an interview and get the chance to sell |
| common problem and one I intend to highlight in | | | | myself my job search would be over. |
| this article. | | | | I am sorry to say that at about the three month |
| Having left university with a good degree I found | | | | stage of searching for a job the depression really |
| myself in a quandary, I was not one of these | | | | starts to set in. Questions start to arise that |
| people who had a clear idea what he wanted to | | | | were not there at the start of your search. Am I |
| from a young age. My brother was one of those | | | | that unemployable? Will I ever gain the experience |
| lucky people that had never had to search for a | | | | I need? As well as, will this search ever end? |
| career, he knew from the age of twelve that he | | | | Losing your motivation at this point is easy, luckily |
| was going to be a doctor; subsequently his | | | | I had a great support network of friends and |
| studies had led him into this career path. | | | | family whose constant calls to keep my chin up in |
| Unfortunately it was a little different for me, I had | | | | these dire times were infinitely useful. |
| no idea what job I could see myself doing; my | | | | A friend who had worked in the recruitment |
| studies had been in a pretty generic subject that | | | | industry felt especially sorry for me and acted as |
| had no specific associated job options. I had the | | | | my career advisor. Defining the skills I possessed |
| feeling my search would be little more difficult | | | | and limiting my search options to a more refined |
| than my brother's. | | | | range. This was a great help, seeing any form of |
| I was contemplating where my search for jobs | | | | career advice service is extremely helpful when |
| would take me constantly at the moment; it was | | | | involved in a search for a job. Especially if you |
| actually quite stressful, like having a constant cloud | | | | were like me and needed direction into a chosen |
| hanging over my head. Added to this stress my | | | | career path. |
| entire family were on the search for me also; the | | | | With my friends advice I hit my job search with |
| problem with this is they throw swerve balls at | | | | renewed vigour and gusto. I now knew which |
| you almost daily; 'become a radiographer', | | | | fields I would like to enter and knowledge of the |
| 'become an air traffic controller' of 'join the police | | | | level of positions I would be applying for. With this |
| force'. Despite telling them that you would search | | | | new information I felt my search would be far |
| for a job under your own steam these job ideas | | | | more productive, hopefully my months of |
| keep on coming, I suppose it is just because they | | | | unemployment would soon be over I would find a |
| care. | | | | job that was both challenging and enjoyable. |