SubscribeProductivity is the key
It's been busy and uprooting times of late; no longer am I another 'lazy layabout' student, but a fully fledged, newly 21 year old graduate (though not in the Dustin Hoffman sense).
So as a void of essentially free time stretches ahead of me - technically I'm job hunting; which is an arduous enough task in itself that can end up consuming hours - I am faced with the dilemma of how to stay sane and occupied through these lonely days.
My advice to any other recent graduates who may find themselves in a similar position; back under the roof of parents, friends at home thin on the ground and lack of direction for the future - is to be Productive! It is obvious enough advice, but I'd say that it is a common (if not a rising issue) that university graduates of today are finding themselves increasingly lost and slumping into a depression during the transition into the 'real world', with graduate saturation and the looming recession not helping either.
Obviously finding direction and searching for a job is the number one priority for most graduates, and I've made some headway on that front. However, there's only so much time you can actually spend on that task before; one you exhaust all possibilities, and two become so frustrated with recruitment jargon and bogged down in critically assessing yourself against requirements that you want to punch the teeth out of whoever thought up the phrase "seeks innovative and creative candidate" - even for SELLING DOUBLE GLAZING!!!
You may feel at this time that you must, must, must find a job - any job - ASAP - you'll shovel shit in a field all day long if you have to - in order to stop the anxiety, the pressure from parents building like a volcano and to keep up with friends who've already moved to London, bought a house and gotten married in a week... they're oh so successful!
STOP! this perceived need to get a job instantly is an extremely damaging approach. Constant pursuit of anything in life is not a healthy approach, and soon anything relating to finding a job will become part of a mental nightmare
The period of transition from student to employment, is meant to be exactly that - A gap in order to adjust. Rather than look upon it as wasted time unless you're earning, it is in fact a completely unique and rare opportunity to do any number of things that take your fancy, and to also put some real thought and planning into your future, without other hassles.
Knowing myself pretty darn well, I would have seen this period in exactly the way I've just described above (in fact I did a few months ago), except I had something of a 'realisation' a few weeks back, and am now perfectly happy to be slightly clueless for a time as to where I'm headed. Remaining productive is key to this state of mind - and I don't mean running around like a blue arsed fly with a super packed schedule of meaningless activity. I mean doing things that are really worthwhile and will contribute either to your CV or character or just something that you love. Everyone can do this; all it takes is a little thought about what it is that you've always wanted to do - be it creative writing, learning or researching something, reading a ton of books, planning a trip etc... and then doing it.
The past weeks I've been obsessively organising my stuff and ruthlessly sorting through the useless crap in the house. I think such an event as moving home from university warrants such a purge, and I can't do anything else properly without my environment being sorted first. I find bringing order to my surroundings very therapeutic, and it's heightened in my case as I'm with a recent extension to our house I'm actually moving to a new room too.
Once this is done though I do have a number of other ideas and projects to begin; some are necessary and others are to do with an interest or passion that will be ongoing for years to come:
- Finding a job
- Personal development - reading some motivational resources and other such self help stuff along with some spiritual exploration
- Expanding my film project along with reading up on film theory and criticism
- Book project
- Planning to write a work of fiction
- Develop writing style via more articles on here
- Researching into classic cars - especially 1940s
- Researching Art Deco design and buildings along with retro furniture
- Looking into vintage movie posters to buy, and researching on restoration and collection
- Furthering my piano & guitar
- Planning an overseas trip/volunteering
- Learning to illustrate in a comic style (though unlikely to be any good ha!)
- Learning Italian
- Re-taking up Kickboxing
- Finding a vision for what I want to do and how to achieve that - I think I've settled on Arts funding/policy/admin (preferably film) and then doing an MA in arts/cultural management
Its quite an extensive list and there's more to add to it, but you get the idea. These are all things which I always wish I could do or do better. Then I thought to myself the other day, why can't I do them? There's nothing to stop me from doing them, so I should just go ahead and do them. It could take me a few months or twenty years but if I don't fulfil any of them then at least I can say I've tried.
Or perhaps this list is just a glaring sign that I'm painfully single and alone....
So as a void of essentially free time stretches ahead of me - technically I'm job hunting; which is an arduous enough task in itself that can end up consuming hours - I am faced with the dilemma of how to stay sane and occupied through these lonely days.
My advice to any other recent graduates who may find themselves in a similar position; back under the roof of parents, friends at home thin on the ground and lack of direction for the future - is to be Productive! It is obvious enough advice, but I'd say that it is a common (if not a rising issue) that university graduates of today are finding themselves increasingly lost and slumping into a depression during the transition into the 'real world', with graduate saturation and the looming recession not helping either.
Obviously finding direction and searching for a job is the number one priority for most graduates, and I've made some headway on that front. However, there's only so much time you can actually spend on that task before; one you exhaust all possibilities, and two become so frustrated with recruitment jargon and bogged down in critically assessing yourself against requirements that you want to punch the teeth out of whoever thought up the phrase "seeks innovative and creative candidate" - even for SELLING DOUBLE GLAZING!!!
You may feel at this time that you must, must, must find a job - any job - ASAP - you'll shovel shit in a field all day long if you have to - in order to stop the anxiety, the pressure from parents building like a volcano and to keep up with friends who've already moved to London, bought a house and gotten married in a week... they're oh so successful!
STOP! this perceived need to get a job instantly is an extremely damaging approach. Constant pursuit of anything in life is not a healthy approach, and soon anything relating to finding a job will become part of a mental nightmare
The period of transition from student to employment, is meant to be exactly that - A gap in order to adjust. Rather than look upon it as wasted time unless you're earning, it is in fact a completely unique and rare opportunity to do any number of things that take your fancy, and to also put some real thought and planning into your future, without other hassles.
Knowing myself pretty darn well, I would have seen this period in exactly the way I've just described above (in fact I did a few months ago), except I had something of a 'realisation' a few weeks back, and am now perfectly happy to be slightly clueless for a time as to where I'm headed. Remaining productive is key to this state of mind - and I don't mean running around like a blue arsed fly with a super packed schedule of meaningless activity. I mean doing things that are really worthwhile and will contribute either to your CV or character or just something that you love. Everyone can do this; all it takes is a little thought about what it is that you've always wanted to do - be it creative writing, learning or researching something, reading a ton of books, planning a trip etc... and then doing it.
The past weeks I've been obsessively organising my stuff and ruthlessly sorting through the useless crap in the house. I think such an event as moving home from university warrants such a purge, and I can't do anything else properly without my environment being sorted first. I find bringing order to my surroundings very therapeutic, and it's heightened in my case as I'm with a recent extension to our house I'm actually moving to a new room too.
Once this is done though I do have a number of other ideas and projects to begin; some are necessary and others are to do with an interest or passion that will be ongoing for years to come:
- Finding a job
- Personal development - reading some motivational resources and other such self help stuff along with some spiritual exploration
- Expanding my film project along with reading up on film theory and criticism
- Book project
- Planning to write a work of fiction
- Develop writing style via more articles on here
- Researching into classic cars - especially 1940s
- Researching Art Deco design and buildings along with retro furniture
- Looking into vintage movie posters to buy, and researching on restoration and collection
- Furthering my piano & guitar
- Planning an overseas trip/volunteering
- Learning to illustrate in a comic style (though unlikely to be any good ha!)
- Learning Italian
- Re-taking up Kickboxing
- Finding a vision for what I want to do and how to achieve that - I think I've settled on Arts funding/policy/admin (preferably film) and then doing an MA in arts/cultural management
Its quite an extensive list and there's more to add to it, but you get the idea. These are all things which I always wish I could do or do better. Then I thought to myself the other day, why can't I do them? There's nothing to stop me from doing them, so I should just go ahead and do them. It could take me a few months or twenty years but if I don't fulfil any of them then at least I can say I've tried.
Or perhaps this list is just a glaring sign that I'm painfully single and alone....
Great post, I was lucky when I finished Uni that I found it relatively easy to find a job. Posting on your blog is another great way to keep busy, I wish I had more time now to keep mine updated!