‘THE WORLD IS your oyster;’ that is exactly what everyone told us the day we graduated with our four-year-long bachelor’s degree. At the time, it really did feel like anything was possible. 

It might have been this, or the endless stream of influencers on my Instagram page rambling on about achieving dreams and success in their twenties, that had me so excited about this next chapter of my life. But some months into life as a graduate, I have to be honest, I want to go back.

Don’t get me wrong, I do not long to return to college. I enjoyed my short time there, and I miss seeing my peers every day and the overall sense of youth and freedom that comes with being a student; however, I only long to go back as it would be a way of crawling out of this frustrating place I have found myself in, that of being a graduate. 

I should note at this point that I am not work shy. I have found a full time job, not one in my chosen field, but one that pays the bills. So, I’m not sitting around at home, scrolling mindlessly on my phone and rolling my eyes at how unfair life is. Not in the least.

Off campus

I am one of the numerous University students whose time at college was affected by Covid. As someone whose field of study was largely practical, the closing of institutions had a significant impact on me. Fortunately, I got the opportunity to go on work placement in my third year and managed some in-person learning in my fourth. In my first semester back at college after two years from home, it was an exciting novelty, and by the end of that I was dreaming of graduating and working in a sector I wanted to be a part of.

I have always been a very proactive person and even began my job hunt while still in the middle of getting the degree. I had a couple of interviews but nothing too hopeful, which, while frustrating, wasn’t too disheartening as I technically wasn’t a graduate at that point.

Summer came, and left, with me spending hours perfecting CVs, cover letters and portfolios. They were sent to jobs in the field that seemed suitable for me as someone with only one year of professional experience in the sector. The thing about college is, that it’s wonderful and teaches you so much about a specific subject, but when it comes to the practical follow on of how to navigate job searches and applications, it’s not so helpful.

And it seems applying for jobs now is like a new science. If you speak to anyone who applied for jobs before the tech/smartphone revolution, they’ll tell you that you saw an ad, you sent a CV and you got or didn’t get an interview. What I’m understanding now with the addition of LinkedIn and similar apps is that seeking employment is like a full-time job in itself, and it can be overwhelming. 

After many attempts sending lots of CVs and not hearing back a lot of the time, or getting interviews and being rejected, I was feeling pretty fed up but tried to see the glass half full. Doing interviews is a fantastic way to get better at communicating and preparing for the next one, but with each rejection, my smile, and positivity started to slip away a little. 

Keep going

After a couple of weeks of updating my CV and regrouping, I got back on the wagon and applied for some more roles. I made it to the second round of a couple of exciting ones, but like the rest before me, I was told that while I sounded suitable and promising, but they wanted someone with more experience.

It was at this point that I began to feel there were few to no jobs for new graduates.

All the jobs I had applied for were described as entry-level posts with salaries that matched this description; however, each one required at least two years of experience; some even marked as graduate posts still had this requirement. The thing about experience is, that it’s impossible to get without someone giving you a chance first, and that’s a tough move for employers who are up against it in busy times. I get it. 

I decided to take a break from applying for jobs as I settled into my new life of working my ‘part-time job’ full-time, but when I went back to it, it was exactly as it was before. The frustration took over my life and made me feel defeated. I wasn’t doing anything wrong, it just felt like I, and people just like me, just weren’t wanted.

On the GoBus home from another failed interview recently, I saw a TikTok of another graduate in my sector, talking about the issue of entry-level jobs requiring more experience than any graduate would have. I was so relieved to see others in my boat having the same issue, it clarified at least that I wasn’t the problem. Some college friends are also experiencing similar. It just seems as if there’s no bridge between university and entry positions. There might be more to be done on a government or university level to make this happen. I’m no expert, but there’s a whole generation of well-educated young people in this country and they aren’t getting a chance to prove themselves in many sectors. This is a factor in other jurisdictions, too. If graduates are finding it hard to be seen or hired, is that a result of technological disruptors like LinkedIn? I really don’t know.

What’s the point of third-level?

Here I am now, writing this, having graduated with a degree in Journalism and Law, with absolutely no job prospects (at least in a career sense); a position I never expected to have been in when I dreamt of being a graduate while at college. Not in the least did I expect the dream job to be handed to me, but a chance to prove ourselves in our chosen sectors would be nice for my peers and myself. 

So, to everyone who boasted about this time of our lives, you are wrong. It is not exciting, or the best time in life; it is a struggle and comes with a gut-wrenching hinder of confidence.

I now know the road ahead is not that of relaxation after four tough years at university, nor is it the blossoming beginning of my career, as I was so naively promised and expecting. It is the start of challenging work, knock backs and not fulfilling all my dreams; but at least now I get it, and I am not alone.