Anyone else struggle to be motivated ?

Anyone else struggle to be motivated ?

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UK345

Original Poster:

441 posts

157 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
So I graduated from university in 2013 with a 2:1 honours degree in business. Since graduating I kept my part time job at a food supermarket going till I found a job. Last June I left and had a summer internship till October. After that I was unemployed right through to the end of January. I was able to get a temporary job for 6 weeks and finished that at the beginning of March. Currently I do 8 hours at the local car auction to get in some money and to avoid signing on.

It just seems like there is not much opportunity for graduates these days. What doesn't help is I live in glasgow and I don't want to relocate therefore this makes it more of a challenge. Really don't know what the future holds at all. I thought having a degree would guarantee me a steady job rather than all this temporary work.

I find it hard to keep motivated about the situation. When I get interviews I prepare and usually have a good one in my view. 9/10 you hear nothing back.

Anyone else been in this position and how did you get out it ?

Edited by UK345 on Tuesday 21st April 18:15

UK345

Original Poster:

441 posts

157 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
So I graduated from university in 2013 with a 2:1 honours degree in business. Since graduating I kept my part time job at a food supermarket going till I found a job. Last June I left and had a summer internship till October. After that I was unemployed right through to the end of January. I was able to get a temporary job for 6 weeks and finished that at the beginning of March. Currently I do 8 hours at the local car auction to get in some money and to avoid signing on.

It just seems like there is not much opportunity for graduates these days. What doesn't help is I live in glasgow and I don't want to relocate therefore this makes it more of a challenge. Really don't know what the future holds at all. I thought having a degree would guarantee me a steady job rather than all this temporary work.

I find it hard to keep motivated about the situation. When I get interviews I prepare and usually have a good one in my view. 9/10 you hear nothing back.

Anyone else been in this position and how did you get out it ?

Edited by UK345 on Tuesday 21st April 18:15

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
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At the start of my work life, it was like that but eventually you will get a break.

Remember, these little jobs you get might not be proper graduate recruitment jobs but they are giving you a broader range of experience and an appreciation of what happens on the "shop floor" that you might not get if you had an official graduate trainee scheme placement and will help to make you a better employee with the potential to run your own business or manage someone else's. You might not become a FTSE100 CEO but then there are only 100 places for those jobs. wink And you don't need to be a FTSE100 CEO to be a success.

I suppose the only problem is, as you've identified, that motivation will flag as you feel the grind. That in itself is a learning experience.

Jaska

723 posts

141 months

Wednesday 22nd April 2015
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I spent ~5 months unemployed after graduating, sent over 100 applications, at least 3 a day even if I wasn't interested in the role and ended up with an admin-level job, and have risen through the ranks since to my current role.

You'll be fine, just need to grind it out and get that first opportunity, the way you portray yourself in this post is definitely how I felt, and I assume others feel. [i.e. Lied to, cheated, where are all the jobs], but once you get your foot in the door and get into the daily work routine you'll be back to normal.

Also, I know there's a lot of pride in the signing on thing, I resisted it for awhile but I would recommend it for the other benefits, they tend to know the word of mouth & seasonal work there that you might not find online.

Quite a few on here are willing to give CV etc tips if you need them.

wellzee

445 posts

120 months

Wednesday 22nd April 2015
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I think a lot of graduates have been in a similar position. Out of interest, why the no relocation? My first job out of uni was in Leeds, my second Hertfordshire and my third Birmingham. I got to experience 3 completely different places and meet loads of great people. Once you've done that and got the experience, then it will be so much easier for you to choose location. My advice would be (unless there's a specific reason) open yourself to relocation, you can stick it out until you get some experience and then move back to Glasgow if you still want to.

CaptainSensib1e

1,432 posts

220 months

Wednesday 22nd April 2015
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Try and get a entry level job at a good company. Even if its not the job you want you'll find it muhc easier to get the type of job you do want once your foot is in the door. Many of the senior people where I work (a FTSE 100 company) started at the bottom and worked their way up.

MattHall91

1,268 posts

123 months

Thursday 23rd April 2015
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I was in your position a year earlier (2.1 business degree in 2012). I spent 18 months in various jobs to see what I liked. Now I want to give a massive 2 finger salute to the 'business' world and join the police.
What makes you happy? What do you enjoy? Whatever it is, DO THAT.
Guessing you're 22/23? That's at least a quarter of your life gone. Disappeared. Do you really want to spend another quarter doing something you think you should do but actually don't enjoy deep down?
That's just how I feel.

bigunit00

890 posts

146 months

Thursday 23rd April 2015
quotequote all
UK345 said:
So I graduated from university in 2013 with a 2:1 honours degree in business. Since graduating I kept my part time job at a food supermarket going till I found a job. Last June I left and had a summer internship till October. After that I was unemployed right through to the end of January. I was able to get a temporary job for 6 weeks and finished that at the beginning of March. Currently I do 8 hours at the local car auction to get in some money and to avoid signing on.

It just seems like there is not much opportunity for graduates these days. What doesn't help is I live in glasgow and I don't want to relocate therefore this makes it more of a challenge. Really don't know what the future holds at all. I thought having a degree would guarantee me a steady job rather than all this temporary work.

I find it hard to keep motivated about the situation. When I get interviews I prepare and usually have a good one in my view. 9/10 you hear nothing back.

Anyone else been in this position and how did you get out it ?

Edited by UK345 on Tuesday 21st April 18:15
just my two cents but I would try and focus on larger organisations first where they may have budget to take on people at this level and work your way back. The challenge is at your age....no matter that you have a degree....you wont add much value initially as part of a firms workforce as A) you wont understand the business and 2) your skillset will be immature/limited to some degree. Both are things you will only get with experience.

I would also focus on trying to get temp work in say a bank (bigger budgets / more demand for uni qualified temps etc)or on a grad programme. Do some analysis work, project work......whatever you can get and try and then convert a contract to a perm role. Its far easier once you are inside the firm. Then if you dont like banking - move to another industry (hopefully the skills / experience will in some way be transferable)

I find your objection to travelling a bit wet though. The worlds your oyster but you cant get a job you like yet you dont want to leave Glasgow? ...........sorry......does not compute!

MattHall91

1,268 posts

123 months

Thursday 23rd April 2015
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Don't listen to anyone saying you're doing wrong by not willing to relocate.
I love where I live, no job would ever take priority over that.
There are always ways around it.

foliedouce

3,067 posts

230 months

Thursday 23rd April 2015
quotequote all
MattHall91 said:
Don't listen to anyone saying you're doing wrong by not willing to relocate.
I love where I live, no job would ever take priority over that.
There are always ways around it.
That depends on what your priorities are. If they are to stay where you are and not get a job, then you're right.

OP - You're young, why wouldn't you move away for a period of time then move back once you have experience and more options?

For me it's about compromise, ie you have to compromise on something:-

Type of job you are going for - maybe lower your expectations to start with, get a job, prove yourself and move into a different role / up the ladder - a lot easier if you are within an organisation rather than on the outside

Location - think about it, it will open you up to more opportunities

Salary - maybe go for an internship on low numbers, prove yourself, and get a perm job. We hired an intern this year and he's gone from 0 to £20k salary in less than a year because he has demonstrated his worth and he will get more (prob 20% rise) at the year end. We would not have hired him directly into a role (we didn't have one) but once onboard and he demonstrated what he could do, we created a role.

It makes me chuckle when I hear these graduate stories, with the greatest of respect, I think it's down to you being too fussy on what you're prepared to do. I have vacancies galore for sales people but a lot of the recent grads I interview think it's beneath them or if they do take the job, have very little work ethic to do what's required.

I went into the workplace in the last big recession (1991) having quit Uni as it wasn't for me and I wanted to earn my own money. There were no jobs, well ofcourse there were, I just had lower my expectations, I ended up selling vacuum cleaners door to door self employed because that's all I could get to earn money, 6 months later I managed to find a 'proper' job as an Assistant in an insurance brokers on £8k, I had to move away from home into a rented room in Coventry (read st hole) to be able to
take that job, after all expenses I had £142 a month disposable income. Certainly couldn't afford a car!

Then I went to a bank and worked my way up to Branch Manager (moving 4 times to get promoted along the way), then started my own business which employs over 100 people, I live in an area of my choosing which we love and I work flex hours so have a real work / life balance. I'm 40 so still young enough to really enjoy life.

Sorry if this sounds preachy, it's not supposed to be, but I'm trying to demonstrate (an maybe inspire you) that if you show some compromise now, you can enjoy life later. Life doesn't always work in the way that you want it to.

Those that work hard, show some flexibility, will in my opinion, end up with what they want in the end.

Good luck in your search, but above all, remember that looking for a job, is a job. You HAVE to motivate yourself.

MattHall91

1,268 posts

123 months

Thursday 23rd April 2015
quotequote all
foliedouce said:
MattHall91 said:
Don't listen to anyone saying you're doing wrong by not willing to relocate.
I love where I live, no job would ever take priority over that.
There are always ways around it.
That depends on what your priorities are. If they are to stay where you are and not get a job, then you're right.

OP - You're young, why wouldn't you move away for a period of time then move back once you have experience and more options?

For me it's about compromise, ie you have to compromise on something:-

Type of job you are going for - maybe lower your expectations to start with, get a job, prove yourself and move into a different role / up the ladder - a lot easier if you are within an organisation rather than on the outside

Location - think about it, it will open you up to more opportunities

Salary - maybe go for an internship on low numbers, prove yourself, and get a perm job. We hired an intern this year and he's gone from 0 to £20k salary in less than a year because he has demonstrated his worth and he will get more (prob 20% rise) at the year end. We would not have hired him directly into a role (we didn't have one) but once onboard and he demonstrated what he could do, we created a role.

It makes me chuckle when I hear these graduate stories, with the greatest of respect, I think it's down to you being too fussy on what you're prepared to do. I have vacancies galore for sales people but a lot of the recent grads I interview think it's beneath them or if they do take the job, have very little work ethic to do what's required.

I went into the workplace in the last big recession (1991) having quit Uni as it wasn't for me and I wanted to earn my own money. There were no jobs, well ofcourse there were, I just had lower my expectations, I ended up selling vacuum cleaners door to door self employed because that's all I could get to earn money, 6 months later I managed to find a 'proper' job as an Assistant in an insurance brokers on £8k, I had to move away from home into a rented room in Coventry (read st hole) to be able to
take that job, after all expenses I had £142 a month disposable income. Certainly couldn't afford a car!

Then I went to a bank and worked my way up to Branch Manager (moving 4 times to get promoted along the way), then started my own business which employs over 100 people, I live in an area of my choosing which we love and I work flex hours so have a real work / life balance. I'm 40 so still young enough to really enjoy life.

Sorry if this sounds preachy, it's not supposed to be, but I'm trying to demonstrate (an maybe inspire you) that if you show some compromise now, you can enjoy life later. Life doesn't always work in the way that you want it to.

Those that work hard, show some flexibility, will in my opinion, end up with what they want in the end.

Good luck in your search, but above all, remember that looking for a job, is a job. You HAVE to motivate yourself.
After a background in banking, what business did you set up? If you don't mind me asking.

FWIW, I relocated for my first 'proper' job. Was fortunate enough to get my next job back in home town afterwards.

foliedouce

3,067 posts

230 months

Friday 24th April 2015
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MattHall91 said:
After a background in banking, what business did you set up? If you don't mind me asking.

FWIW, I relocated for my first 'proper' job. Was fortunate enough to get my next job back in home town afterwards.
Project Management. After being a Branch Manager, I moved into being a PM, then started a business with a couple of other guys from work implementing banking systems. Started well, was crap 2009 - 2011, now doing well again and work across a number of different sectors, not just banking.

16plates

1,796 posts

126 months

Friday 24th April 2015
quotequote all
Why wouldn't you be open to relocating? Kids, wife, girlfriend?

You sound like a young guy, staying in one place all your life is wrong imo! Get out there, see a bit of the country/world, learn more, experience more, meet more people. Have more opportunity.

UK345

Original Poster:

441 posts

157 months

Sunday 26th April 2015
quotequote all
Thanks for the replies. It's amazing since posting this thread i have been to 3 job interviews out of the blue. Not the sort of jobs i want to do exactly but something to get the cash coming in for a while. Each of them is temporary (they are all office based positions) but even if i get a few months of work out then that will always be handy for the CV. I am just at the point now that i want to have a good steady job and earn a good wage. My plan is to try get a job like this and then try to either work me way up or get a better position. All this unemployment and working 8 hours a week is no use. I am bored and just want things to pick up.

With regards to relocating, its just something that doesn't appeal to me. Mainly due to the costs associated with having my own place and being away from family/friends. Don't get me wrong though if someone came along and offered me a great opportunity that involved moving out and the pay was good i would go for it





foliedouce

3,067 posts

230 months

Sunday 26th April 2015
quotequote all
Congratulations on the interviews. When a mate of mine was looking for work, he took a temp role in a call centre (mind numbing but brought some money in). He kept his eye on internal vacancies on the intranet, he found a trainee Trainer role which he applied for. Priority was given to perm staff, but he got the job (crap money). Fast forward 7 years and 2 job moves and he's now Training Director for a very well known organisation, managing a large team and earning some nice coin doing a job he loves.

Amazing where temp opportunities can lead

Good luck on the interviews, make sure you prep!

okgo

37,858 posts

197 months

Monday 27th April 2015
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Not leaving Glasgow will be a mistake. Seems a bit obtuse to spend a lot of money on a degree then not give yourself some chance to make it pay in a half decent job.

I don't know anything about Glasgow, but I doubt its graduate job market is very good given a quick google suggests fairly high unemployment rates., Edinburgh? Manchester? Leeds?

The single best decision I made in my life was to move from my hometown to London, I knew 1 person, but now have a network of mates I've met through work and my hobbies, and met my partner; whereas if I was still in a small market town in Surrey/Hants I'd likely still be working in the same computer shop I was before I left earning £12 grand a year in awe of the cars on here as in I could never see a way to owning one.


Twin2

266 posts

121 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
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okgo said:
Not leaving Glasgow will be a mistake. Seems a bit obtuse to spend a lot of money on a degree then not give yourself some chance to make it pay in a half decent job.

I don't know anything about Glasgow, but I doubt its graduate job market is very good given a quick google suggests fairly high unemployment rates., Edinburgh? Manchester? Leeds?

The single best decision I made in my life was to move from my hometown to London, I knew 1 person, but now have a network of mates I've met through work and my hobbies, and met my partner; whereas if I was still in a small market town in Surrey/Hants I'd likely still be working in the same computer shop I was before I left earning £12 grand a year in awe of the cars on here as in I could never see a way to owning one.
If he went to uni in Scotland this will be next to nothing.

OP, Glasgow is okay for graduate roles but I suggest you broaden your horizons. Relocation can cost a bit but if you apply while at home then you can move knowing you have a decent income to go to.

Otherwise, get involved in banking. I do that while I'm at uni just now, the money is great (for a part-time job ~19k pro rata) and there's real progression. E.g. a couple of guys on my team, just in the call centre are favourable candidates for the grad scheme, despite 2:1s from crap unis.

Yes you might have to spend a year boring yourself to death on phonecalls but it'll be worth it.

CountZero23

1,288 posts

177 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
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Spent 6 months looking for a job when I came out of uni with a degree in computing.

Applied to hundreds of jobs anywhere in the South East, was a bit picky and held out for a coding position but it did get pretty tedious.

The good news is that it gets easier after your first job, haven't had more than a couple of weeks in-between jobs and been made redundant twice in last 11 years.

Chin up, keep at it!