Published at 15:57, Thursday, 08 July 2010

WHEN I left university last year, I felt as though I was stranded in a sea of uncertainty and ever since I have been desperately trying to keep my head above water.

Being at university is like being on an island – you know that there is something out there to strive for but it seems so far away that it doesn’t affect you.
Don’t get me wrong, university was an amazing experience and one that I’d happily do again – if I had the money.
I will never forget the adventure it took me on but it definitely does not leave you ready to face the ‘real world’.
I trained in journalism and have only recently managed to gain some work experience at the Times & Star.
This is a lifeline for me and it’s been an opportunity that I appreciate greatly because it has put me back in the world (even if momentarily) that I tentatively took the first steps towards entering nearly four years ago.
Being surrounded by like-minded people again is a huge breath of fresh air for me and I really don’t fancy going back to swimming the murky waters waiting for my next break. Sitting among reporters makes me want to work even harder towards becoming one myself.
At times, it has felt like the three years’ hard work at university has been for nothing and that I’m unemployable in the field I trained in, but I know deep down that this is not a feeling that is going to last forever and that I am also not alone in this.
With the number of jobseekers going up all the time, I am very thankful to have a job elsewhere, but being in this environment again has only reinforced the fact that I probably won’t be truly happy in any other role. Going to university does not guarantee you a job in any shape or form.
Yes, higher education may help but work and life experience matters so much more – and you can gain this at any age.
As for me, I’m hoping that soaking in as much as possible from these types of experiences will eventually open the door to a career.

Published by http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk