‘Is there life after university?’

"I always thought things would be easy once I sat that last exam and graduated. I would land my dream job, move out of home and generally be content . But that was months ago . I'm still sat here with no job in sight! I've done the job searching . and the interviews but no one seems to want me. Everything's changed, my friends aren't who they used to be... everyone seems to be getting on with life .. . What's wrong with me? I just feel like I need some direction. but I just don't know where to start."

The end of education is something which everyone looks forward to, but that does not mean that you can't still feel baffled and confused once you reach that stage. After all for most of your life you have been following a system where everything has been mapped out and now that you have entered the great unknown it is only natural to feel a little uneasy and lost.
For people who have lived away from home it may feel a little anti-climatic moving back after the three or more years you have spent at university. Getting re-accustomed to living under your parents rules may be more difficult than you had first imagined.

You may find that most of your university friends are scattered across the four corners of the UK and keeping in touch as often as you would like to is just not happening.
And dreams of falling into a job after university seem more and more impossible as the days and months swing by.

Situations like these are common and the trick is not to let it faze you out. Try to take control of the situation, don't let it control you.

# Home Life

# Friends

# Job Hunting

During this process what you need to keep in mind is that you're not on your own. There are a lot of people in your shoes who may also be finding it difficult to get a job too.

Useful Tips
What might help is having a starting point, which might be simply writing down all the things you are good at, the skills you have, what you enjoy, etc. This could include particular aspects of your course, certain people you like working with, good communication skills; anything positive! With this list you can then look at potential jobs involving some of the things you've identified.

You could also take this list to your local careers service and have an informal chat about potential career paths. Students often think you can only talk to a careers advisor if you know what you want to do but they are actually there to help you with your career no matter what stage you are at. You also don't have to go to the careers service of the university you attended; you can go to any local service whether it is run by your local university or city council.

If you are finding it hard getting interviews, seek advice on your application forms from your careers service. If its lack of experience that is getting you down - try to do some voluntary work through your local CVS. Again, visit your careers service. Most careers services offer their services to university graduates for up to three years after they have graduated.

Further Study
An issue that may worry you is funding a postgraduate course. Unfortunately the Student Loans Company don't offer loans to postgraduates but there are other loans available, such as Career Development Loans and professional loan schemes. There are also many other ways to fund further study, such as public funding bodies, institutional funding or sponsorship from a company. Many charities, foundations and trusts partially fund some postgraduates.

The Prospects website has a lot more information on all these options. The best advice is to find out what funding your university offers as most universities offer a loyalty discount. For example, if you study for a degree at the University of Manchester and then a postgraduate course there you are eligible for a 20% discount off the tuition fees.

Remember life after university is not all doom and gloom, it may take you a while to find your feet. Try to go through things one stage at a time. If you find that the pressure is getting to you, talk to someone, a friend, parent, a brother or sister. However if you want to speak to someone who is not close to you there are a number of ways you can achieve this (see contacts on the link below).

Prospects website

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