Fashion girl pleading poverty ....

So i have neglected this blog immensly. But why? ... simple. I was having the time of my life! Since my last post, not only was I only able to obtain an internship at the Ethical Fashion Forum, but was accepted onto a postgraduate course at the University of Arts London to study Public Relations.

Since August, I have seen a real change in myself (something that I could never had imagined after growing rapidly in maturity from all the travelling in the last year). I have attended fashion parties, London Fashion Week and even given public speeches - whilst still somehow fitting my studies in. (I got there in the end, even feeling in a constant state of sleepiness and stress).

However now its approaching Christmas, and I feel that there isnt much to celebrate. I literally have no money to my name .. and with Santander constantly screwing me over ... and barclays rejecting my career development loan (due to not having a job ... was this not the point of the loan?) and no paying job .. i can't go anywhere. It got to the point yesterday where I was forced to drink water while my friends drank water and ordered delicious, calorific food. I felt like a homeless person - getting the scraps and being so grateful for this and yes... i broke down. My friend offered to pay for a platter to share ... and suddenly before i knew it ... I was crying uncontrollably. A bit embarrasing when you don't want to be that 'weak girl'.

I have been offered job ... but again .. this will be at the cost of my long term career development. I just hope next new year I will be able to handle both and my efforts are recognised.

Young, Single ... Unemployed?

Four years previously, I had no idea that I would be faced in a market saturated with keen recent graduates all wanting the same thing as me ... a job. With recent figures indicating that there are more than 60 applicants per job available, there is little hope for me or my fellow peers. Having finished my exams in June, I was positive that I would be able to find a temporary summer job in Brighton. After all this is the season where the town is concentrated not just with national tourists but those from abroad. However after over 2 months looking, I have reached a full state of depression (well nearly). Whilst in London I was even offered a job but within the same hour it was taken away with some poor excuse that I had no commercial experience even though I had already completed work experience at that company this year.

So what do you need to do to stand out from competition?
Apparently completing a 3 month internship is not enough. Some jobs have even advertised for 1-2 years worth of experience whilst stating that the job is intended for a recent graduate. With the heavy work load and increasing cost of living as well as tuition fees, I can't imagine how anybody would be able to gain experience alongside their studies for free (something that companies are now taking advantage of - free labour).

The only strategy I can think of is to complete a postgraduate degree, building upon my existing qualifications. However I do realise that with the necessity to obtain a job (in anything- just to raise the dinero) it is likely I will be un able to undertake an internship in my desired career - Public Relations.

Although I have achieved a respectable 2:1, it has been reported that this is the minimum that companies are looking for. They are also short listing those applicants only from the top universities, which leaves me with even less hope that I will be able to secure myself a job.

My conclusion: even if I can manage to save up for a postgraduate course, I will still be facing fierce competition and be stuck photocopying for a good couple of years to come.

Good luck every body who are recent graduates. I am most defininately in the same boat - drifting not sailing.