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Post-uni life (Graduate) -- Need some advice

Hi,

I recently finished my final year at university just over a month ago and to be honest, I haven't been doing much as I plan on holiday towards the end of August for like a month or two. I can't go on holiday now because I don't know what results I got and I still have not attended my graduation ceremony which is in July. My dad is turning 50 towards the end of August and I want to celebrate it big with style and so if I go in July I can only go for 3 weeks. My birthday is in September and I want to celebrate that on holiday as it has been dead here.

Because of all of this, I haven't been applying for graduate jobs or jobs in general and I am starting to worry because a lot of my friends have jobs and are getting jobs and quite frankly I feel embarrassed living at home with my parents unemployed.

I was advised by a family friend that I have been worked too hard because I went to uni straight from school, went to uni for two years, did a placement and then completed my final year. He saw my perseverance and struggle in my final year and told my parents to let me go on holiday. He said even 6 months later there will be opportunities available and that as an interviewer himself - he prefers people who travel more. He said you don't really get a chance like this again once you start working. Is all of what he is saying true?All in all, I am not admittedly very happy but I can definitely feel this holiday. It is just the future.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Looking for jobs as a graduate WILL be tough. This coming from a grad with only three months of work in the year since graduation (and I graduated in quite a high-demand subject so I'm well down the pecking order)

I had been looking for seven months before I got my only role after graduating, simply because I only looked on two job sites and didn't look when I had an interview or was waiting for the interview result. Go to a "popular" job site (e.g. Monster, Reed, totaljobs, Indeed) and put your CV up - if it looks good, recruiters will call you and inform you about roles that may suit you, and you might get two or more interviews per week :smile:
Why can't you just book a holiday, apply for jobs and if you get the job inform them that you've already got X amount of time booked on holiday?

Or apply for jobs starting in January or something.

There are plenty of options, it doesn't have to be one or the other.
Reply 3
Original post by shawn_o1
Looking for jobs as a graduate WILL be tough. This coming from a grad with only three months of work in the year since graduation (and I graduated in quite a high-demand subject so I'm well down the pecking order)

I had been looking for seven months before I got my only role after graduating, simply because I only looked on two job sites and didn't look when I had an interview or was waiting for the interview result. Go to a "popular" job site (e.g. Monster, Reed, totaljobs, Indeed) and put your CV up - if it looks good, recruiters will call you and inform you about roles that may suit you, and you might get two or more interviews per week :smile:


Hi,

I recently had a few friends who seemed to get job offers just like that. They were academically smart and I am still waiting on my results. I am fairly confident that I can get a 1st class degree - which will definitely boost my chances of securing a job. I already have some experience - its just applying for the bigger companies.

In all honesty, I do not think I enjoyed my youth life much and uni was pretty dead for me. I did not really get on with most of the people on my course and what not and went through a phase of depression. I just feel that going on a long holiday may offer me a different prospective to life in general.
Reply 4
Original post by Elivercury
Why can't you just book a holiday, apply for jobs and if you get the job inform them that you've already got X amount of time booked on holiday?

Or apply for jobs starting in January or something.

There are plenty of options, it doesn't have to be one or the other.


Thanks for the advice.

I want to work for a big company or organisation as opposed to a smaller one - but at the same time I want to enjoy my life while I am still young! I feel that if I go on a long holiday it will benefit me mentally as this final year at uni was depressing and I have not been happy over the past few weeks. My gym workouts have helped but I know for sure that a holiday to see my whole family abroad will definitely help me reshape my life and confidence. But it all comes at a cost, because if I tell companies about my plans now - they may not wish to hire me.

I am taking a gamble and risk here
Original post by samklipas0
Thanks for the advice.

I want to work for a big company or organisation as opposed to a smaller one - but at the same time I want to enjoy my life while I am still young! I feel that if I go on a long holiday it will benefit me mentally as this final year at uni was depressing and I have not been happy over the past few weeks. My gym workouts have helped but I know for sure that a holiday to see my whole family abroad will definitely help me reshape my life and confidence. But it all comes at a cost, because if I tell companies about my plans now - they may not wish to hire me.

I am taking a gamble and risk here

You tell the company about your plans when you make an offer. Assuming you're a half decent candidate they are not going to remove the offer because you are having a holiday. If they do, you probably didn't want to work there anyway.

I'm unsure where small/big companies come into what I said.

You're really not taking much of a gamble and you're not doing anything new that hasn't been done by many people before.

The biggest gamble you are taking is by being frozen through indecision.
Reply 6
Original post by Elivercury
You tell the company about your plans when you make an offer. Assuming you're a half decent candidate they are not going to remove the offer because you are having a holiday. If they do, you probably didn't want to work there anyway.

I'm unsure where small/big companies come into what I said.

You're really not taking much of a gamble and you're not doing anything new that hasn't been done by many people before.

The biggest gamble you are taking is by being frozen through indecision.


I am just in a state on minor depression and what not. My family is stable and they have money and what not - but I just feel bad and embarrassed to always rely on my parents for money etc.

Sadly, I do not have many friends and the ones I met at uni have literally forgotten me - yes how sad. I have no regrets leaving uni and the only thing I miss about uni is admittedly assignments - because they kept me busy and actually forced me to make new friends.

I have been looking for graduate opportunities starting in September and I am planning on perhaps applying to a few. I still plan on going on my big holiday abroad but to be fair - I wasted like a month doing nothing other than trying to revise for some certifications that I have paid to sit for.

In general, if a graduate was to apply for jobs six months later - how would it look?
Original post by samklipas0
I am just in a state on minor depression and what not. My family is stable and they have money and what not - but I just feel bad and embarrassed to always rely on my parents for money etc.

Sadly, I do not have many friends and the ones I met at uni have literally forgotten me - yes how sad. I have no regrets leaving uni and the only thing I miss about uni is admittedly assignments - because they kept me busy and actually forced me to make new friends.

I have been looking for graduate opportunities starting in September and I am planning on perhaps applying to a few. I still plan on going on my big holiday abroad but to be fair - I wasted like a month doing nothing other than trying to revise for some certifications that I have paid to sit for.

In general, if a graduate was to apply for jobs six months later - how would it look?


Good for you acknowledging it. I suggest you seek help if you feel you need it.

I have a grand total of two friends from university that I invited to my wedding and one of those was mostly out of politeness as they tend to come as a pair. Losing touch with the 100+ friends you have at university when you're no longer a 5 minute walk from each other and/or are forced to see each other several times a week is to be expected and is just part of the process. On the bright side, your social circle will shrink to include only those who really care about you and are worth having around. There is also nothing stopping you making friends post university, it isn't exactly "it" for you in friendship making terms.

It would look like you have not been working for 6 months, what else? They will ask you what you've been doing and they will weigh up your response. Travelling abroad is a perfectly valid and accepted response. Sitting around unemployed feeling sorry for yourself isn't as good (although tbf is hardly uncommon these days). I suggest you try and decide what you want and go for it.
You are definitely overthinking things.

if you can afford to take some time out and go travelling then you should. It will do you the world of good. Maybe try and pick up some temp office work in the meantime to boost your funds and your cv. If your really worried about how a break could look on your cv maybe apply for a working holiday visa somewhere like Australia and do that.

Taking some time out will not affect your ability to get good employment.
(edited 7 years ago)

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