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No Confidence Job Search

I recently completed my final year at university and ever since I have been experiencing the post university blues. At the start of September I moved back to my family home. I hated the idea of it as I don't particularly have a close relationship with my family, but I needed a roof over my head and couldn't not afford my own place. The plan was to move back home, quickly find a job, save a few months salary and then move out and live with a close friend. The plan didn't necessarily go to plan. For months I have searched for jobs but I feel so out of my depth. I read the advertisement for the jobs and the list of what would be required of me and I just feel as though I couldn't even do a fraction of the things that are asked of me. I have attended various interviews. Every time I get anxious I work myself up, I say the wrong things make a fool of myself and get rejected. In one interview I got so flustered that when they asked to describe myself in three words I even said 'A Bloody Nightmare'. The interviews have just knocked my confidence to the point where I have become so anxious that I now turn away the few interviews I get offered. I become so worked up and panicky believing that regardless of whether I attend or not I firstly wouldn't get the job and even if somehow I did I wouldn't be able to actually do it to a sufficient standard. I am now at a point financially where my savings have run out. My parents cannot help and even if they were financially able they wouldn't and so I am desperate to find something. My job search has now been restricted to places that I can walk too as I would not be capable of affording a single bus ride to my work place let alone the first months worth of travel. Yesterday I got offered a job interview as a 'utilities planner'. It is a 10 minute walk away with an advertised salary between 22-23.5k which is the highest salary of any offered interview yet. Despite this I read the job description and I once again feel as though I am incapable of doing even half of what is expected of me. You would expect survival mode to kick in and I would be jumping at the opportunity, but I have just become so miserable and hopeless about the situation.

Reply 1

brandonbshah

Hi, I would definitely go to the job interview, I can completely understand the concern when you see the role you are looking to go into and what is requested, I actually had similar story to yours albeit a little more simple, also moved back home after uni to save some money and wanted to get a job fast but they always seem quite daunting. But one thing I have learnt is that even if you don't necessarily have the skills expected being willing to learn on the go is what many companies want. I started a role recently and what was expected felt very daunting and concerning, but after the interview it was clear to me that the company would help to develop and train me into the role.
I understand the situation is rough but you can get there, I'd recommend looking online for help with interviews too, before mine I used a website called graduates first and it helped me massively to become more confident and successful in future interviews.
hope this helps and best of luck for the future!

Reply 2

seba92

Hey, can I just say I have been exactly where you are? The things I reflected- on to help me with an action plan was to first:
- Use affirmation or something that makes me smile whether it is watching a stand-up comedy, cat/lion videos, etc. at the BEGINNING of the day to help me stay positive
- Then I had to build a mindset that my past was not going to dictate my future and I had to evidence this point to myself by realising things have gotten better OVERALL even though during set-backs it felt like it hadn't
- And I just kept pushing myself to do it even if I didn't feel like it. That's not to say I didn't have days where I just stayed in my room in my bed MOST of the day. Lockdown and current events have definitely affected my outlook and enthusiasm just to be happy to be alive. But here is where I started to realise I needed to stop when really REALLY dark thoughts came into my head. I have tried every method you can think of, gratitude lists, journals, self-help audiobooks on youtube or audible, etc. Faking positivity has been the only thing to work and pure naive belief that good things are coming has helped.

Now in terms of your financial situation can't you apply for job seekers or universal credit or something so you can at least get to your interviews? Sometimes some companies can pay for travel fare if you let them know you mind find it difficult to get to the interview.

In terms of the actual interview, itself find question banks, look at interviews questions but also answers. Make sure when the scenario questions they throw at you, to dissect the question and think about the job description and person specification. Normally in interviews, they want to know if you can meet the skill requirements and prepare scenarios you can talk about when you have shown those skills. Sometimes they let you take your notes in with you so do that. And practice out loud at least 2 days before. Hope this helps. Good luck

No Confidence Job Search

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