#Pyjarmy soldier Emily Howard has a few words of encouragement for those of you feeling the sting of joblessness in the still-fresh, new year. It’s not all bad, she promises…
So, the New Year may not quite have started as you anticipated it would a few months ago. The big move to the capital (or any equally exciting cosmopolitan city where all your dreams will come true) might not quite have happened yet. You may be reading this from the confines of your childhood bedroom, surrounded by old toys and photographs from your first day of secondary, school, now over a DECADE ago. Indeed, you may still be jobless. However, I’m here to show you that starting the 2014 unemployed is not the worst thing that could happen.
1) Leftover Christmas themed food
From the consumer culture, excellent marketing and panic buying of the festive period comes a little bit of good news. And this comes in the form of selection boxes, Christmas cake, surplus tins of Quality Street and the Terry’s chocolate orange you’ve managed to resist opening up until now. You no longer have to leave your house in a desperate attempt to console yourself after finding another perfect job your Batchelor’s degree doesn’t quite qualify you for, or receiving yet another rejection starting with the line ‘Due to the number of applicants, we are unable to offer any feedback’. The chocolate/ biscuit/ cake is a just a wheelie chair ride away.
2) Everyone else is poor too
Since graduating last summer I’ve become particularly adept at turning down nights out, bailing on friends’ birthday parties and doing everything I possibly can to avoid a restaurant meal out because of my bank balance. The good news is, at this time of year, everyone else is doing the same. We, the unemployed, no longer have to come up with meagre excuses to avoid social interaction and can live our hermit-like existence, scouring the internet for fresh job offers, whilst wearing our onesies and comfort eating (see above), in peace.
3) No more questions
It’s the class of 2014’s equivalent to Bridget Jones’ enduring humiliation. Whilst in her case it was questions over her failure to find a boyfriend, for us it’s the constant questions over our failure to land a PROPER job. I’m sure you, like me, were sick to death of the grilling from friends, relatives, neighbours all asking the same thing, “What are you doing with your life? What are you doing with your degree? Why don’t you have a job? Can you get a job with an English degree?” etc. So we can all breathe a sign of relief and rest content in the knowledge that this is over (for a little while at least).
4) The only way is up
So you’ve started 2014 unemployed and becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of return your efforts are bringing. Well, rest assured in the knowledge that this year can definitely supersede the last. Sure you may have been firing off applications every day for the last 3 months to find yourself no closer to paid employment. But just think, that’s 30, 40, 50 (!?) jobs you weren’t suitable for.
Meaning, statistically at least, you are DEFINITELY closer to finding one that’s just right!
Happy jobhunting and Happy New Year!
