Im finishing up uni, and im lost..

[Up_All_Night]

I’m getting increasingly worried about the future. I am months way from finishing my university degree, Multimedia / Business Marketing, and I honestly have no clue what to do. I’m 22 years old and have little ambition or drive. I consider myself fairly intelligent, no genius or anything, but im just lazy. Always had an easy life financially and academically, but now finishing Uni and stepping out into the big wide real world, I don’t know what on earth to do.

From my degree, I do better at the multimedia, I like the creative side, but I couldn’t really see myself doing it as a job, also because the number one area to get a job would be web design and NO WAY! The marketing I like, and I feel would be better out of a Uni environment, but then I don’t know if I have just half a marketing degree making jobs hard to get. Or if that doesn’t matter because I have a degree with background to it.

One problem I’m unsure of, when I finish, do I look for a job doing anything, or something more careerish. Anything decent to save up and travel seems good, but at same time, will that make a good career job in several years harder. There always is the option of going and studying again. I’m in half a mind to apply for a mid year intake in a graduate law degree. However I am really unsure how I’d like it, and how I’d go about actually doing the course. Who knows if I’d even get accepted, I just think for someone like me with no direction or future, it’d be pretty good on an otherwise empty CV.

I liked and was good at legal studies in yr11/12 for what’s that’s worth and after high school I went into a business information systems degree I hated, so quit after a semester and went to career counselling and advice and choose the degree im currently completely. From those tests the 3 areas recommended to me were, Media, Marketing, Law. My sister also did a law degree. I have friends who have or doing law degrees as well, and they all seem way harder workers and smarter than me, which is off putting..

Has anyone been in a similar position and have any advice on what’s good options for finishing Uni, with no direction, clear cut job avenues. I am really lost and its all get increasingly more worrying to me.

[brentwahn]

The situation you find yourself in is massively common. I know arseloads of people, myself included, feeling like that. I think the main reason is that we're lead to believe (by parents and teachers whilst growing up) that university will help you get jobs. It doesn't - everyone has a fricken degree! And those who don't, have an extra 3-4 years experience that we don't have.

I got my current full time job whilst at uni, through my neuroscience professor. At the time I thought that I was really lucky, and it was really cool to have a job in the industry. Now I've been in this job for 3 years, without pay review, and I need to get my arse out. But it's all too comfortable to stay in your comfort zone (yours would be going back to uni for more).

My advice is: get your arse out into the world, and start applying for jobs. Apply, apply, apply. The more you apply for, the higher your chances are of getting something. Apply for jobs in multimedia, apply for any jobs related to the industry you're interested in. If you get offered a job that doesn't sound like what you want, either turn it down or take it whilst you keep looking.

One of the stupid things I did when looking for jobs was get too fussy. I'd be all like "oh I don't know if I want to do that for the rest of my life". You don't have to, but unless you are offered these positions, you don't have the opportunity to make a real decision on whether you like that role or not.

I'm being sent overseas with my job quite a bit, which is pretty cool, but I can tell you what man, it's not worth getting paid $45k for the rest of your life. See you on seek.com when I get back :P

[BtrFly]

what brentwahn said...

I am still in that rut- i graduated 2 years ago - didnt really want to go technical, so i went people. now i want technical.

you can change when you think you have had enough - you just have to make a concerted effort.

Unfortunately for a lot of middle class kids- we have never had a major problem - not had to struggle to get through school, our parents provided relatively well, and we have been coddled to think that the world is ours, if only we get off our backsides... only problem being that we have to get off our backsides... unfortunately...

i wish you luck - remember its not for the rest of your life. just until you want a new adventure.

[Chocoholic]

Like life you have to get out and see what you like and what you dislike. Try something and learn from it. If you don't like, don't stay. You aren’t going to start earning mega bucks from day one so look for jobs that interest you. For example have you thought about selling yourself for the devil and working for a creative ad agency? I think you would be good at it.

[nrejones]

Best thing is to get a skill that not many have. A law degree will probably give a very good income for life.

[jasebert]

Best thing is to get a skill that not many have. A law degree will probably give a very good income for life.

I would not say law. A grad law student on average gets about 20-30k... but if you stick at it for the long run (a few years or go into the Govt) then it would be nice.

[BtrFly]

Best thing is to get a skill that not many have. A law degree will probably give a very good income for life.
it will also up your debt by tens of thousands of $$$

[Whiskers]

As a 5th year law student on the precipice of a nervous breakdown- I would strongly suggest not pursuing a postgrad law degree. Like you, I am incredibly lazy and this is one of those degrees where laziness will ultimately catch up to you. And, despite popular opinion, there is no guarantee you will get a great job with a law degree under your belt.

[jae_hyung]

I too am in the same position, frantically applying to the multitude of graduate positions available getting demoralised when i'm unsuccessful TT
Its difficult to let go of missed opportunities, im finding it hard forgettin that i blew an excellent chance with a vac position last year... that really could have put me at ease in my final year
I guess just pick yourself up and keep going; thats my perspective for now

[nrejones]

Oh god..... you sadsacks.........Fine............I think you should all just become accountants and move to the ACT where the rent is cheap.

[Benwah]

ACT eh, I heard that it's very flat and organised, and thats about all I heard.....

[Evil Dan]

Join the navy.....travel the world...... and sample the finest venereal diseases it has to offer.

[Spectra]

Oh god..... you sadsacks.........Fine............I think you should all just become accountants and move to the ACT where the rent is cheap.

You what now? Take it from me, the ACT has one of the lowest rental vacancy rates in the country (and correspondingly high prices).

That said, I love living here, and it would take an enormous pay offer to move me away.

In regard to the original question, chill dude. Everyone gets nervous at transitional points in their life, and uni -> real world is one of the biggest transitions. Taking a job isn't committing your to some path for the rest of your life - try something you're interested in, if it turns out to suck after 6 months, try something else. I think maybe you're looking at it the wrong way - don't think of it as a bewildering range of possibilities, only one of which is the "right one", and the rest of which will doom you forever. Think of it more as a huge range of opportunites, each of which might turn out to be unexpectedly awesome. I know it's trite, but it's pretty much the truth. Very few options you could take (short of joining the Navy) are going to tie you down to that choice.

[nrejones]

Oh no....... another bloke who has lived in Canberra so long they've started to enjoy it. I lived there for 4 years. Its either raging hot, or -5. I hear mooseheads burned down.

[Sanura]

I empathise... very very *VERY* much. I finish my course in less than a couple of months (although it will be until sept/oct til I *actually* become a graduate) and I am feeling very very screwed right now. I'll be coming out of uni with a Bachelor of Creative Industries (visual arts). In other words, I seriously feel rather worried about careers (especially since I cannot afford to be a full time practicing artist, as it really does not pay off for at least the first 3 or so years). Anyone who wants to hire me in the brisbane area, please give me a shout out! I think the thing worrying me the most though, is that I have a degree, that, although it does 'count' as it were, I don't think it is desired enough across a large range of positions(and there are not many positions out there that specifically want that degree). And personally, I don't want to end up in the same old customer service and secretarial roles I have ended up in up until now. *sigh* I guess it will just have to be some seriously aggressive job applying, self promotion and cold calling across the board. What else is there to do?

[Mr Bigglesworth]

Its not what you know, its who you know.

I graduated in IT in 2002, couldnt find an IT position now I run a fairly big retail store earning alot more than I would have been if I was in IT. Then again, I could accept the many job offers in Canada that my cousins have been giving me and earning 20K a year more in CAD.

Ask your friends/relatives for help in finding a job. Its the only way to do it unfortunately. Over 200 job applications from me and only one resulted in a job offer, and this with good uni marks and good resume as well.

[-=[BB]=-]

Join the navy.....travel the world...... and sample the finest venereal diseases it has to offer.

No, no no,
Join the army, see the world, meet interesting people.... then kill them.

[Bifrost]

I was so lazy at Highschool that I didn't even get into Uni. I ended up doing IT at TAFE, then did a degree after that in Arts.

So I had a TAFE course in IT and I was doing a Batchelor of Attendance when I applied for my first full-time job (I moved interstate for love, so I didn't really have a choice but to get a job).

I've been in IT ever since and although I utterly hate work of any sort, I'm earning good money and I have met some great people along the way.

Don't let laziness deter you from getting ANY job, dude. Every person in the world (except the insane) would prefer to be doing what THEY want to do rather than doing what other people want them to do. It's why we are paid money to do these things.

Unless you're wanting to live the life of a beach bum or hermit somewhere, you have to work to eat, work to travel, work to party. Just find a job that looks closeish to what you want to do and go for it. There are always thing sin any job which people enjoy doing. If you don't like your first role, you can change. Just try not to change after less than like 6 months (unless you already have another offer) because it looks bad on the resume.

Just try to keep the perspective that no decision you make on your career now is going to be forever. Life is long and careers come and go. Just try to stay as happy as you can and as close as you can to the things you love to do.

[Up_All_Night]

heys thanks for advice, im still no closer for anything, or any ideas, its been good speaking to some people who I know who have finished uni and not had jobs lined up straight away. its all just so daunting, and the end of my course is literally weeks away..

[Sanura]

me too! Yeuch! Can't believe it is so damn soon...

[TheMightyPhill]

Just don't grab the first job that comes up... I made that mistake and now am following a career path which can only be described as 'commercial unskilled labour' The fact is we live in a country where you can make $40k working in a bar, there is no need to grab the first job that is offered to you (unless it is one you want to do of course) just because you feel like after all that money spent you need a job for it. I suggest the opposite. After all that money spent you're better to wait and find something fitting of your efforts.

[Sanura]

TheMightyPhill - I am hoping to do just that. I don't mind taking something unskilled in the interim to be able to have some cash in my pockets, but with a visual arts degree, I want a job where I will actually be able to use it, rather than just ending up with a boring ole secretarial job that would kill my soul, make me sad, and be heading no-where anyway (sorry to those who have a secretarial job and love it, it is just not for me). Pity is though, there are not a hell of a lot of jobs that actually require a vis arts degree. At least not many that are actually advertised. I think I will have to wait a bit before getting something that will actually utilise my degree and have the potential for future career development. Bah, I can hope :D I forsee a lot of pounding the pavement as such, to find a good job in a gallery or something.

[hymartin]

Ask your friends/relatives for help in finding a job. Its the only way to do it unfortunately.
Thought only Chinese people would think that way...Lol
and I want to prove it wrong personally...

[picklesam]

um personally work is just that, 'work' its not meant to be enjoyable, yes i know some peeps genuinely luv wot they do, fortunately i like wot i do, i'm good at it and get good $$$. but i still hate turning upto wrk in the morning cos i'd rather be doing something else. i wouldnt stress over it, just get ur foot into the job market and see wot suits your lifestyle. i'm 29 and still dunno wot career i want, i'm just going with the flow.

[Lurgen]

Heh, I love the way two year old threads here just randomly come back to life. I wonder how UpAllNight's job hunt worked out in the end...

[Chebyrator]

Sooo its 2008 and now its my turn to finish the degree and yea same issue. Just wondering if those people who were going through this 2 years ago mind doing a little update and let me know what you ended up doing or if you just turned emo and cut yourselfs for 2 years?

I am currently looking for graduate poisitions and applying for them so if you know of a good one in an IT area let me know please!!

[carsinogenic]

the easiest way to get into IT is to start as a help desk drone, then build up a bit of experience and resume padding then move into the field that you find most interesting... ie software engineering, Networking/sys admin, webdesign, etc.

the up side for doing it this way, there are plenty of helpdesk jobs for people who have just left uni..... shit, i even got one, and i studdied B.Business (major in Human Resources). And from there i went into Software engineering, but then i left that for networking/sys admin.

just so long as you are in IT related jobs, you can jump around a bit. but it would be harder to go from kitchen hand into a high paying IT job cause you would lack experience that other candidates would have.

[tomsyman]

um personally work is just that, 'work' its not meant to be enjoyable, yes i know some peeps genuinely luv wot they do, fortunately i like wot i do, i'm good at it and get good $$$. but i still hate turning upto wrk in the morning cos i'd rather be doing something else. i wouldnt stress over it, just get ur foot into the job market and see wot suits your lifestyle. i'm 29 and still dunno wot career i want, i'm just going with the flow.

Here's a tip for you job seekers, don't let picklesam write your resume. I wouldn't hire anyone with a spelling mistake on their resume let alone one that you can't understand.

[locust]

the easiest way to get into IT is to start as a help desk drone, then build up a bit of experience and resume padding then move into the field that you find most interesting... ie software engineering, Networking/sys admin, webdesign, etc.


I think a helpdesk position should be treated as the absolute last resort. If you have the opportunity (and in this market, if your grades are good and you interview well, I imagine you would) to take a grad position doing what you actually want to do, take it.

[Up_All_Night]

You know i still havent found myself yet really. Today i had a couple of job interviews actually, both seemed to go well, got a call back for one already. The one i really want i'll just have to wait, basically ive wasted alot of time since finishing, been overseas a few times and was recently working a shitting job in an advertising agency that i thought would be a good foot in the door and for experience.
The second job interview i had today which i want has a management training program so if i go well in first few months.. bam onto that. Its actually not a job i need my degree from, but its just an obvious help. Having some experience on my resume even from shit jobs helped so so much.