Aibu to ask for help finding some direction at 23?

[BinkyBaa]

Hi all, expecting to get a slated for this but I could do with some advice from people a little bit older and wiser.

I'm 23 and have no idea how to find something to do with my life. I recently graduated from a masters with distinction and an award for best dissertation but all too quickly that all became meaningless. I studied history which really doesnt have any specific jobs in it aside from teaching, which I've considered but I don't want to teach and I don't think it's fair on the kids stuck with me as their teacher either.

Altogether my life is a bit boring and grim at the moment. Mouldly flat, no proper friends and no money, just rejection emails rolling in and more applications rolling out. I've been rejected from every grad scheme I could find (nhs, civil service fast stream, auditing etc). The vast majority of places wont even interview me though I'm told my CV is impressive by the few that did.

I thought I found something I wanted to do, which is moving into law (my work in history was largely focused on a mixture of art and mass social/legal issues like asbestos/working conditions/contraceptive negligence(think dalkon shield), so theres some background) but so far I've only had one interview in which I've been told "we found you to be very passionate and capable but we dont think you're really dedicated to law enough" followed by a whole spiel about how they'd assumed I'd applied randomly as a new graduate looking for anything and everything (everyone else at the interview was a law student, so god knows why they even bothered calling me in).

The pathway for law would likely be the SQE now but I'd still need two years work as a paralegal (and the money from it to fund my study).

I feel very stuck and demotivated. I've been rejected from the civil service a good 30 times already (AO and EO positions). It seems like nobody wants me with my current qualifications and experience (4 years of retail), but I cant afford to retrain or even just learn to drive. I honestly regret the masters as I'm now ineligible for any kind of student finance. I just want a full time job that isn't retail so I can get my life on track but it seems thats too optimistic.

My partner works and was looking forward to his first proper job but it's worked out that I'm ineligible for UC and his earnings just about cover us to live paycheck to paycheck, so its bringing him down as well and I feel particularly guilty sitting at home job searching for the past four months while he works and has little new to show for it.

I feel like I'm not looking forward to anything but not enjoying the present either, and I know other people have actually hard lives and I've no right to complain but I can't help but feel so low all the time, like everything I worked for has been pointless.

Any ideas as to how I can break back into doing something with my life without any money to start with?

Nobody?

Go back to basics - what do you enjoy in life generally and how would those things apply on a job basis?

you're also very young to be in a long term committed relationship - I was too at your age but in hindsight I really feel it's too young.

I suspect it's not just the career stuff you feel trapped by.

Quite honestly my advice would be to get any job for now to get a bit of savings and then bugger off to do some travelling.

It'll broaden your horizons, you could work in various jobs overseas to gain experience and possibly even find your niche.

I'm absolutely serious I think all 20 somethings if they can should do some travelling, there's really no experience like living and working abroad that helps you get to know yourself, what you like, what you want out of life.

Honestly theres no money in the things I enjoy. I like learning to play instruments and various creative/artistic pursuits (hence studying art in history as a slightly more useful/academic take on art, or so I thought anyway).

I'd like to travel but the money is an obstacle. Trust me whe I say I've applied for a very broad range of things. Really the only thing I can't bring myself to do is retail again. Quitting primark felt like leaving an abusive relationship. I've had one interview for another shop but the signs were all there again. Talking to the staff, they said they felt demoralised by weekly reviews, and the whole interview it felt like the manager was talking down to me a bit. For example she asked about my dissertation topic then didn't believe me that it was a new area of research, saying something along the lines of "no no, I'm sure theres plenty of books on that already" before moving on quickly (it won the scholarship prize for best dissertation for a reason!). She also insinuated I was 16 at one point, which was weird. They did offer me the job, which was advertised as part time but they only offered minimum wage 6 hours a week spread across two days, which wouldn't have covered the commute as I'd have had to get the train there. Otherwise I'm struggling to get interviews for anything at all.

What about working for your local council? Maybe starting out in an admin role whilst you look around and see if there is anything that really floats your boat.

Before anyone gets upset at me for the abusive relationship comment. Sorry, I perhaps shouldn't have compared it to that but 4 years in that place has really affected me.

@Mumoftwoyoungkids I've applied for admin roles with the council, acas, the nhs, the department of justice and citizens advice among many other things. So far no luck. None have interviewed me.

What about tutoring- face to face or on line? And look at volunteering in the sector you would like to work in. Cab? Look at do it .org.
Look at the threads on here about home working. You could do editing type work?
Have a look at what colour is your parachute book/ website. Lots of ideas. But build and use your network. Best route to jobs.

Would you be interested in an academic career? PhD? University admin? Arts Council? Gallery? Museum? Think generally what you'd like in a career - intellectual stimulation, office based, contact with people, working by yourself, working outside, travelling to different sites etc.

If you aren't getting interviews would it be worth taking a look at your CV/applications?

Sign on with a temp agency. This will give you money and enable you to build up your CV. It can also be a good way into a permanent role and gives you the chance to try out the job, your colleagues and the organisation. Also, learn to drive. It will give you freedom and mean you can live and work anywhere.

OP
You should volunteer in an art gallery or a museum near by. They tend to hire good volunteers. Also, it will keep you occupied for one or two days a week so you won't feel isolated.

Apply for teaching assistant jobs in schools so you can save some money and get back on your feet and take it from there.

It's very difficult finding a job when you have very strong academic CV but no experience to back it up with. You will be surprised how many employers will find your volunteering experience as a bonus and it will most certainly set you on the right path.

BP have a great grad scheme with roles in diverse areas like HR or Communications which don't require specific degrees. Worth a try?

@titchy I'm applying for PhDs but it's not my main focus. It's quite difficult to get funding for something that isnt important (lots of funded tech ones advertised for example, not so many history).

The university that I graduated from for example doesn't put out funded PhDs in my area, the expectation is that you work for them for 3-4 years and secure funding to live on from somewhere else.

That said I am applying for things at other universities but with so few funded opportunities going it's hard to see myself being the lucky one who gets it.

@Minta85 I can't afford to learn to drive, we don't have the spare cash for any lessons.

OP where did you do your degree and masters out of interest?

Regarding law, employers really want to see some work experience, even if it is unpaid. Could you try and get some? Once you have it you should be able to get a paralegal position to fund your conversion course.

@damnthatanxiety it's a Russell group university in the north. I'd be more specific but this is already quite outing.

If you are single with no attachments, try moving abroad, there are many english speaking jobs, sometimes the pay is not the best and the job is not the most glamorous but you meet new people, have a great new experience, even if you do it for a few months, the time away may do you good. There is huge huge demand in Asia for English speaking teachers with graduate degrees. But also customer service jobs in Europe too.

Is it lack of admin experience that’s holding you back? Temping could be the way to go. Gives you different opportunities (and money, granted prob not much), but anything’s better than nothing til you get on your feet. It’s a way of getting experience in somewhere. Voluntary work could be another way in to admin experience. Once you have that it could be a stepping stone to something better.

The civil service is all competency based interviews these days. Perhaps you werent prepared for that, as not everywhere does that?

@Pippin2028 thanks for the suggestion but I have a partner and pets here. More importantly I really don't want to be a teacher, despite that being the natural suggestion for a history graduate. I've tried tutoring kids in english through an online chinese tutoring company and it isnt for me. I'm not good with children, I really shouldn't be a teacher and kind of resent that teaching seems to be the only obvious door open to me.

A lot of temp work these days wants you to have experience though. I'm in a similar sort of position to you, applied to grad schemes and lots of council/civil service admin stuff but never get interviewed I'm currently working two part time jobs, one is a hotel receptionist. I had no reception experience prior to this but lots of customer facing experience, Mayen you could use something like that as a stepping stone into admin roles then move on from there?

What are the other graduates doing who were on the same course ?

Suggest look at civilian police jobs

Suggest graduate jobs in communication companies like BT, Sky, Vodafone etc

Do you have a driving license ?

@Elieza temping is probably not a bad idea. I tried to get on the nhs staff bank but that didnt go anywhere, but I'll have a look at other options.

I didnt get to interview stage with any civil service jobs. I almost did in the fast stream but then received an email to say that my test scores were at least good enough for previous passing criteria, but they'd had too many applicants and had to raise the bar.

@BinkyBaa

When you applied to university did you actually consider what jobs you can have with the qualifications you will have? You might have gone off track your original plan?

Employers can see through that and they know you don't actually fit the employee spec? Sounds like you are applying for all sort of jobs and are not very focused.

Do you have different CVs and cover letters for different type of jobs?

@VeggieTr1angle the ones I know of are teachers and intercolating medicine students, so not much help there.

And no I dont have a license, I cant afford to learn atm.