Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Needless to say, I got a job :-D
After 8 months out of work, and only 3 claiming welfare; after 10 hours a day jobhunting, CV writing, CV rewriting, scouring newspapers and feeling like the world was over before it had begun, I managed to get a job. I won't say what, as you never know who are reading . . . but it's directly related to my degree and is essentially at the start of what could be a very exciting ladder.
If I have learned anything during these months, and if any of it is of any use to you still in the hunt - please consider the following:-
Don't resign yourself to compromise. Why on Earth would you take up a job that you know you will be unhappy in, and eventually quit. Money is money and I appreciate that, but jobhunting is hard emotionally and financially. Hold out for the one you want.
Keep yourself and your brain occupied. I won't lie, I have spent soooo many hours watching TV and on facebook, but I've also taught myself a foreign language - which ultimately got me the job. Bettering yourself is a skill, and an asset. Never stop learning.
Ask for feedback. So many companies will just think the rejection email will suffice, but stick to your guns and request feedback. It might mean tailoring your interview approach, or completely rewriting your CV. But if you don't know where you went wrong, how can you ever hope to go right?
Get outdoors. If there is one thing that has made me suffer in this whole process, it has been the feeling of being trapped. I know the weather sucks, and you might have zero money; but a 10/20 minute walk is free and it helps you think, it helps you see there is still a world beyond your own; and most importantly of all, you don't feel quite so alone.
Talk to your friends. There is always 'someone who knows someone'. Networking is a way of life. Plus, unemployment sadly, is a way of life in the current economy. They may have some advice for you.
Never give up. Staying in bed until 2pm never got anyone anywhere.
