"Sorry you were Unsuccessful on this Occasion"

With just a couple more weeks to go before finishing university my mind has naturally started to plan my next steps.

Im not going to lie, I am slightly worried about my future job prospects as the worlds employment status looks pretty bleak.

I know that I am not in the worst situation: my mum got me an administration job back during 2006 in my gap year and I have since retured each university holiday and therefore been building up my office admin experience. I know that that is a good thing to have listed on the CV - every team will always need an administrator to co-ordinate the them and keep things ticking over - but I have just spent 3 years (and thousands of pounds) studying to become a journalist so that is where I really want to be.

Don't get me wrong, I have been trying to search for jobs in that sort of category (Gorkana.com has been especially helpful) but I just seem to continuously be hitting dead ends: "Sorry you were unsuccessful on this occasion" seems to be the only reply.

I did hit one success though and have now arranged two weeks work experience with a publishing company in June - Thank you!

It just seems though that everywhere is wanting more experience. It doesn't seem to matter that I have a journalism degree (although i'm sure it does help slightly), instead its all about the 'on-job' experience...

So, it looks like I shall be benefiting from the admin experience and get a job in that area whilst also trying to increase my journalism work experience at the same time...

Tough time ahead huh?

Christmas celebrations

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat.

Why is it that saying about a goose? Is Christmas not supposed to be all about the turkey?

The other word is certainly right though..fat!

The festive period is all about eating...everything about it is always food, food and more food...not that I am complaining of course.

For all the dieters out there Christmas is a time when they can forget what they are not supposed to be eating; put all the calorie counting behind them and tuck into a roast dinner with all the trimmings and a mince pie or two, lovely!

But really...you go out for a Chritsmas meal with work mates, you eat the chocolates that people bring into the office and then you come home and much on a mince pie...and all this is before 1st December...well not quite, but you get the drift.

By the time all the pre-Christmas day celebrations have finished you have probably eaten your entire body weight twice over so when 25th December finally arrives you think to your self: "not another bloody turkey" as you shovvle the remaining bits into your mouth along with a watery brussel sprout.

Don't get me wrong though - I do love to eat and I love Christmas and all the celebrations that lead up to it...but by the end of it I am deffinetly a clothing size bigger and will start 2010, as I did at the start of 2009, wanting to loose weight.

Is further education worth the stress?

I have not been on here for a while as my course at uni has just gone into complete overdrive and has been handing out assignments after assignments left, right and centre...Oh well I guess it should all pay off in the end, right? Wrong!

Well not exactly wrong...but not right either.

Back in the day (i'm talking back when our parents were younger) university was something that only the select few could get into.

Although it may be hard for the student of today who graduates with atleast £30,000 worth of debt to believe but universities actually used to pay students to attend. Yes thats right, our parents graduated with zero debt and more money in their pockets! At the time colleges would not really push their students to go further in their education so univeristies had to add an incentive so as to pursuade young people to continue.

Now, if I look back to when I left college in the summer of 2007 I actually struggle to think of any of my fellow students who decided not to apply to university - well, there was this one girl who didn't apply but she was seven months pregnant so doesn't count.

So, if everyone goes to university then there is nothing that makes one graduate stand out from the millions of others ith equal qualifications...so you can just imagine the pressures that you would have to find employment when you are competing against everyone else...it's going to be mental!

Is three extra years in education actually worth the stress?

Well, I would like to say no but unfortunatly it tottally is!!

Just imagine yourself in the other option...leaving college with A-levels and then competing with all of those who have just left university with degrees...who is going to get the job?

Plus, all the new people that you meet will make every little step worth it :)

Social sacrafice

When someone wishes to enter a career in such a fast moving and competitive area such as journalsim you have to make sure you have a good set of experience. Similarly to when you sit down to a game of poker with the professionals, you can't be unknowledgable...either that or you simply wave goodbye to your hard earned cash. Well i am sure you get my drift anyways.

This blog will hopefully improve my literacy skills and prepare me for the job where writting will be my living.

I have already mentioned that journalism is a competative business but im sure you already knew that. To work in any media is infact competative. Many people have a gloryfied vision of how a person in the media lives - expencive cars, designer clothing and a big house. Truthfully i wish it to be like this. Perhaps if i am successful enough then i can change the vision into reality, now thats setting myself a high goal!

I am currently a university student studying a degree in 'whaddyaknow'..journalism! So far i am still enthusiastic in what i have learnt and the lecture notes of what is to be learnt. Previosuly i have only been interested in print however i am also taking a liking to radio.

However i have one problem and that is balancing the fun and sociable side with the amount of work that i complete.

Being a 'fresher' is talked of being all fun and games but i want to gain as much as i can knowledgably without being a bore. Especially now that students are set with a £3000 price tag on each year of their degree. I don't want that money to slip down the drain whilst i spend my time tripping from one club venue to another after drinking vast amounts.

It is with this thought that i leave you: shall a student being having this talked about crazy social life of drinking and going out whilst there is work to be done?