(F)unemployment

It has officially been 4 months since I had a full-time and well-paid job.

4 months since I had to set alarms, prepare for meetings or have somewhere to spend the day that isn’t my dining room table, (which is currently littered in CVs, cover letters, scribbled notes and half filled out job applications).

It’s now gotten to the stage where looking for a job has become my full-time job, and I’m putting in all the overtime with no luck.

I miss the daily grind, using my imagination and coming up with fresh ideas within the work place, and working effectively and efficiently as a team to- oh god! It seems cover-letter-writing has now slipped into my creative writing!!!!

I’m sick of writing cover letters, tailoring my CV to the various job descriptions I’m applying for, and sick of typing out my education and employment history OVER AND OVER AGAIN!!!!!

But I am mostly sick of the following scenarios which I encounter on a daily basis…

QUESTIONS

“So what is it you do for a living?”

Uuuummm…… I’m Freelance / between projects / taking a break at the moment…

“Any luck on the job front?”

Like, why even ask me this question?!

If I got a job, I wouldn’t even say hello to you- I’d be screaming it at you upon meeting. It’s been 4 months, auntie Allison, FFS!!!

OTHER PEOPLES ADVICE

“Maybe you need to lower your expectations.”

“You should try call centres/starbucks/greggs/aldi/boots/the airport?”

“I went round all the shops until someone took me on. Have you tried that?"

It’s frustrating when those who are lucky enough to have a job that pays their bills AND personal allowances try to act all high and mighty, like they know it all when it comes to landing a job. It’s not like I’m not trying, people! And it upsets me to think that you think that I’m not… if that makes sense?

PLANS

I legit have no money.

Please stop organising cocktail night or a last minute mate date to the cinema when I have to constantly consult my bank app to see if I have funds available… which I don’t.

Going out for your friends birthday meal which was planned last month and you agreed cause you thought you'd be working by now and still aren't. Then ordering the cheapest thing on the menu when everyone else has a starter, a main and a dessert. Who’s idea was this expensive place again? I voted a maccy dee’s.

SITTING AROUND THE HOUSE

Setting an alarm to get up early in the mornings and then asking yourself why bother when it goes off?

Wearing sweats.

Wearing no make-up.

Wearing hair pulled back in a loose, unkempt bun.

Not caring about your general psychical appearance on a day-to-day basis.

“SO, are you going to put on real people clothes today?”

*thinks about whether I have to step outside the house today or not* - “NOPE”.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Checking your facebook and then getting depressed when you see posts such as;

“OMG! Just landed my dream job”, or “that’s us got a new flat/car/diamond ring/general material things you can’t afford.”

Then typing, “Yay for you, babe! Congratulations!”  (when you actually want to type “FUCK YOU, JANET!”

I hate hating on other people’s success, but it comes with the territory these days...

REJECTION EMAILS

“Sorry you’re under qualified for this position”

“Sorry, you’re over qualified for this position”

“Sorry, this apprenticeship is for school-leavers with no experience only”

“Sorry, you MUST have a degree in something you don’t have a degree in… even though you can do all the job requirements and have the desired qualities”

*Deep breaths*

So if you’re unemployed and desperately seeking work like myself- I feel you!

We just need to “stay positive” in the hopes that we’ll “get something soon!"

The only joy I have found so far in this journey has been finding people in the same boat as me and banding together; sharing war stories and struggles between us.

Is it possible to get drunk on a fiver?

Stace x

So I'm moving to Cardiff...

EEEEEKKKKK!!!!

I'm moving to Cardiff!!!!

In Wales.

I start in 2 weeks.

Until Christmas.

For an exciting new job opp!

As a gal who's lived at home most of her life, (apart from the annual Summer jobs in America and Africa), this is kinda giving me the fear. 

I mean, I know it's only temporary, but like all new things, it's exciting but also quite nerve-racking. It's also freaking me out I have to find a place to live and move into in 2 weeks time. 

At the moment, I work as a TV Production Management Assistant for BBC Children's Scotland. I've worked on various programs for Cbeebies and CBBC over the past year, and before that, done a stint as a runner and trainee Production Assistant on Waterloo Road. 

Without giving you the ins and outs of my CV here, I basically studied film and TV at College and have worked in the media and TV industry ever since, (while still maintaining a side job in Primark, keeping in touch with my fashion addiction!)

Working in the TV industry is fun, but also hard work! Depending on what you work on, the hours can be long and travel is often involved. 

Sadly, for the life of a PMA (me), at the moment the hours are not bad and I don't get to travel much. Instead I'm chained to a desk working on a busy Children's program booking equipment, crew, travel and accommodation and putting all the info into filming schedules for the lucky ones who do get to travel on location.

TV contracts are also quite short and I have to survive on extensions every few months. Not ideal, but I kinda like the fact I don't know where I'll be or what I'll be working on next. Plus, it would be nice to travel the World again soon so it's nice not to be permanent all the time...

Which brings me to the new exciting job opportunity in Cardiff!!!

When my last contract was coming to an end I was doing the old "OMG, MUST FIND NEW JOB ASAP" and applying for everything going in the BBC, (even though I knew I wasn't eligible for it!)

I stumbled across a job opp for an Assistant Producer (which obv I'm not qualified for, but I was ballsy and applied for it anyway), for a new up-and-coming program in BBC Cardiff. 

I didn't really think twice about it tbh, because I was applying for a tonne of jobs. But then I got an extension in Childrens... 

BUT... Last week, they got in touch. I had a phone interview and they offered me the role of a researcher!!!

SAAAAAAAAAYYYY WHAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!

A researcher role has more creative input in the program, which I would absolutely LOVE!

Being a PMA is good. And so useful to know. But it's not what I want to do forever, especially being a creative person myself- admin and being stuck in an office all day isn't for me. But I had to try it, to know it wasn't for me. 

And that's really what life is all about. Trying various things, seeing what you like, what you feel your strengths are and what skills and talents you can bring to the table.

I still don't quite know what I want to be when I grow up...

But let's give this a go!

Stace x