This time last year, I was on the cusp of graduating and entering the ‘real’ world (a phrase that my mum loves to use). Admittedly, the past 12 months haven’t panned out exactly as I’d have hoped in terms of entering the world of work. However, I have definitely learnt a few things, and I wish I could go back and tell myself that not having a job lined up immediately after graduation doesn’t make you a failure. Here are a few pieces of advice that I wish I could tell the nervous, if not a little melodramatic, graduate who thought her life was practically over after moving home from university.
First Things First: the jump from the uni lifestyle to working full time is undeniably hard.
People often warn you about the staggering jumps in education, from GCSEs to A-Levels, and then A-Levels to university, but no-one seems to talk about the adjustment from being a student to suddenly navigating adulthood for the first time. You can no longer get away with staying out until 5am on a Tuesday night or stay in bed until 2pm after missing a lecture. When I was coming to the end of my degree, I tried to promise myself that I wouldn’t become a ‘hermit’ and keep up my busy social life post-uni. The truth is, for the first few months, you will be constantly tired, and that is completely normal. Getting up and ready for 9am, five mornings a week does take its toll, and for the first few weeks of working full time, I was asleep before 9.30pm. At the time of writing, I’ve worked full time in a 9-5 for almost eight months, and can happily say I can now stay awake past the watershed most evenings.
Like any social media, Linkedin is a highlight reel
When I was in the depths of my post-graduate slump, I often found myself doomscrolling on Linkedin: confused and upset as to why everyone had apparently somehow secured a grad job apart from me. Looking back now, I can see that, realistically, no-one would post their mundane achievements on any website, especially not one designed to boast about employability. Although it doesn’t seem like it, a lot of people are just winging it. Graduate jobs are extremely hard to come by, and it doesn’t mean that you will be unemployed forever if you don’t get a job in your dream sector straight away. Based on my own experience and that of my friends, you probably won’t love your first job out of uni, and that’s ok. In many ways, Linkedin is a toxic platform, if you are not careful, that can send you into a spiral.
Seeing your friends less is inevitable
This is one of the hardest adjustments, especially if you move back home after graduating. I remember being younger and wondering how my parents only saw their friends once or twice a month. Now, I get it. After uni, people’s schedules become exceedingly crowded and it’s harder to fit in meetups as frequently as during university. Sometimes, after a long week of emails and MS teams, I’d rather come home straight to bed than socialise, which is perfectly fine! Just because you’re antisocial a few nights a month doesn’t mean you’re boring, it’s all about finding a balance.
It is difficult to budget a monthly wage
This is something that doesn’t get talked about enough, and it’s still a struggle for me. The part-time bar job that supported me alongside my student loan paid me enough weekly to afford a few nights out and the odd bit of new clothing. Getting paid monthly rather than every week/fortnight is a difficult adjustment, especially when you’re probably getting the biggest payslip you’ve ever had. It is too easy to spend this wage straight away and then be left to scrimp for the rest of the month. Maybe it’s because I have a bit of a shopping addiction, but, budgeting your money post-grad is more important, and harder, than what it was when studying!
Despite all this, entering the world of work is an exciting chapter of life that gives you more freedom and independence that you didn’t have as a student like earning a little bit more money so that you don’t have to buy the cheapest bottle of wine in Tesco to stick to the student budget! My biggest piece of advice that I would give to anyone about to graduate and enter the world of work is to; first of all, soak up the last few weeks of uni as much as possible, but most importantly, to not put too much pressure on yourself to immediately adapt to working full time. The months following graduating/starting your first full time role are going to be difficult, but it doesn’t mean that life will become any less fun. It is a big change and I can promise no matter how you’re feeling, you are not alone.
Words by Lydia Potter
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