I left university following illness and fear a lack of a degree is holding me back
In my third year at university studying English literature, I had to drop out due to illness and was hospitalised for six months. I have always wanted to pursue a degree and have a progressive career in marketing, PR or HR. However, I will never be able to afford to return to university. An Open University degree would also be unaffordable.
For almost a year I have been trying to find a job (other than customer services, which doesn’t offer a great deal of progression) from which I might derive some satisfaction. As a 21-year-old living alone with no parental support, I am unable to take any unpaid/low-paid positions in order to gain experience.
Seeing my peers succeed in achieving their goals and beginning the pathway to valued careers is demoralising. Are there other sources of funding available that you are aware of, or any advice you could give? I’d greatly appreciate it.
Jeremy says
It must be extremely frustrating to have got so close to that sought-after degree, only to find yourself – through no fault of your own – back to square one. But the absence of that degree may not be quite as serious as you think.
It is true that, when recruiting, most of the firms in the fields that attract you – marketing, PR and HR – expect applicants to hold a degree. But unlike careers in medicine, say, or teaching, you don’t need relevant degrees to practise them. Companies demand the possession of a degree quite often as little more than a first filter; a way of narrowing down an otherwise overlong list of candidates. It’s evidence of intelligence and commitment rather than any specific qualification.
Had you finished university, for example, and left with a decent degree, you’d certainly have found it easier to get on shortlists. But it’s unlikely that, once you’d landed a job, your degree would have had any direct value to you or your employer ever again.
What this suggests is that, rather than hoping to raise enough money to embark on another degree, you need to find an alternative way to demonstrate your intelligence and potential. Take marketing, for example. What experience do you have, on however small a scale, from your schooldays onwards of successfully making something happen: selling tickets, raising money for charity, recruiting for a club? Use any such experience as the basis for an interesting, personal story – one that brings your enthusiasm to life and makes your application stand out. Once a company sees that you could bring something of value to it – curiosity, competitiveness, inventiveness – your lack of a degree will become virtually irrelevant.
You will have far better ideas than this, but stick to the principle. Don’t just claim to be intelligent and creative: give them the evidence that you are.
Readers say
• Try finding work at a university, perhaps in the admin side. Plenty offer the chance for staff to complete a degree alongside their work. Zoe Evans
• I got into marketing through customer service. I had to quit teaching for health reasons and took a temp job at a head office. They were keen to employ me on a permanent basis. Once I was on staff and they were impressed with me I was able to do a maternity cover in another department which then put me in a good place to apply for an opening in the digital marketing team. eletha
• Anyone else want to point out that customer service might be very good marketing research? Whood
Rushing to take the first job I was offered has backfired. Should I quit and start over?
I graduated last year with a first class degree in engineering, but because I was keen to avoid additional stress in the final months of my course I started the job search effectively a year before.
I applied to graduate schemes at four companies, but only got to the interview stage for one. The firm in question is one of the largest graduate employers in the UK and had great ratings on various review sites. I went to the assessment centre just before Christmas 2013 and was offered a job a week later. I was over the moon, accepted the job and didn’t think about applying elsewhere.
After graduating I started at the company and, initially, had the excitement of the new job to drive me forward. But after a few months I find myself struggling. I expected to receive a lot of mentoring in the first year but, instead, I found myself thrust into a front-line role with no experience and little moral support from my colleagues.
I pushed myself harder, but a series of incidents back-to-back have severely affected my confidence. I am now stuck in a cycle of depression and stress, which has made me wonder if I really want to stay in the role. This is all compounded by performance-related pay, which all salaried employees are subject to. I like the concept, but the ad hoc way in which the management run it has me terrified of screwing up.
I can’t help wondering if I made the right choice accepting the first job I was offered, and whether I should get out.
Jeremy says
I wish I knew more about these “incidents” that have so seriously affected your confidence. I suspect that in each case, through a combination of natural nervousness and the absence of guidance, you’ve been shown in a poor light: at best, out of your depth, and at worst, incompetent. And the scary thing about a new job, and in particular, a first-ever job, is that the reputation that attaches itself to you in your first few months, however unfairly, can cling like a limpet. The result: that vicious cycle of insecurity that you’ve found yourself in.
I don’t think you made a mistake by taking the first job you were offered. You weren’t to know how little you were to get in the way of training and support. But I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to start rebuilding your confidence only when you can leave your reputation behind and start with a clean slate somewhere entirely different. You still have your first class degree in engineering.
Readers say
• As someone who hires hundreds of new graduates for a living, I am constantly amazed at how unprepared they are for the “real” world of work. It is actually quite refreshing that you are pushing yourself to improve rather than blaming outside factors. Trust me, if you quit now you will look back on this with regret. chuckjaeger
• This doesn’t just affect new graduates. I’ve had three jobs in my long career when on the first day I’ve thought “What am I doing here?”. I’d advise trying to find a mentor who will provide sensitive and sensible advice. Organise your day as if you were your own manager: timetable tasks and create your schedule. Fill voids with positive exercises and never stop learning. If you have to move on, make notes of your reasons why and try not to make the same mistakes again. moorhey
• Try to learn from those you observe doing their job well. Shadow them, ask questions, request help, etc. Note down the issues that prevent you from being as efficient as you’d like and determine some solutions. Take these to your boss and colleagues and see if any can be implemented. Even if they can’t, you’ll seem proactive. wwfan
