This is my first blog since I did a charity walk back in Sept 2009 which I will link to this account in the future. So at the moment I'm just working my way round e-blog whilst writing one (it really is the best way to do it!)
As I thought it is the start of 2011, it gives me a chance to look back on 2010, best way to look back on 2010 is to think about it and write it down. It also helps me sort out 2011 as how to change my life and where to make improvements.
I can honestly say hand on heart that 2010 was the worse year of my life for several reasons. It was the first time in my life where I hadn't been moving forward and also later in the year I was forced to step backwards, I thought this would be only for the short-term but it has now been 6 months and I haven't moved forward at all. Since finishing University in Nov 2009, I thought my C.V was perfect to step into the working world, I was due to take it further with a role at my student union but that failed as I lost the election by a mere 11 votes (I would had given David Cameron a run for his money) Due to this irregular timing of when the elections took place, I had to find a flat just in case I got the job and so dedicated myself to a 12 month lease. I lost the election and therefore had to keep the job I had part-time.
So after my grad ball I started looking for jobs around Southampton at first, it was the usual: do you have a portfolio?, unfortunately no as I haven't had the required time to complete one, OK do you have experience? no. 2 No's mean a no. It was this point I realised that no experience or portfolio meant no chance. The company I was working for at the time (Coral) weren't helping neither. Refusing to give me more hours, not extending my workin contract and struggling to pay me the right salary, I was struggling to get by.
So in June 2010 I decided the only way to go get me out of this hole I was in was to jump out of it and into another one, hoping this other hole would treat me better I moved back home hoping London would have better opportunities, they did but all I got was more no's.
I needed money quickly to move out, I made an oath to myself when I left home to go to uni that I would never return but I had to swallow my pride. I tried to become a recruitment consultant, quick and easy way to make money.......wrong!! It was anything but quick, I got the same reply when applying for consultancy jobs, no experience, no chance. I decided I didn't have enough heart to do this job and went back to being what I always wanted to be, a web designer.
I was hoping when I moved back in June I would have enough money to see me over for a few months till I got back on my feet but due to friends not paying me their share of the bills, landlords refusing to pay back deposits and my last paycheck being £500 short I was broke before I even moved back, no choice but to sign on, coming out of uni and being treated like scum, bottom of the pile, they might as well covered me in burberry and stuck a cap on my head. It was a horrible feeling being there and a horrible feeling every time I go back.
I decided to start making a portfolio, get my work shown online and something to show clients, but before I could do that my laptop blew up on me and my luck was getting worse by the minute. All I had was the word of mouth to persuade people but in today's world, it doesn't count for much if you can't back it up.
So since then I have been sitting by waiting hoping for something to happen then in Dec I got a call about a graduate internship programme TVU (Thames Valley University) run where you do a 2 week course and go on a internship for 6 weeks, I signed up for this in Oct and had several phone calls about internships which went to a dead end so when I got this one I thought of nothing and let it be. I was very surprised when they called me saying they had a internship for me at 'Imperial College' It sounded too good to be true, nothing for 5 months then something as huge as this to come along. I was jumping for joy.
2010 has been a horrid year for me but like a football match, it burst into life in the last 10 mins (1 month in my calender year) and will bring a great start for me in 2011, this internship will give me experience, the opportunity to show what I am made of and give me the money needed to invest in my career. I just hope that my blog this time next year will be more interesting.
