Blogs: Danielle wonders what to do next

Danielle King graduated from Aston University, Birmingham, with a BSc in English Language. She’s now pursuing writing jobs after realising that’s the career for her.

After dedicating three years of my life to university and with my graduation date looming closer each day, it’s no wonder that I feel like the needle lost in the haystack now that it’s complete.

And of course, the same question that rolls off the lips of each family member I see since moving back home is, ‘So what do you want do now?’ Truth be told, I don’t know. My BSc in English Language means that I have a million and one doors I can go through, none of which particularly stand out. The biggest problem I’ve encountered in my search for jobs is where to start; there are so many relevant websites, brochures and books that all I want to do is shut my eyes and think happier thoughts.

Should I settle for a humdrum nine to fiver, living for the weekend? At the beginning of my search, my answer to that question was yes - I’d have a decent income, be able to get my own place with my boyfriend and finally afford a car that I don’t have to share with my parents. Any job is better than no job, right? So I scanned every website, brochure and book that I could think of, targeting managerial and recruitment training schemes for new graduates. They don’t require a particular degree in a particular field, nor do they expect you to have any experience in the industry, so I thought I was on to a winner. I found about ten graduate schemes, all with incomes of over £20,000, that I was going to apply for right that second. Tomorrow. Next week...

I found myself constantly putting off the applications because I was ‘too busy’ washing and tidying. I finally realised that the real reason I was avoiding it was because I was settling on a career that I didn’t really want to do - a career that I would have to make unpleasant compromises on, a career that I was already dreading to begin.

So I started from scratch, and sat down to work out what I actually wanted to do. I’ve always known that my passion was writing, and since I was a child I’ve loved entertaining others; from writing about my own adventures with Mr Men when I was young to performing in theatre up until I was 18. I decided that I want a career where I can be creative, preferably through writing, regardless of the wage.

All in all, I learnt the hard way. I spent my first three weeks of freedom short-listing jobs that I felt confident I could get, rather than choosing a career that I wanted. After starting from scratch, it took me less than three days to find the same number of jobs, from copywriting to broadcasting, that I really wanted to do, and even less time adapting my CV and cover letter to apply for them.

My advice for everyone else? Be realistic yet ambitious. More importantly, be patient for the right job to come along, because it will.