Blogs: Jordan's job log: 1

Jordan Lewis Butler graduated from the University of Central Lancashire last summer with a degree in sports journalism. He has recently traded sunny Cornwall for not so sunny Manchester in his search for employment.

I’m a 23-year-old graduate. I am currently unemployed; slowly pondering my next move in this silly little game we call life.

If unemployment wasn't enough, I am also struggling with the biggest hangover I have ever experienced, something I have named 'the student lifestyle hangover'. Sleeping in past midday, drinking on a school night and generally being lazy (to name but a few) are all habits gained during my stint as a 'tax dodger' - habits which fail to impress my parents on a weekly basis.

On leaving university everything seemed to be going so well. I was only home for a few weeks before flying out to Alicante in Spain to start a new job.

However, three months as a temporary waiter/barman in a swanky holiday resort only lasted, well, three months and, before I knew it, I was back in my hometown of Penzance with embarrassingly few job prospects and a wad of euros burning a hole in my back pocket.

It was obvious what needed to be done. I had to move away. I didn't want to be stuck working behind a bar all my life, especially not in Penzance where nothing ever seems to happen and a flock of sheep escaping a farm is touted as headline news. I had to move to pastures new, somewhere bigger and better. But where exactly?

Having studied for four years in Preston the obvious choice was the North West. I have a lot of friends there and I'm familiar with the area so it definitely seemed the sensible option. So I trawled the internet for flats and affordable accommodation with no real luck. The dream seemed to fade somewhat but I remained hopeful.

Then, during one of my typical student hangover days, I was browsing through my news feed on a popular social networking site and there it was, staring me straight in the face. A tweet from a friend which simply read, Room available in Manchester, first come first served, message me if interested for more details. This was an opportunity I was not going to miss.

So, here I am. Job? Not yet. Optimism? Yes (for the moment anyway). Temporary work seems a solid, short-term option, helping me gain that valuable experience which every employer values. One thing is for certain, I need to shake off this hangover.