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| Saturday's trip to the Autosport show was a refreshing break |
Since my
freelancing contract went down the plughole with Total Football Magazine, I
have felt a sense of worry and emptiness – wondering where the next break will
come. The decision of accepting only
paid work might not be helping, but that is something I won’t change.
With the job
market as it is today – it means I am now 95 per cent certain of making a return
to studying later in the year.
Total frustration
With a 2:1
degree from the University of Northampton, I really believed something would
have turned up by now.
I was aware
of how difficult the job market is at the moment. There were going to be rejections, and some
applications would be sent off and you wouldn’t hear anything. Media is a competitive industry, so the days
of walking into a position a decade ago are now a thing of the past.
However,
having done over 100 applications in the last 12 months, at least 85 of those
were media/admin based, I have become increasingly disillusioned. I haven’t had a single interview for a media position
and despite even attempting to get some income in a retail position – my
qualifications rule me out of anything here.
This means other alternatives had to be explored. Since the
middle of November, the possibility of returning to studying has been in the
back of my mind, and the general insecurities I was feeling has seen this
thought only get stronger during December and into January.
I think my
qualifications aren’t good enough, because I have tried everything else – apart
from possessive nagging, and that is not going to win you a job.
So it was
time to get a plan into gear for the future.
Taking a step back
Last week, I
drew up a shortlist of 10 possible courses and spent the day researching
information about them, along with case studies, module guides and the type of
qualification I need.
In media, if
you don’t have an NCTJ accredited qualification, you are fighting a losing
battle. The only way I can do this is by
doing one. Typically, my undergraduate
University course was not NCTJ accredited – one of only four I think in the
entire country!
The choice
has been narrowed done to three - a sports journalism MA in Sheffield, a
fast-track NCTJ in Brighton or a sports PR one-year degree in Manchester. All three have really interested me, and I’m
pleased to have already narrowed my options down so quickly.
I’m not going
to lie. When I finished my BA journalism
degree at UoN in May last year, I thought my studying days were over, and I had
no interest in taking an MA. Now I
realise that if I don’t, the chances of making a significant breakthrough in my
career could be in ruins.
It is taking
a step back, but could lead to two steps forwards. I have also decided that should this avenue
not work either, and I still can’t get into the paid media world in 2015 – I
will leave the country and set-up base elsewhere in the world.
Cyprus is a
place I’d love to explore and I saw a possible future in Fuerteventura when I
went on holiday there in August 2011 – possibly in the property ladder.
Formulating a plan
Some will
approach life with a hands-on approach, others just want to travel and some
don’t care where they end up. At the end
of the day, we all have different aims and targets.
My character
means I need to be settled and have a plan for the future. I really struggle with no stability and a
lack of security. The last six months
have proved this clearly.
Now that I
have formulated a plan, I feel more relaxed and happier, knowing that I have
something to aim for.
I still need
to investigate the funding requirements for a return to Uni. It will be expensive and I’m going to need
some handy financial support for this to work out. Only when I do this research, and that will
be very soon – will I definitely know that I will be going back to studying.
I haven’t
quite given up on a full-time paid media position yet. I will still apply until around May for
positions of interest, in the hope that something turns up – and only one of
the three courses I have on my shortlist requires a guaranteed deposit and
effectively a lockdown.
This will be
a challenge for me, but in the words of racing driver Lewis Hamilton; “I don’t
think in my whole life I’ve chosen the easy road, I’ve always generally gone
down the hard road.”
I went to
University in 2009, not 2007 because I wasn’t ready. Two years at Milton Keynes College made me
ready for that – so that was a harder route, but the right decision.
University at
Northampton had its trials and tribulations and at times, I did my degree the
hard way – but the results paid off with my final degree classification. I don’t do easy.
And I believe
that if you want to succeed in today’s world, then you have to either chase the
dream or work really hard for it.
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