The UoN Experience - Graduation Aftermath and Advice

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

As the second anniversary passes which signalled the end of my education life and the finale to my journalism degree at the University of Northampton, I have decided to share my own personal experiences from my three years at UoN. This includes a look into how good is the University in general, a critical assessment of the video products I produced and what happened after graduation.

The penultimate article looks at the graduation aftermath and advice for those who are approaching the end of their degrees. The hard work that I had to endure during my degree was only about to get harder.

Just over two months after I officially finished my degree, it was time to put the smart suit on again and get ready for graduation day itself. Held at the Northampton Derngate Theatre, it was a polished and professional occasion with many people graduating on the same day (pictured with fellow journalism graduate Tamika below), not just from the School of the Arts but other areas of the University too.

With fellow hard-working graduate and close friend Tamika on graduation day in 2012

I had a big fear of tripping over my gown when it came to collecting my certificate but luckily it all went to plan. I shook the vice-chancellor’s hand and went off the stage feeling immensely proud of what I had achieved.

The target I had set from an early stage of the journalism degree was to achieve a 2:1. The economic recession was already in rapid form by the time I had started in Northampton and I knew it was going to be a hard aftermath once it was all complete. Therefore a 2:2 final classification was going to be totally useless to my future objectives.

So I was ecstatic to achieve the targeted aim and quite comfortably actually. In fact, I don’t think I was too far away from achieving a First Class Honours degree which is the top honour you could get. Honestly though if I had got that – I would have felt slightly undeserving of it. Whilst I had worked very hard, there were some weaknesses in my first year work and the design module in second year had been a spectacular flop. I was more than happy with the 2:1 and no-one can take that away.

Only one student in our group got First Class Honours and they totally deserved it too. By living, sleeping and breathing journalism, the individual got the result that fully recognised their efforts and I was proud to see that too.

From what I can recall, all of us graduated from journalism. The majority got their awards on the day I did in mid-July 2012; some had to wait until February 2013 but it was a proud and massive day in my life.

Tough roads lied in wait though.

Starting experience

To start with, any graduate just needs to gain experience in a working environment and if that means working without pay for a few weeks, then do it. It is not officially ‘volunteering’ but can feel like it.

This might be sending some articles online, to carrying out simple tasks around an office. It does mean learning on the job. However know when to stop when you start not to be recognised for working.

For me, I didn’t do that. By the time graduation day took place, I was already contributing to writing for a football website called Total Football Magazine. Initially it was preview pieces on matches for the European Football Championship tournament that summer in Poland/Ukraine. At first I didn’t mind doing it for free because I needed to get my name out there in the media spectrum. As the weeks and months went on though, I started to feel more and more dissatisfied.

In September of that year, I was promoted from a role of writer to deputy editor. However it still was unpaid and on reflection, I should have rejected the offer straightaway and refused to work unless I received some sort of salary contribution. Without any income coming in, things became more desperate. I applied for hundreds of positions and didn’t have one single interview. On top of that, the editor of who I was working for, was dabbling in other projects and showed little confidence in my abilities.

A paid freelance contract was agreed but eventually fell through, typically before Christmas 2012. In reality it was never going to happen. I kept emailing the editor for reassurances on the deal but although he did say it would go through, the replies were never convincing. I’m glad I stopped when I did and the website ultimately collapsed as a result. Whilst it was a good starting point, I was used by the system and seven months of effort came to nothing. It left me in a difficult position.

Take career guidance

May last year saw me have three one-to-one sessions with a careers advisor from the National Careers Service. Looking back at it now, it became a very valuable service. I learned some new skills in how to approach applying for positions. It was the guidance I was looking for.

Now that isn’t exciting and when I was first given the chance for some meetings with NCS, I wasn’t sure if it was needed. Yet after the three one-to-one sessions with the advisor I had, I felt much better and I had more luck/responses in applying for roles, even if some of these were still unsuccessful. Even do some unorthodox solutions; maybe advertise your services on Gumtree. It might not work, but if you don’t try in this environment, you won’t succeed.

You have to keep trying, even in the tough times. It can be morale zapping and on the first anniversary of my degree ending last year, I was in a thoroughly miserable place; there was no two ways about it.

The breakthrough

The breakthrough for me finally came last July.

I got calls for three interviews in seven days. First was for a football website company called Fanatix based in London. Second was for a publishing role with Topps Europe in Milton Keynes and third was as an online editor for the Phones4U website over in Staffordshire.

Ultimately I only attended the first two, as I had accepted a role before the Phones4U interview took place. It was the publishing job I took with Topps, which meant I could stay locally without having to move down the country and I could finally say I had a reason for why I did go to University.

I enjoy the job a lot, although there are difficult days as expected. I’ve been with the company now for just over 10 months and they’ve flown by in terms of time. The hard work paid off with a temporary contract becoming a short-term extension last October, followed by a permanent contract before Christmas last year. What a difference 12 months made.

There will be further challenges ahead, further goals too and probably movements in the future. However the journey to the golden sky of financial earning and security in a graduate job are complete for now.

Final piece of advice for graduates

My final piece of advice to those who are just entering the job market after graduation, or those even still looking to find something; don’t give up at all. Quitters never win on this planet and that’s a fact.

Apply for what you can. There will be rejections but even something like a simple email rejection response can be seen as a bonus. It means the company have clearly read what you’ve sent them and they probably just had a better qualified or skilled candidate ahead. Don’t forget – what you could be applying for might be a very popular role. If a recruiter gets 100 applications for one open position, don’t be surprised to find out they only pick five potential candidates for interview and you miss out.

There will be times of frustration and you wonder why you bother. That is bound to happen, but stay strong in the tough times. Perhaps take a motivational quote or an inspiring song and that should keep positivity up. And venture into every application with a frame of positivity. Going into this with negative thoughts will lead to a shoddy application and the recruiter will take one quick look, screw it up and chuck it in the bin. That is a waste of everyone’s time.

The most important avenue is to never give up. Trust in yourself and you can achieve anything.  

Categories: Applications, Contract, Freelance, Graduation, London, National Careers Service, Publishing, Topps, University of Northampton, Vice-Chancellor

The UoN Experience - The Nightlife Highs And Lows

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

As the second anniversary arrives which signalled the end of my education life and the finale to my journalism degree at the University of Northampton, I have decided to share my own personal experiences from my three years at UoN. This includes a look into how good is the University in general, a critical assessment of the video products I produced and what happened after graduation.

The next article looks at the entertainment levels out of hours. By going to University, you are committing yourself to three years of hard work, but also – enjoy yourself on occasion. The nightlife experience sees me talk about some of the nights, the venues and the stories behind student life when the sun sets.

When you decide to go to University, you know it is going to be one of the most enjoyable and demanding three-year experiences of your lifetime. There are many aspects to Uni. There is the workload, the deadlines, the relationships with your peers, your colleagues and your flatmates and of course, the nightlife.

I heard some good things about nightlife activities in Northampton before I went to UoN in 2009 and you know the saying; ‘All work and no play makes Simon a very dull lad!’ Was the nightlife experience disappointing or would it meet expectations? This latest piece to mark the second anniversary of finishing my journalism degree looks at the action, the dancing and some of the stories from three years out on the town.

Immediate change

Whilst I was never going to be one of those students who would go out and get hammered every single night, I wanted to enjoy Uni nightlife. It was important to keep a professional approach to most parts of my personality, but this was a good chance to integrate myself in a different and slightly more relaxed environment. That changed pretty quickly, before I had even begun on the course.

In July 2009, an incident occurred in my hometown that changed my look on the nightlife scene completely. This is something I will talk about a bit more in July in a piece for this website. What it did mean though was that caution took over rather than risk and my presence on the clubbing scene became more of an occasional visit rather than a frequent occurrence.

Nevertheless I had to go with the flow and Freshers Week was just that. First night I arrived in Northampton and we had drinks as a flat as I socialised with my flat colleagues from first year. All of the other members of Flat 35 were easy-going, likeable and easy to get along with. Two nights later, it ended in a trip to the first Northampton nightclub I would visit, Lava: Ignite.

From when I stepped into the place, I never felt totally comfortable. The main area was packed with Freshers as expected, but space was minimal and the environment in general just didn’t have the feel of a club that could offer a good time. I only went back once more in the next year and the place was eventually closed down after a tragic crush when people were leaving the club in October 2011 which led to the death of two students, one from the University of Northampton. I don’t think it is heavily missed by many.

I quickly preferred a trip to the SU bar on Avenue Campus, which was a two-minute walk from my flat. In fact, we often went as a flat group, or three or four of us to get the drinks in and spend a few hours keeping the pool table busy. It was enjoyable and a far friendlier, preferred environment.

A large gap

The clubbing days looked like there were over as soon as they had begun. I quickly settled into a pattern. Sure it might have made me a bit bland to say the least but I cared about my degree and I’d rather be keeping assignments on track than entertaining the opposite sex.

The only time I properly ventured out was a trip to the NB’s Sports Bar and Club in February 2010 which was a birthday party for one of my closest journalism colleagues. That night was really good. I vaguely remember having a couple of Black Russian cocktails that were nice at the time, but left me feeling the effects afterwards. I then decided that cocktails were not for me!

There were trips to some of the local pubs in Northampton like O’Neill’s, Pennywhistle and the White Elephant, as well as visits to the SU bar in second year but having not liked Lava or Embargo nightclubs and finding Haikkadou’s club to be just plain weird, I didn’t think any club would be able to overtake my experiences of Opus and Oceania in my hometown of Milton Keynes.

I was about to find my place though, Balestra.

New club, new group

Having moved into my own accommodation in second year, I wouldn’t say there was a group where I reckoned I could go out on the town with and have a load of fun. That changed at the end of that semester.

As a journalism group, we had usually been of the distant type. There were close friendship circles and other eccentric characters. However we seemed to get closer as second year continued, as it became clear that whilst you were an individual, there was also a team bond forming. This became quite important when communication levels dropped between lecturers and students in second year and servers with important work on them kept malfunctioning and crashing.

So to celebrate the final ever exam the majority of us had to sit in mid-May 2011, we all decided to hit the town, meeting in various locations around Northampton before coming together as one big group in the Balestra nightclub. The venue had only opened in the early few weeks of second year and Thursday nights seemed to be the most popular with students from UoN. It isn’t the biggest place but I found it very refreshing and a place where you are more than likely to have a good time. Many pictures were taken (one pictured below), drinks were had, dancing took place and it was so nice to be out as a journalism group and all enjoy it.

Me, Farida, Tamika and Nicole posing for one of many photos on a journo night out in 2011

I have plenty of memories of the UoN experience and this particular night was one of the best moments. It was so good, a similar routine happened the following week when second year officially drew to a close. Whilst it wouldn’t end up being the norm, it was a cracking fortnight of entertainment.

One final goodbye

Third year wasn’t about enjoying the nightlife. It did start with a repeat performance in Balestra three days after my 23^rd birthday. Not as many turned out, as there had been a delay in student finance payments but it was another super evening. A planned Christmas night out went a bit sour as the adverse weather conditions of December 2011 put a spanner in those works.

However, there had to be one final goodbye. The final day of the journalism degree was Wednesday, 16 May 2012. Not as much organising was needed. In fact, there was no initial plan on the day itself. A few of us decided to have pre-drinks at one of the student houses, then get a taxi into town for a night at NB’s. It was the first time I had been back to this place in over two years.

I remember getting out of the cab and one of my friends saying; “Are you planning to get drunk tonight?” My response was; “Yes I plan to have plenty of drinks and some dancing, but I do want to remember getting into a taxi in the early hours of the morning.”

It was another stunning evening. I remember being a bit of an ace on the dancefloor, although I have no plans to make a future appearance on Strictly Come Dancing! It was the final farewell to the people who I had shared my life with on a daily basis for the past three years and we went out with a bang! Not quite literally of course, but it couldn’t have ended any other way.

There was one final occasion and that was the end of year graduation ball at The Wing pits and paddock complex at Silverstone, the home of British motorsport. I was a bit reluctant to go at first; wary of the steep price for a ticket, even without having a meal there (which is something I wasn’t keen on). I eventually took the plunge, firmly in the knowledge that it was a great chance to dress up for the occasion. I never thought I would look smart in a suit and tie, but apparently I did. The evening went through without a hitch, apart from Rizzle Kicks backing out from performing at the last moment. Thankfully, Professor Green stepped in and did a good job without too much planning.

The nightlife experience at the University of Northampton had its moments and there were times where it wasn’t enjoyed. However, I had some good times away from the pressures of lectures and studying and wouldn’t swap any of it. My message to future University students is to find a decent balance between work and fun but enjoy the nightlife aspect. University only happens once, so live it and embrace it. 

Categories: Balestra, Cocktails, Dancing, Drinks, Graduation, Journalism, Nightlife, SU, University, University of Northampton

New challenges and new dawns

By Simon Wright

Tomorrow begins a new chapter and a new dawn in my life, and I am glad to say that.  Almost a full year after attending my graduation ceremony, and a staggering 14 months since actually handing in my final assignment at University, I can officially say I now have a full-time job and most importantly too in the media industry.

It is where I have always wanted to be, but I really have had to work very hard for the opportunity.  The past 14 months have frankly been a nightmare, and whilst I was doing regular freelance work to keep me busy, I had to endure confidence setbacks, rejection after rejection from applications, some close interview calls that didn’t go my way and have to endure several frustrating false starts in my post-education career.

Now I know I’ve made it – at least in the short-term.  In this personal piece, I will express my satisfaction, the highs and lows and the times where it felt like my life simply was going nowhere, as well as providing advice to those who might be about to start out on a journey that is bound to have its steep drops.

The new role and local locations

The job I have is on a temporary contract until the end of October, but with a strong chance of extension as long as it all goes according to plan on both sides, that’s mine and the company I will be working for.

It is a 9-5 role in a Monday-Friday capacity.  Not only am I delighted to have my weekends still completely free from any commitment, the position is local walking distance from my home in Milton Keynes.

I was especially lucky with this.  The chances were if I was going to breakthrough into the media industry, I would probably have had to relocate.  This is something I was totally prepared to do, and would be willing to accept but it would have made settling into a new role far harder.

While I believe I would have made myself to be a success in a new area in the UK with Lancaster being a prime example from my near-miss with a job up there in February, other locations won’t have been so easy.  London is a good starting point.  I was prepared to move, but renting to stay in the capital is very expensive, and can only really been done on a high-class salary.  Also commuting might sound easy, but a 9-5 position would have been tough to do, as it probably would mean leaving at ridiculous early morning times just to beat the dreaded rush hour trains.

I don’t drive – and haven’t even attempted to in the last four years since practical test disasters, and that might count against me in the future but I’m not really thinking about it.

Northampton might not be millions of miles away from Milton Keynes, but I proved in my three years at University that I could be successful on my own, and felt comfortable relying on my independence so I would have done it.

However the local appeal does help.  I am a trainee journalist with high ambitions and top expectations, and want to be totally successful but you have to start somewhere.

The salary is good too.  I won’t reveal it in public, and only the odd person (close friend) will know this.  True, I won’t be earning £50,000 a year – but that’s stupid money unless you live in football fantasy.  The most important thing was accepting a position which would leave me in a comfortable position for the next few months and this role will provide that.

The job description doesn't play totally to all my strengths.  I love writing, and will continue to do that in a couple of freelance positions along with the book I am currently researching and writing for a planned release next year.  However the company I will be working for specialise in a sporting department, with football being one of its prime markets.  

Working with sticker albums and trading cards is among my main new role

The new position will allow be to enhance my current skill levels, and help me develop new ones which can only be a good thing for the future.  I will be working on projects around football trading cards and sticker albums (pictured) and it will be a busy time, especially with a World Cup year coming up.  However I’ve always relished a challenge that is achievable and I will look forward to what is ahead of me.

Dealing with setbacks

There is no doubt that the media industry is highly competitive, and it has certainly come under closer scrutiny since the public revelations of phone hacking at several leading newspaper titles two years ago.

The days of leaving University and walking straight into a job are so 2006.  Now you have to work especially hard to even get noticed and it isn’t easy let me assure you of that.

There was a time during final year on my journalism degree at the University of Northampton where my final degree classification was firmly in the balance.  I made a poor start to the third year and just after Christmas, the chances of getting my realistic aim of a 2:1 degree were not looking good – certainly below the 50:50 mark. 

I worked hard though, put even more extra effort in which is something I’m sure my course friends and colleagues can vouch for and ultimately got the result I wanted.  Leaving with a 2:1, I thought that classification would open up opportunities fairly quickly.  Yes I was aware it would be tough, but never could have I imagined how tough it was going to be.

I have worked in several freelance positions since May 2012.  Some roles ended in fairly acrimonious circumstances whilst others just came to their natural and mutual end.  I was used heavily, especially by two companies and it has questioned my value of trust in such a competitive sector.

I never ever wanted to be driven by money.  For me being successful and having a loving family and friends has been more of a priority than the extra elements such as excellent incomes and an unlikely love life.  I have had to change that element, especially in more latter applications where I stated I simply couldn’t work for free.  Financial circumstances and bad experiences led to this criteria.

Having officially applied for 304 jobs since December 2011, ranging from media and admin positions to marketing roles or even a short-term return to the retail sector, this is prime evidence of being determined to get my breakthrough.

Not many of them turned into interviews.  Before a few weeks ago, I’d only been offered four interviews, and lost out on all of them.  Two of them were very close calls, and I don’t feel I could have done anymore.  However, it is one of the worst feelings in the world when you feel you’ve got the job in the bag only to end up being disappointed.

I had to ask myself some questions, including whether I was good enough.  I started doubting myself after all these rejections and that is only natural I think.  I even started to wonder whether going to University had been a total waste of time.  I had already made a decision back in 2006 to delay going to Uni by two years to do an extra course at college, and have never regretted that decision.  At Uni, I made some great friends, and have lots of great memories too, but for all that student debt and struggling to find something, I was starting to regret going into further education back in 2009. 

There were times where I wondered packing it all in and giving up.  Some days, it did feel incredibly difficult to motivate myself knowing what the inevitable answer will be.  The majority of my course buddies and colleagues were already in jobs, ranging from office roles to PR and writing positions, and I was wondering why me?  What have I done to deserve all this bad luck? 

I had to consider other alternatives.  Studying a master’s course was a possibility, but eventually got ruled out due to lack of funding opportunities.  In the last few months, I’d considered travelling or even moving abroad on a permanent basis.  This is something I’d never thought about at University.  I did want to own a holiday home abroad, and maybe move to a hotter country after retirement in over 50 years’ time, but never had I considered this aspect.  That changed after writing about some travel destinations for Holiday Weather Ltd, one of my more successful and enjoyable freelance roles.  I did consider spreading my wings, as opportunities in the UK did seem limited.

It is almost a year since that glorious fortnight and the Olympics last summer in London.  The famous legacy message of ‘Inspire A Generation’ was commonly used.  What legacy?  What generation?  Not much has improved since, and it is a pretty grim world when you work so tirelessly, but don’t get the chance you feel you deserve.  Hard workers, not couch potatoes should be rewarded.

Advice to fellow graduates

Me on my graduation day almost a full year ago now

As far as I know, the majority if not all of the University of Northampton journalism course from 2011-12 have now managed to find full-time work in some form.  When we finished, I did say we’d set the standard, and ‘we did it our way.’  I do still look back at some of those times with pride, satisfaction and vindication.  Even the bad times I had still get occasionally thought about.  It makes me (pictured on graduation day last year) proud to see the people I spent three years of my education life with doing so well. 

Since then, new batches of journalism graduates have come through and that is from up and down the country.  Some Universities have already had their graduation ceremonies, with others due over the next few weeks and months.  I could be wrong, but I think the new Northampton journalism graduates from 2012-13 have their official ceremony later this week.

I say to them and everyone else to enjoy the day.  A graduation ceremony is not only the end of your education, but it is the proud ending to spend the time celebrating your hard work with close family and friends.  These days only happen once in a lifetime for the majority of us, so cherish them and treasure the photos, the moment where you get the certificate and the various congratulations from pats on the back to emotional hugs.

And this is where new adventures begin.  If there is anything I can say from my experience over the past year, it is that it could be a long journey, so be prepared for rejections.  It will happen to everyone.  Well done to anyone who has just completed a degree who has already managed to get a full-time job.  That is a mightily impressive feat, especially in this day and age. 

However by working hard, getting your name out there into a wider spectrum and taking advice on from experts – many will get the opportunity that they deserve, and so they should do.  This country always needs fresh and emerging talent.

The past 14 months have been the hardest of my life, and I hope that I never go through this experience again.  However I now have that crucial foot in the door.  I am in a secure position for the next few months at least, and look forward to a new adventure that waits over the coming weeks.

Categories: Contract, Graduation, Job, Lancaster, Media, Milton Keynes, Nightmare, Sticker Album, Trading Cards, UK

One year on from University - A frustrating 12 months

By Simon Wright

It is staggering to think that I did a dissertation 12 months ago

Today marked the first anniversary of the end of my journalism degree at the University of Northampton.  Time has flown by over the past year, and I won’t lie – the first 12 months since finishing my education have been a frustrating experience.  

Rewind a year, and everything felt so different.  At exactly this time last year, I was around a friend’s house in Northampton having some pre-drinks before heading into town for a final night out to celebrate the end of three years hard work.  Now, as I sit here writing this piece – I do wonder whether putting myself through the University experience was actually worth it.

Rewind to last year

Rewind to 2012 and things were changing fast for me.  I had just handed in my notice to the retail company I had worked for due to not being able to get the local transfer I had been banking on, and the UoN experience was coming very fast towards its final conclusion.

The final few weeks of the course felt strange.  The relaxed approach I was able to adopt in the closing stages of second year wasn’t quite there.  Although my control in assignment deadlines was most definitely still around, the individual in me was working hard to the finish, but looking into an uncertain future.  What would happen once the final assignment was due?  Would I stay in touch with people?  Could I make the full-time media breakthrough I was hoping to achieve? 

When I handed the final piece in, which was all the paperwork and the DVD disc for my TV project (see embedded video), the feeling was one of delight that I had overcome my biggest challenge in conquering University but also a sense of sadness.  It was all over, and all I could do now was wait and hope my hard efforts would be enough to get the results I felt I deserved.

Before that, there was one final journalism night out in town.  We had gone out as a group twice in the final two weeks of second year, but in third year – this hadn’t happened, due to various workloads and friendship groups that either continued to develop or even disintegrate.

The night itself was memorable.  I had a very good time dancing and drinking into the early hours of the next day.  At the end of the day, if you can’t enjoy yourself at this point, you simply won’t enjoy yourself at all in life. 

The aftermath

That evening saw me largely say a final goodbye to the people who I had seen and been with day in, day out for the past three years.  There was the Silverstone Grad Ball, the graduation day itself in July and a couple of personal goodbyes in the weeks to come, but as a group, it was a fitting farewell. 

I always maintain that the group of journalists at the University of Northampton that started with me in 2009 were hungry to succeed in their future careers.  Some had better strengths than others, there were occasional flaws, mental breakdowns, moments of individual doubt but I can generally say I got on with the majority and built up some very close friendships along the way.

Since then, the dreaded ‘distance’ element has got in the way.  Some have drifted out to no contact, but I guess with time, your presence on their lives is simply not needed.  However, I still attempt to keep contact as much as I can (when I have a reliable smartphone that is), and the memories are mainly good.  Even the bad memories, such as the dark periods I had are still remembered.  I guess my memory bank is pretty full for the inevitable autobiography in around two decades times then!

I can honestly say that I’m proud of everyone that graduated, whether that was last July or in February 2013, and a good portion of course buddies have done very well for themselves.  From interning with major radio corporations, succeeding in the PR market with fashion and political departments, to freelancing for now until something more permanent crops up, I think everyone is in a stronger position than they were when arriving at UoN in 2009.

Well done to everyone, and also on this note, congratulations to those who have finished their journalism degrees this year at Northampton.  I hope you all get the results you deserve.

Too many false dawns

For myself, the University experience flew by and so has the past 12 months.  I will admit that I have achieved a lot since last May, but it has sadly brought too many false dawns, a growing sense of frustration and no luck in the full-time market, despite making over 200 job applications ranging from media and journalism, to admin, marketing and even library work.

Less than two weeks after my course finished, I was offered an internship with a football website, which was unpaid but gave me tremendous experience in the online world.  It allowed me to write about one of my main passions, and helped develop my skills as a deputy editor, sub-editor and features writer.  I was disappointed not to receive recognition in terms of payment, and the way things ended before Christmas last year was on a slightly sour note, considering all the hard work I put in.  Although I would change some aspects of how things turned out, I do admit that without this experience, I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in today.

I also tried online radio and talking to the world with a successful Formula One talk show, which began in the closing months of the 2012 season.  This venture ended amicably in January due to an advertising structure which had a high risk element, and was something that I felt was going to be too vulnerable to myself.  I have also written for a student media website, and now have strong freelance positions earning basic pay for another football site, and a strong fee writing holiday guides for a travel website that specialises in updating the weather of destinations across the world.

Kleeneze's business model came very close to getting ugly

The most frustrating experience was attempting to make a go of a business with Kleeneze, which began in February 2013.  I went into this with high hopes of getting an excellent income, and driving strong online sales together with the door-to-door sales in the nearby neighbourhood I live in Milton Keynes.  Eight weeks later, and I had to admit defeat and the business was shutdown, another victim of our recession that never seems to end.  

The online shop was non-existent in terms of profit, and weekly sales figures always came in at a similar total.  Even boosts of crafty leaflets created on InDesign, and new catalogues simply didn’t drive the money in.  All I can say is it was worth a go and it is more experience gained.

However, things ended very messy with the company themselves.  My ‘sponsor’ didn’t help me whatsoever and promised me things that simply never came off.  He was absolutely useless.  

Also, when I went to close everything down, Kleeneze insisted I should pay them another £90 for the next two months despite not doing anything for them!  I was absolutely furious, and although this matter has now been resolved after drawing up a letter of complaint, the situation could have got very ugly.  However, if anyone is thinking of starting a business with commission bonuses, don’t do it and I certainly do not recommend Kleeneze as a viable business structure. 

What will happen next?

Despite the hundreds of applications I have made, I have only been shortlisted for two interviews.  One was last month in Northampton, and one was in Lancaster in February.  I have updated, tweaked and restructured my approach to applying for various positions, and now have had three career meetings with the National Careers Service to see if I can make the breakthrough I am looking for.

Full-time work in media was always going to be hard, because of the competition levels in the sector, but I have to be honest, I really expected to have landed something by now.  I considered a postgraduate degree in January, but this route has been shut off due to not being able to get the required funding.  In recent weeks, I decided I will start writing a book during the summer and have also considered going abroad and maybe do some travelling for a year.  This is a backup plan, but should I be in the same position as autumn arrives in the UK, this will become a viable and probable option.

Do I regret going to University?  No, when I think of the friends I made and the valuable life experiences gained, but there is a small tinge of regret that things haven’t gone the way I hope they would have.  It shows that even a 2:1 degree is not easy to break those doors down to the job of your dreams.

The last 12 months have been tough, but I'm still smiling!

In summary, it is staggering how quickly a year has gone since I finished University.  As I come from the critical mould, I would say: “Trying hard, feel frustrated, but must not give up.”

Not yet anyway.  After all, I have a habit of being knocked back and getting up again to conquer the world of media.  The last 12 months have been frustrating, but I still have friends, family and my health to be thankful for, so it could be much worse.

Categories: 2012, Degree, DVD, Graduation, Journalism, Kleeneze, PR, Silverstone, TV, University of Northampton

Finding closure

The Uni experience is over for me - it is time to move on

My life has changed massively throughout 2012 and I knew that was going to happen at the start of the year.

When I left University and Northampton behind in June of this year, it felt sad.  A chapter full of colourful memories was being closed for good.

Recently, I went back to Uni to collect all the work that had been marked over the summer, leading to the confirmation of my 2:1 final classification grade for the BA Hons Journalism course I had been on.

Weird being back

It felt really weird being back inside the institution and the town that I had practically lived in since 2009.  Walking past my old address and seeing the curtains open at the room I used to rent for two years felt odd.

Strolling down the pathway, walking across the Racecourse (the day name for the park on St. George’s Avenue), and memories came flooding back of the Uni experience.

I have some great times to look back over and I’m sure that if I ever wrote an autobiography on my life (unlikely but never say never), this chapter might well be the easiest. 

It was nice to see some of the lecturers who had guided me through the challenges a degree throws at you and it does push you to the brink.  I experienced that feeling at least twice.

I updated them on the progress and the desire of trying to make that crucial breakthrough for my future.

Chances are slim

I hadn’t been back to Northampton after graduation day and that had been slightly frustrating.

The chances of going back there on a night out look slim to say the least and it felt like the long goodbye was finally over.  It was something that had started back in April when my dissertation was handed in and it WAS now over.

In a way, it was a good thing to finally find some closure.  I miss the Uni days a lot and although I have been keeping myself busy with lots of unpaid work, the comforts of dependable independence, student loans and clubbing nights with coursemates are areas that still were being missed, greatly in some quarters.

Now I know that it is all over.  It is difficult to let something go and in my view admittedly, it has taken longer to readjust to another life.

The life I had between September 2009 and May 2012 won’t ever be forgotten but time doesn’t stand still and it is definitely time to move on.

An unforgettable experience

UoN gave me some tough times but also some great memories

Collecting all my work (being the first student to do so apparently too…) felt like all my business in Northampton had been concluded.  No need to pester, beg or annoy people.  I probably had been doing that all summer and in some areas, throughout the journalism course.

11 days have passed since I was briefly back.  While it is difficult to say that I will definitely never return to Northampton – it did give me some great times and who knows what the future holds.

I might be back in the town in some capacity down the line, though that is likely to be flying visits than anything else.

So, it brings a conclusion to what was an unforgettable experience.  I am delighted I went to embrace the University culture and although I wasn’t the easiest person to understand or know, I hope I left my mark on some people and won’t be forgotten.

I have now found closure.  The Uni life is over but as one chapter comes to a satisfying and emotional conclusion, a new one will begin because that is what life is all about.

Categories: 2012, Dissertation, Graduation, Journalism, Lecturers, University, University of Northampton