For the last number of months I have been looking for part-time work to keep me going in college. As of yet I haven’t been too successful. There could be any amount of reasons for this but the rejection is still hard to take. I’m sure most students know exactly what I am referring to. You write your CV and update it about 1500 times making sure that anything that could remotely benefit you in getting a job is included.
Then you ask someone else to proofread it and get advice on what to include, should anything be removed, is this relevant etc. The real rejection does not come until you decide it’s now time to go out in the big bad world and hand out your CV. I am not exaggerating when I say this in itself is a minefield.
Sometimes people ask me why do you want a job if you can survive on what your parents give you, or what you get from the grant. I can understand where they are coming from but at the same time I am nearly 20 and feel that now is the right time to gain some independence from my parents. Contrary to what people believe about young people, I actually don’t like asking my parents for money and relying on them to keep me afloat. I would rather they have a bit of cash to splash on themselves. They deserve it after spending so much money on me for the last two decades of their lives.
Now that I have been looking for a job for quite a while, I have found that I am much more relaxed about it. I have done a few interviews in person and on the phone. To be honest, it’s hard to know what’s worse – putting your life on hold waiting for a prospective employer to ring or the intense in-person experience.
The funny thing about trying to find a job as a student is that the one aspect of your life that prevents you from getting the job is the fact that you are a Third Level student. Flexibility is quite possibly the most attractive quality that an employer is seeking from their staff. As a student, I can only work at the weekends and holidays like Christmas break, summer etc. so straight away I am at a disadvantage.
Irish employers are good in that they generally don’t hire you unless it is for a contract position. There are a few temporary jobs available at peak times like Christmas and summer particularly in shops with big sales.
At the moment, I am feeling positive and I am still actively looking for a job. Hopefully, I’ll soon be writing another post on the joys of my first job. Best of luck to you if you are also currently looking for a job – it takes time but you can do it.