The need to build a solid CV from a young age is made apparent during school, by parents and at university with the message that if we ever hope to get a job after graduation, anything and everything must be done to show that you’ve tried. We all know, as students, that this is a whole lot harder said than done. It seems that the vicious circle of not being given experience until you are ‘experienced’ immediately excludes us because no one will be the first to have faith and to take you on.
I am currently on the quest for a productive job, work experience, internship whether paid or unpaid in my general area of interest; journalism or broadcasting. Not only have I emailed every major national newspaper and TV station but I have resorted to the relatively humiliating grovel of the family address book. From this search I have received a one week offer and a couple of single days. None of which will be paid for, will I be able to reference or that I will be able to come back to without applying from scratch.
It’s not just myself suffering the student rejection; many of my friends know the feeling and so we are resorting to unproductive pub and receptionist earnings to offer something. There must be a solution to this apart from being offspring of the high and mighty or a natural genius. Unfortunately I do not think that the solution that we all want of being given the chance of CV building without having to beg will happen immediately, particularly with the current climate which makes it abundantly clear that there are not the resources to be spread around amongst employees let alone interns.
We as the future workforce should not give up however, and I urge confidence, pestering and name-dropping in order to get the attention and work opportunities that we need and deserve. Starting here as part of the university whether it be joining the media teams, sports committees or starting up a society of your own, these are the best chances we have of receiving productive experience.