Thread: Did anyone else find it hard to adjust after uni?

I have graduated with a degree in absolutely sod all! I was so awful at making costumes that I put my energy into designing and performing instead and now have a good qualification in something that can't get me work anywhere. I am watching the rest of my class who now have nothing to do with me getting jobs in wardrobe departments around teh west end and I don't have any of the practical skills to do it or anything else for that matter. One girl thought it great to point out how she would never be defeatist like me and do anything to get to the top but she is very talented, has no bills to pay and has got tons of costume work just by handing in a c.v so I don't really thing its her place to lecture me on the path to success.

Including the 4 years at college I have done 6months work in an offy in the last 8 years, I think to employers in field I'm obsolete. And have developed a huge fear of working with others since my sight deteriorated more.

Please don't read this as a sob story I'm more in the mood of banging my head against a wall and miss the Swedish chef forum.

The only one skill I have that is of a high standard is art and I have nothing to use it for. I'm watching my twin be a great graphic designer and thinking why on earth did I choose a degree in dressing up and playing theatre! I've tken to sitting around in London drawing in the slight hope someone might want to buy a sketch from me but tody I'm admitting defeat and going to sign on and officially be a bum. But I'm scared of what dead end jobs they will force me into and just make me more depressed. As I cant see for most things tht involve moving around, serving customers I guess they will just dump me in an office or call centre.

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You have tonnes of options, but need to capitalise on them. You've chosen a very competetive industry that, like many others, relies a lot on networking and getting yourself known, so you need to start pressing flesh - circulating theatres and drama companies and the like and sending your CV, showreel and list of competencies. If you're afraid, then that won't help - be brave and make sure as many people as possible know your face and name.

There are lots of things that, from your brief post, you seem to be qualified for, but you need to be willing to put yourself out there as a producer or set dresser or designer or assistant or runner or whatever, probably for low pay in the beginning.

As for art - why not try and sell completed paintings / drawings, or put together a design portfolio and plly for jobs that way? Or offer yourself as a freelancer?

One hard piece of advice is: don't expect to walk straight into your dream job.These things won't fall into your lap, but if you have the drive and a modicum of talent (which I'm sure you do), hard work will pay off.

Mr. Volatile above has given very good advice and I can't really offer much more, BUT what I will say is pleeeeease try not to lose confidence in your own ability.

I did and it did me no favours. I'm now so well out of the loop of my specialist area of my degree that I don't think I'll ever work in that area (but I actually have less desire to now). But I still don't have a job that relates to my degree because I had a crisis of confidence, didn't really know what I wanted and decided I wouldn't be good enough anyway.

Our departments 'buzzword' was always "network" - no matter where you go, speak to everyone. Even in my current job I try to get chatting to the producers and assistants and events organisers of anything happening at the venue. I'll casually chat about my background as if in normal conversation - I figure it does no harm and you never know what might come up when they might just think of you.

Another option might be try some sort of distance learning course in a subject. I was looking into doing this last year to improve my web design. It would not only improve my skills but it would give me a separate qualification and look good on my CV (continuing to learn whilst working always looks good!). It didn't happen because of a mess-up with the uni who was running the course but I'll go back to it eventually. I even managed to get funding for it so it wouldn't cost me a penny!

Volatile is right. If you have the talent then it's just a case of the determination to work hard to capitalise on your talent and get your work seen, but it's not going to fall into your lap. And don't feel like your selling out or anything by signing on and getting a job in a call centre or wherever. You can use the money to live, while in the evenings you can do design work for local theatre companies, performers or whatever. Network lots, keep in touch with your fellow students and produce as much work as you can and get it seen.

In any creative industry, luck has a lot to do with it, in terms of being in the right place at the right time and being seen by the right people, but you can improve your chances greatly by networking, using the internet and promoting yourself properly.

Good luck and don't worry too much, it's always a bit scary leaving the relative safety of education to find yourself in the 'real' world!

Originally Posted by Lord Dashwood

Good luck and don't worry too much, it's always a bit scary leaving the relative safety of education to find yourself in the 'real' world!

Exactly! Even for all my advice, I'm still in uni myself (racking up my 8th year!).

Originally Posted by Lord Dashwood

Good luck and don't worry too much, it's always a bit scary leaving the relative safety of education to find yourself in the 'real' world!

Here, here! Although, I believe my version of the real world is somewhat skewed... :s x

Well obviously I use the term 'real world' loosely considering the company on here.

Thank yous. I don't expect things to fall in my lap I'm just upset that I spent all the time in uni and am in no better position to find work then when I started. I don't have anything to offer in the theatre industry and I can barely see a thing in theatres anyway. Even the most minial tasks I muck up. See my course was so flexible to the point where I could be in the corner playing hula hoop for months and as long as I justified why I was doing it I'd get a mark for it. Even the staff told me I'd never work in costume and I had to find a way to pass the rest of the course. I don't know what I have to offer theatres I don't even know what a producer does! All the girls hated me because they were making really complex costumes and I'd spend an afternoon on my trapeze, I was researching play, and they didn't consider it work. I don't have anything to offer backstage at theatres although I am very tempted to try and stumble my way through the National theatre with my blind stick and give them a c.v just to see what they do! It was an interesting way to pass the last few years I guess and I'm just looking on it like that. Being turned down for jobs for so many years has kind of got to me, I'm not looking forwrd to more job interviews of bosses staring down their noses at me like I'm something they stepped in cos that's kind of how it was back in Essex.

I've been spreading my art around for years and all I get is told it's pretty and that's it. Right now I'm finding it hard to even get a cleaning job because I dont have experience ! I just want to work for myself so I don't have to keep walking into things and knocking things over I don't see and generally feeling like an idiot in front of people. Sorry I shouldn't have posted this on here.

I'm about to start plastering my work all over gumtree to see if anyone would want something for them. ooo why didn't I just stick to studying graphics....

Originally Posted by Beatrix Von Bourbon

Here, here! Although, I believe my version of the real world is somewhat skewed... :s x

lol I think it is coming back out into the real world that feels so odd especially as the theatre department was in a basement. I feel like I've just spent 3 years down the rabbit hole surrounded by wigs and cat heads and clown paint!

eep! and I'm nervous enough about starting! No advice here for you hun as I havent been through it, just lots of *hugs*