Jennysha's job log: 1

The story so far… Jennysha graduated two years ago, and it has taken a bit of time to sort out the next step. Which takes us to the start of another year.

A time to dream 

The great thing about a new year is that it is exactly that: new. It’s a time to start afresh. In a way, you can be who and what you want to be and live exactly the way you want to. Always easier said than done, but dreams are a must. I would say that, for I am a dreamer. But it’s a bit like faith I think, knowing that there is something greater than you; a higher being or power. Whatever you want to call it, fate or destiny, are nice things to believe in; to rely on. At least that way, you can’t be so hard on yourself when things don’t go to plan.

I truly believe in things happening for a reason, even if you can’t quite figure it out. Whatever is meant to be is meant to be. Cheesiness aside, this kind of thinking has been quite beneficial when it comes to jobs and careers, in particular. I have always been undecided. Envious of those who have always known what they’ve wanted to do with their lives, even to the last detail, I have kind of just gone with the flow, continually hoping that I will just ‘land myself’ in the perfect job and life scenario. I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling like this. All of us supposed ‘undecided’ just wait for some sort of revelation that will come to us, telling us what it is we were put on this earth for. Anyway, that’s a whole different discussion!

The point is: a new year is as best a time as any to try and turn things around, make situations better and emerge anew.

Last year, I had plenty of time to do this. But it seems that when I have an abundance of time to do whatever it is I want, I don’t feel like doing anything. On the other hand, when I am doing lots of things, I want to fit in more things still. In a nutshell, last year did not quite go to plan and was not a good year for me, maybe even my worst in some ways and I am sure my family will testify to that as I have not been too happy a bunny to live with! Alas, I am eager to make 2009 a year to remember, for all the right reasons.

High summer

So, to tell you about my situation, I graduated summer 2006 from De Montfort University, Leicester, with a BA Honours in French and Media Studies, on what can only be described as the hottest day that summer! It also happened to be the same day that Amitabh Bachchan – only the biggest star in Bollywood – was presented with an honorary degree from my uni. You learn something new everyday!

Alas, back at home in Coventry, trying to adjust to life at home, feeling like an angry teenager, with all those memories of what it was like before uni and before independence and before being able to do exactly what I wanted and when I wanted, I still had no thoughts on what I wanted to do. Just a bunch of ideas; all of which were somewhat shattered every time someone asked me exactly what these ‘ideas’ entailed. Ok, so I had very basic notions of ideas. They were vague, if I say so myself: wanting to get into the media, maybe do something radio-based, or perhaps do a bit more teaching English and travelling abroad, all the while hoping for a ‘lightbulb moment’ which would clarify and answer everything for me.

After four months of lazing around and trying to get back into home life, I somehow managed to motivate myself to apply for a few jobs, landed one in Leicester within the voluntary sector and entered into the world of work with my own desk, pretty stationery, office politics and actually a nice first job experience, to be honest. However, I was still undecided and afraid. I felt I had taken the role to its maximum potential and didn’t feel it was going anywhere but also was afraid that I may become too comfortable and miss out on opportunities to realise my potential. And so came the resignation, followed by the harsh period of being unemployed.

Making a start

Somewhere amongst the darkness that I feel was 2008, I saw the light. I finally decided. Eureka! Or at least I had an idea and made a start on putting it into action: I want to get into publishing. I love reading, I love books, I love language. Who’s that fella that said to make a living out of what you love? Yes, maybe it was another rough idea but I set out, determined. Frantically applying for entry-level editorial positions and researching extensively, I was on a roll. It didn’t last. I hit a low.

Feeling as though I may be losing hope, I was close to giving up. Fortunately, as I had once read somewhere, the universe was indeed rooting for me. As one thing starts going right, the rest soon follows suit. Ok, so I’m not some hotshot publisher travelling the world, signing up the best authors, reading fabulous manuscripts (I doubt the reality for any publisher is like this anyway!). But I have a job working in a bookstore, am due to fulfil a dream of mine of working in a library and have just begun blogging for this magazine.

This is the start of my ‘plan’, if ever I had one, to get to the place where I want to be. It may seem as though I’m beating around the bush, but when times are hard and a degree is no free pass to any high-flying job and lifestyle, any experience is good experience. For now, I am going to try my best, persevere and keep hope that all will work out as it is supposed to.

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