The past week; graduation and first week somewhere new!

This week has been a whirlwind.

Last week, Wednesday 16th July 2014 I graduated with a BA (Hons) Fashion Entrepreneurship degree!
Mum, Nan, Martyn and Stephen were there to cheer me on and share in the celebrations!


The week before my graduation, I had been conscious of not receiving any graduate job offers despite applying for roles I should be qualified for.
I had an interview in Mansfield for Sports Direct as a Junior Designer. I believe it went well, but in hindsight I was unprepared and perhaps naive to the process - I had been employed during the whole 3 years of university in various roles and often interviews were just formalities and weren't necessary to the job, it was more the skills I had and the ambition I was able to protray.

However, this time around, I was not the only tenacious soon-to-be graduate looking for work. It was now very competitive and soon there would be an influx of students with high hopes and varying experience.

I had hopes that my experience (3 months Reed intern, 12 months in pharmaceutical recruitment and other roles) would set me well above the rest.

The roles I was applying for did warrant more creative and design experience, which I lacked. I had not been commissioned for work, or completed a sandwich year in a well known organisation to gain the much needed experience regardless of the 3 years using design programmes.

After realising the competition and the jobs at stake, I changed my tactics. Reed Specialist Recruitment are a national brand and have branches dotted around.

I spoke with my Aunty who lives in Bedfordshire about the possibility of me staying short term; I had considered unpaid London-based internships and would need cheaper accommodation rather than paying landlord prices. My Aunty has been amazing through this whole process.

Moving on, Aunty M said yes, so I rang a few Reed branches in the area, London first for obvious reasons, stated my degree and explained my previous internship in Reed Lancaster. I received a few no's but wasn't deterred. I finally rang through to Reed Milton Keynes. Explained the situation and was told my details would be passed to a colleague. The day after I received a call from said colleague, Alison, who asked about my experience, possible start dates and reason for looking in MK.

I was informed that the job she had in mind were ideally looking for someone to start on the 14th July which wasn't feasible, I had my graduation to go to and Nan Margaret was coming to visit for 3 days. It was sounding like another no, but within 24 hours, she called back to say an amended start date of 21st July was something which could be arranged.

And here I am.
Staying with Aunty M in a lovely little village not far from the centre of MK.

It has been a fabulous week.

It's has been the month end and celebrations for the new Argos catalogue launch! Which has been phenomenal to be a part of. I have loved every minute. And, the launch of the new Argos own brand, Heart of House.


I did leave Preferred Locums with a saddening feeling of the end of some good things, but this was only a job to better my skills, learn something new. I made a really good friend Seinam, and my boss towards the end seemed very separated but on my last day, he said some really lovely things! Seinam presented me with a box of chocolates and card, signed by everyone. I do miss my coordinators and contacts at other companies.