The Beginning - a brief introduction to Graduate Job Hunt Blog

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Hello there, this first blog will outline a bit about myself, the purpose and rationale behind Graduate Job Hunt Blog and what sort of posts you can expect in the future. So who am I? I'm Michael, a 23 year old History MA graduate about to enter the murky world of job hunting in the height of a global economic meltdown. I am hoping that my job search will successfully disprove the old joke that there is no future in a history degree. Of course, there is a bright future for history graduates who choose the ready made career path into teaching, sadly, this profession has never appealed to me. So, with teaching struck off my list I decided to see what other jobs were available. A trip to the job centre post graduation quickly made a mockery of former teacher's claims that employers respect a history degree. I was told by a job centre advisor that "history is very none specific, I see that you have previous experience in supermarket work, would you like to apply there?” Without meaning any disrespect to those working in retail, it was not my plan to spend four years racking up nauseating levels of student debt to then return, cap in hand, to the same shelf filling role I had occupied during my A-Levels. I needed a plan, a strategy! Over the coming weeks and months (but hopefully not too many months) this blog will detail what steps I have since taken to build upon my "non-specific" degree and enhance my chances of gaining a meaningful employment. There are a few reasons for me doing so. Firstly, I imagine there are a great deal of Arts graduates in this position who might find useful tips on my blog, add suggestions of their own or simply take solace in the fact that there are others in the same boat. For those looking for solace I recommend listening to this little ditty (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2TbQrkk-wk). Secondly, I hope that writing this blog will help me to remain motivated and focused throughout my job search. Finally, I hope that potential employers may read this blog and, through reading of my efforts to find employment, gain a better understanding of me as a person. Thank you for taking the time to read this first entry, I hope you have found it enjoyable.