Page 47 - link magazine

swindonlink.com • January 2011 47
What’s the point of university?

With students up in arms over the rise of university tuition fees in the future, Emma Kimber from Peatmoor
reflects on her unemployment since graduating from Southampton Solent University in 2009
When I applied for University in 2006, I had a clear idea of where I wanted to go and what I wanted to achieve. Fast forward four years and
I am perhaps less certain of the path that I’ll take. This is quite possibly due to the fact that upon graduation, jobs were scarce, money was
tight and things were suddenly not as planned.
Like many other young people in es for many of my allow yourself to stories, making their own clothes,
Swindon and Wiltshire, I graduated peers and fellow be taken advan- or playing their own music. It’s im-
with a degree that was essentially graduates who tage of), and try portant to not get too weighed down
training me for a specific career. struggled finding not to let it get you with the burdens of the country and
Fashion journalism was the field I work. For some it down. inescapable economic worries that
was aiming for, and over the course took a whole year For those who so dominate the news.
of my three years I trained in all as- and even then it are still job hunt- Young people have, and will
pects surrounding this industry and wasn’t the work ing, I strongly always need goals and ambitions.
completed a variety of internships that they initially advise you not But getting too hung up on these just
and work experience. To succeed hoped for. to give up. Don’t isn’t practical at the moment. Have
in a career such as this, experience To avoid joining lose sight of what a goal, but don’t be afraid to stray
is one of the main factors that will the growing sector you are worth and from this if that’s where life takes
make you stand out. of the population what your talents you. Recession graduates have had
Specific career led courses like claiming benefits, are. You may not to learn to seize opportunities as
mine are fairly popular with stu- I can only suggest be exercising your they arise even if it means skillfully
dents who want to train for their keeping busy and specific skills in readjusting the 5-year-plan.
dream career. But there are a few keeping all op- your current job or As for me, I’ll keep my career
downsides: what if you can’t get a tions open. Don’t while you search options open for the future. I’ll
job? what if you change your mind? rule things out for work but you probably stay in London for the
For me - luckily - I don’t really until you have re- can practise. For next few years, possibly with a new
think it matters. A degree is a degree ally considered what you can give me, that meant organising fashion venture. Either way, I’ll be glad that
and it counts for a lot. If a career to a position. Be prepared to start shoots and writing articles in my I studied hard for a degree that I am
change or a turn of interest is the at the bottom to work your way spare time away from a non-career proud of, even if things didn’t quite
route you choose to take, don’t re- up, work for free if necessary to part-time job to earn money. For turn out how my plan had dictated.
gret the decisions you made before keep your brain active (but don’t others it could mean writing short http://emmakimber.tumblr.com
you knew what 2010 would be like.
The skills you learnt and experi-
ences you had are invaluable and new to view
will offer some perspective later.
Equally, your career led degree may
have given you the best training
that you could have hoped for for
the job you land.
When Swindon Link first sug-
gested I write this article, I must
admit I wasn’t sure I was the best
person to offer advice and insight
to life as a graduate. Since leaving
university I’ve been very fickle and
have questioned what I’d like to do.
I have worked in jobs merely for
money’s sake, and similarly worked
in positions that were enjoyable and
stimulating, but not very stable.
After a year back in Swindon, I
decided it was time to move and
managed to get a job in London. It
wasn’t the big career I wanted but
it was a start. I currently work for
a vintage fashion company, which
I’ve been very lucky to get. But I had
worked very hard building up my
own portfolio and making contacts
after graduating.
In hindsight, the two traits I www.swindonlink.com
strongly recommend are: motiva-
tion and proactivity. Sustaining
both can be exhausting but to Articles from the magazine - often longer with more, larger images
potential employers or peers, they
show willingness and ambition, Articles that don’t appear in The Link magazine
characteristics seen as integral and Links to articles published on the same subject and supporting web sites
essential to the fashion industry;
indeed to any form of business Directory of businesses advertising in The Link
nowadays.
Unemployment in young people Links to community organisations across the town
is unavoidable at the moment and
this can be very disheartening for Photo gallery of Swindon images
graduates with lots to give. It was a
real problem for morale and financ- Links to digital page turning past editions of The Link

21-48 January 2011.indd 47 17/12/2010 14:06