Anyone else feel intimitated by job descriptions?

xxJudexx

I am looking for a job. I graduated from uni a year and a half ago and have been looking for graduate work ever since. It's just when I look at the job adverts I feel i'm not good enough for any of the jobs. I have applied to a few graduate schemes but I don't have a clue if I am writing what is expected of me.

I don't want to be stuck in my retail job for the rest of my life, I want a career but I feel that I don't seem to have any skills anyone is looking for.

Does anyone else feel this way? Have people felt this way and got a job. It would be good to hear some success stories so I know I should keep trying!

**Juice**

What kind of job are you looking at and what did you graduate in? I think in job descriptions and adverts sometimes there's a bit too much jargon etc which sounds overwhelming or confusing.

scheming_gypsy

Yep, a lot seem to over advertise. In 2007 I left a job and a week later I applied for one that came on the job sites, turned out I'd applied for the job I'd just left but the job description was nothing like what I'd been doing.

SandC

I can understand why you feel that, and many companies do big up the jobs somewhat!

I moved jobs internally at one place I worked. When I saw the ad for my previous it sounded bloody fantastic! Told my ex boss I might apply.

I can only suggest that you apply for everything that appeals to you from the job title. If you have the right quals and feel that your experience is enough to cope with your idea of x position then you are in with a shout.

You have nothing to lose put it that way.

xxJudexx

**Juice** wrote: »

What kind of job are you looking at and what did you graduate in? I think in job descriptions and adverts sometimes there's a bit too much jargon etc which sounds overwhelming or confusing.

I graduated in Psychology and I'm just looking for anything that isn't retail!

**Juice**

SandC wrote: »

I can only suggest that you apply for everything that appeals to you from the job title. If you have the right quals and feel that your experience is enough to cope with your idea of x position then you are in with a shout.

You have nothing to lose put it that way.

I agree with this BUT I would say that a job titles doesn't really mean that much specifically - in that you can have two totally different jobs with the same job title or two very similar jobs with totally different titles. It's important to take the job title into account along with the job description.

**Juice**

xxJudexx wrote: »

I graduated in Psychology and I'm just looking for anything that isn't retail!

Oh god Pyschology was my nightmare subject at A-level, I dropped it after months.

So, I'm thinking that Psychology and having a degree would mean your skills and strengths to emphasise are:

*Communicating with and understanding people
*Organisational skills (meeting deadlines at uni)
*Report writing (uni essays)
*Researching information

Working in retail, the transferable skills you've picked up:
*Cash handling
*Sales and promotion
*Providing customer service
*Housekeeping

This is just a total starting point but it's just useful to have a think about what your strengths, experience and skills are.

CharityEscapee

Today's graduates and school leavers have my total sympathy in such a tough job market. I also left university in a recession (91 - blimey, I feel old writing that) and struggled initially to get work (or the type of work I wanted - I did bar work/waitressing to live). Some things helped me:

1) I was honest about the skills I had - writing, social, creative- and researched the jobs that would use those skills / personality traits. I found marketing / PR suited my skill and mind set. What are you good at? What are you interested in?

2) I read up on the industry - got books out of the library, read magazines

3) I did voluntary work to help me get a foot in the door (whilst working at night / weekend) yes, it was exhausting but I had a better CV, made contacts, built networks and got a paid job 9 months later with the people I volunteered with. I run a marketing dept now and make a point of having interns / volunteers. It's good for junior staff so they can develop their management skills and I make sure volunteers get expenses and interesting work to do. I know that it demonstrates get up and go to potential employers and even if our interns don't want to stay in our sector, they have transferable skills / demonstratable experience. You can find out about volunteering via your local volunteer office (most towns have them)

4) The Guardian careers' pages are really good - very useful indeed.

5) don't give up! I think that my period of post university unemployment made me resilient and resourceful.

6) stay positive!

dizzyrascal

Have you thought of getting help from your university careers service? You may still be entitled to help if you only graduated recently. Perhaps they could get you to focus on your skills and what careers might suit you. It's always worth a try

dizzyrascal

By the way if you work in retail you will have tons of skills. Perhaps you're not able to see your strengths at the moment.

doodoot

Why don't you go and see a psychologist to talk through your lack of confidence.

Oh....