Hello 2016…. Daney will see you now!

Hello 2016…. Daney will see you now!

 

 

Hello and welcome to the first #Daneyblog of 2016. I can’t believe it’s been over a month since I last blogged. In one quick month we’ve all found ourselves out with the old 2015, and in with the new 2016… which has come with rain (well… lots of it actually!), Adele’s album STILL being at number one (I can’t say Hello anymore without being ready to break into song!) and of course….. the fabulous brand new series of Birds of Feather premiering (you knew I was going to mention it!). Birds of a Feather for me is my go to every time when I need a good laugh, and it really has did that for me so far this series!

 

 

So what’s being going on with me and why am I writing tonight?

Can’t we talk real here? I walked into this year absolutely terrified if I’m honest.  Unemployed and staring at a blank calendar, daunted by the thought of starting a business, being alone with my laptop, going through the process of applying for jobs again and searching out new opportunities all with an unhelpful mental backdrop of ‘you’re not good enough, why are you even bothering’ accompanied by a nasty cold really hasn’t been easy.

It’s lonely when you’re job searching. Despite being up against others in the same situation (who are more than likely feeling the same as you), you feel like you’re the only one in the planet having to deal with the no replies, the standardised ‘no thanks’ responses which all hurt more because I genuinely care for the jobs I apply for. I’ve felt alone. However, I’m not alone, and I’m going to tell you why I now feel ready to say ‘BRING ON 2016’

Changes happened…

Despite feeling in lower spirits, I went to my voluntary shift at Changes Musselburgh last night (I’m their social media volunteer and have loved my time with them doing work that I really enjoy!) and caught up with their lovely Volunteer Coordinator, Beth. We chatted all things rainy, all things social media’y (yes, I’m just inventing words now!), all things 2016’y and most excitingly, my role in helping them with this year’s Burns themed volunteer event. She was blown away by my ideas (which I will keep sealed until another blog… I know! I’m being cheeky). It just felt good to be of use and for someone to be so encouraging of my creative ideas.

And then there was my mentor meeting….  Decisions were made…

Today I saw my fantastic mentor Chris, who I’ve been very lucky to have acquired through Adopt an Intern. He brings a wealth of experience and ideas. He is so switched on and really ‘gets’ what it’s like for a grad like me looking for a job.

At our meeting today, I was very open and honest. I decided that in order to move forward, I need to focus on gaining employment, as opposed to self-employment.

The harsh reality of self-employment for me just now is, funding and money. I’ve had some really good creative ideas spring to mind, but when I’ve investigated them further… it comes back to ‘who will pay for this’? & when looking at the time frames attached, it’s just too long... The harsh reality is, I have bills to pay and I want to stand on my own two feet sooner rather than later.  I need a bit of security in an unsecure job world, and self-employment for me at this time isn’t going to do it. In a couple/few/ several months….? Who knows!

So we looked at my overall strategy and I have got some real pointers and things to be working on. Keep your eyes peeled for developments!

Let’s tie up a few loose ends from 2015…..

·         I will be continuing to blog (I’m not going anywhere don’t worry!)

·         #IndustryChats will carry on and I would love to hear from you if you’re interested! Drop me an email >> daneybash88@gmail.com

·         #DaneyForADay I will be looking at this initiative and making tweaks, I’m thinking a revamp in order to support one of the charities I volunteer with.  

And that’s a wrap…. For now!

So this blog is really a ‘here is where I’m at’ right now. I’m feeling exciting about more work with Changes Musselburgh. I’m looking forward to more board meetings with Support in Mind Scotland (I’m now a board member – woohoo!) and I’m just embracing the uncertainty ,putting my seatbelt of ‘I can do this’ on for the rollercoaster ride of finding a job. 2016 is my year.