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@TheNightmare, I'm glad that you're feeling better now that you've gotten this out of your chest.

I understand that a lack of experience can hold you back from getting a job, I especially find it frustrating how entry-level jobs require years of experience which is hard to find itself! I think one thing that has helped me navigate this is to demonstrate the passion you have for the role/company, and to think of other sources in your life where you have developed skills.

This could be for example, drawing has helped me develop creativity and problem-solving skills, or playing badminton with others has enabled me to develop my communication and teamwork with others. And as for demonstrating the passion you have for the role/company, adding a personal touch to why you're applying for a certain position might help. I applied to be a psychology student ambassador for my uni, and what helped me get this job was me mentioning that student ambassadors played a vital role in helping me decide to go to this uni, which made me want to help prospective students with their decisions.

I hope this is helpful in some way! Ultimately, I think what employers look for is how you communicate your skills, and this is really difficult to do effectively and takes lots and lots of practice (I'm no expert at all and am still working on this myself!), so give yourself grace if you don't get it right away, progress is still progress.

Good luck with it all and keep us updated

Hey @JMMV2005 , how are you doing? I just wanted to check in off the back of this thread to ask how things have been feeling lately?

I'm so pleased to hear that it feels like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders now that you've set that boundary by blocking contact. From what you've described, your dynamic with her sounds really, really tricky - esspecially how it was so difficult to talk openly with her, or how she'd re-direct your questions. I can imagine that being so tough when you're trying to have a friendship and to have honest communication. I know I myself can feel extreamly anxious when it feels like there's sub-text between me and someone else but it's not possible to 'name' it or talk about it.

How have you been taking care of yourself since this situation happened?

Sending hugs,

Hey @TheNightmare
I completely understand where you're coming from, it must be quite disheartening when some of your friends are in work but you haven't landed anything yet. It's really good to hear that you're looking for some volunteering placements though. These can be super helpful at showing employers that, along with your college courses, you are developing soft skills which are super helpful for a wide range of jobs.
I agree that it can be so difficult to get help and support with this type of thing once you've left education, but it is really positive to hear that you are putting in a lot of effort to getting a placement somewhere and that you have some form of support in place at the moment. It's super important to remember that you are doing the best you can right now, it sounds like you're really making an effort.
I think with these things it also depends on the time of year you apply for jobs and placements too, I know at Christmas time it can be quite hard to land a permanent job anywhere, hopefully it'll get a little easier in the new year. Just remember you always have the community to lean on when you need it

hey @eylah hope you're doing okay this morning and that your sister is too. take as much time as you need and we are always here to support you. fingers crossed she makes a speedy recovery. and remember to take care of yourself too.

Hey @bignosegirly0

I think as a woman (unfortunately) it's not surprising to hear that you feel this way, I know for me something that helps me feel safe when I leave the house or when I'm outside is being aware of my surroundings, not having my music too loud in my headphones so I can hear what's going on, and not stopping or acknowledging strangers trying to get my attention. Sometimes pretending to be on the phone is helpful too, people seem less likely to bother someone who is on the phone. I do want to end this by saying that these are all things you can do to make yourself feel safer, but it's definitely not your responsibility to make sure other people don't hurt you. It's on them to be better people. I also think it's lovely that you've acknowledged that 99% of the time, you're safe. That's huge, and something to focus on whenever you do feel those fears creeping up. Given the world we live in, your fears are valid but that doesn't mean they will necessarily come true. I hope this was helpful

Big hugs @eylah