Overqualified + Under Experienced = Unemployed.

At school they tell you that if you do your work and get your grades you will be rewarded with being able to get onto the next level of qualifications - GCSEs, AS-Levels, A-Levels Degree. All the while you are pretty much promised that employers will value your qualifications and that if your lucky enough to go on to do a degree and obtain this most hallowed of educational pieces of paper it will unlock the gates to the upper levels of the employment sector. This is beyond doubt a lie. A false statement. A fabrication. As what they dont tell you is that the previous generation have pretty much pulled up the ladder and bolted that proverbial loft door shut behind them. Sure 30 to 40 years ago they would have welcomed pretty much any one with a degree or even those without into the junior ranks with open arms. No longer. Companies for the most part seem to see people in two ways. Either you have all the highest grades, or you have plenty of work experience. If you are Jonathan "call me Mr Average" Deller, they dont want to know.

It is an demoralising experience but, and you'll have to excuse a moment of incredible arrogance and self inflated worth here, at least i'll be able to get jobs that you would consider me overqualified for right?

Well actually no. On Friday i showed up for an interview at Waterstone's in Northampton for a part time job on the shop floor. The interview went well, very well. In fact if this is how i can do all of my interviews from now on, this is how i would conduct them. The manager was a very pleasant woman who seemed to be nodding a lot of my answers and was making all the right noises, if you excuse me use of that awful expression. I went home happy. Happier than i've been for quite a while. To top it all she was even going to let me know if i'd got the job the following Monday. Fantastic! I waited all day for the call, then around 5pm she called to tell me that although i'd been shortlisted i had not got the job. However, she said, if any permanent positions came up she'd be in contact immediately. Now is it me or is that a very mixed message to send someone? Yes we liked you, but sorry we only interested if it for a position at a higher grade than the one you applied for. It has put my self worth at an all time low as it is basically saying, sorry but despite all that work you did bothering to get a degree and all i still dont want to give you a job you could have applied for when you were 16.

The lesson we can take from this? Just because an interview goes really well doesn't mean you'll get the job.

Right, sorry for the vent but i needed that. Dont worry soon i'll be back to my usual happy go luck badger riding self!

Next Week: Something more amusing, i promise.