Am I a waster?

Hollister11

I'm 21, in 3rd year of my computer science degree in college. I do relativly well achieving a 2:1 award in every semester thus far. I do extra online courses outside of college to supplement my learning.

I haven't been able to secure a work placement for my course, which is supposed to be going on for the next 6 months. I will have to go to college instead for 6 hours a week. It wasn't for the lack of trying I have sent out around 50 applications in the last 2 months, I have had 3 interviews and no job offer. It just seems like all the work I do is for nothing, if I can't even secure a non-paid work placement.

My parents fund me for the most part. I had a PT job from October-January 2015/16, where I was working 25 hours a week on top of 25 hours in college, combined with about the same amount of hours being put into college assignments, projects, studying ect. I found it really tough to do, and I had to leave once my contract was up. The the second semester I felt burned out, and uninterested in college, and all i wanted to do was sleep. Somehow i achieved a 2:1.

During the summer I went away, did the usual stuff, but spent everyday improving my programming skills in college. The first semester of third year went smashing, but I think i made a balls of one exam. I was almost passed the module, so know fear of failing, but I don't think i did that well in the exam.

I don't why i feel like a waster, I do a lot of work, even work on Saturday with my dad for 6-7 hours to get money for going out ect. I'm not back in College, until February, but if I don't secure an internship, I'm going to pretend I have a full time job and be in college from 9 - 5, Monday - Friday doing courses and building projects to hone my skills once again.

Sephiroth_dude

You certainly don't sound like a waster too me........sounds like you have a good work ethic and have worked hard too get where you are, ok so you didn't get placement, not the end of the world, I would imagine there's hundreds of students going for placements and not everyone can get one, keep doing what you're doing and you'll end up where you want eventually.

bmwguy

You, sir, are the opposite of a waster and you will do well in life with your ethic. Graduate jobs and even internships are hard to get, I was there myself (not in IT but in finance). The reason is a lot of companies invest time and effort into training you, then you are gone as soon as you are starting to get how things work.

You'll be fine, keep plugging away you'll get there. You might not get your dream job but work your way up.

My brother is a recent master's graduate in Computer Science and he is in a prestigious graduate program with a well known company, doing well and working his way up. He is finished his 2 year program in September, interested to see where he goes then.

Sound Bite

Try posting in both the jobs forum and the computers forum to see if anyone can give you a dig out re placement.

Can't see any signs of a waster at all - the opposite actually. Give yourself a break.

Mr. Incognito

Identify the Firms you want to work for.

Identify the Area.

Identify the People you want to work for.

Add them on Linkedin.

Send them an email attaching a tailored CV seeking an internship/ work experience.

I did this to get into the law firm I wanted in the depths of the recession and worked my way up from an intern position.

antoinolachtnai

One thing I have found is that there are some people who seem to be good at getting jobs or placements or whatever. It's just a skill really. It is worth trying to think of a way of learning this skilll.

Scraggs

You don't appear to be a waster from your posts Hollister11 and certainly from post above sound a lot more hardworking than when I was a student! Book an appointment with the Careers adviser in your college and see if they can offer any advice. When I was in college the first time I went to an interviews skills workshop they held and it was invaluable. The adviser may also have information on internships/placements you might not have considered or known about. I would also contact the places you interviewed in and ask for feedback.

The main thing is not to be disheartened. If you can't secure a full time placement for the next semester perhaps you can find somewhere that will take you on for a couple of days? Or even volunteer your skills to a charity or ngo on non lecture days. This will be something extra for your CV, a source of references for future applications and a way of building experience.

Wesser

I do not think you are a waster.

I do however, think you are obsessed with property and spent far too long looking at prices etc online instead of just getting out there and enjoying this carefree phase of life. It might built your confidence etc.

Ursus Horribilis

Do you get anybody to look over everything you type up and send away? I don't want to hammer you but I looked back over your posting history and noticed a lot of very odd spellings in a lot of your posts. Not just typing errors, the sort we're all guilty of. Errors such as aloud instead of allowed, a difficulty with differentiating between there, they're and their, your and you're, the use of "would of", alot instead of a lot . I think you get my point. You seem to have a bit of a problem with spelling and grammar and it's something you need to be hyper-aware of. I've heard people such as the head of Google speaking on the radio about how bad the CVs coming into them are. How they're strewn with spelling and grammar errors. Especially with the line of work you're hoping to pursue, a poorly written and spelled letter certainly would not help your chances at all. It indicates a lack of care and attention to detail.

Edit: going back to your original post, no I don't believe you are a waster at all. But perhaps you are doing something wrong and it'd be worth going to a professional to have a look at your CV. What can also help is going for interview training. Years ago I underwent a mock interview which was filmed and then played back to me. I don't think I have ever squirmed as much in my life and I felt like reaching into the screen and smacking me It was well worth doing though and I've had a better track record with interviews since then.

HanaleiJ5N

If you haven't already done so, get the CV proof read by someone you know, you'd be amazed at the mistakes you might overlook when you're so familiar with it, the more feedback you get on a CV the better, I'm in my 30's now but when I was your age I was completely oblivious to the fact my cv was terribly structured!!

Also you seem very hard on yourself, any chance you might be selling yourself short both on your cv and in an interview situation?

Are you a waster? They say there is no such thing as a stupid question!! Not a chance, you work hard, you try to better yourself, you give a crap. When I saw the thread title I was expecting something completely different!

Walter H Price

Hollister11 wrote: »

I'm 21, in 3rd year of my computer science degree in college. I do relativly well achieving a 2:1 award in every semester thus far. I do extra online courses outside of college to supplement my learning.

I haven't been able to secure a work placement for my course, which is supposed to be going on for the next 6 months. I will have to go to college instead for 6 hours a week. It wasn't for the lack of trying I have sent out around 50 applications in the last 2 months, I have had 3 interviews and no job offer. It just seems like all the work I do is for nothing, if I can't even secure a non-paid work placement.

My parents fund me for the most part. I had a PT job from October-January 2015/16, where I was working 25 hours a week on top of 25 hours in college, combined with about the same amount of hours being put into college assignments, projects, studying ect. I found it really tough to do, and I had to leave once my contract was up. The the second semester I felt burned out, and uninterested in college, and all i wanted to do was sleep. Somehow i achieved a 2:1.

During the summer I went away, did the usual stuff, but spent everyday improving my programming skills in college. The first semester of third year went smashing, but I think i made a balls of one exam. I was almost passed the module, so know fear of failing, but I don't think i did that well in the exam.

I don't why i feel like a waster, I do a lot of work, even work on Saturday with my dad for 6-7 hours to get money for going out ect. I'm not back in College, until February, but if I don't secure an internship, I'm going to pretend I have a full time job and be in college from 9 - 5, Monday - Friday doing courses and building projects to hone my skills once again.

Not at all OP chin up on the placement there hard to get , my mate did a similar course got great results no repeats ever still didnt get a placement i remember he was really bummed out about it at the time thought he'd struggle to get jobs or that after college. Shock horror He didn't 4 years on he's never been out of work longer than 6 weeks and those were the first 6 weeks out of collage and hes a scrum master with a big multinational on great money.

You sound like your doing just fine for 21 , i know near 30 year olds who have less maturity and less of an idea what they want to do with their lives then what you've outlined there.

Wesser

Wesser wrote: »

I do not think you are a waster.

I do however, think you are obsessed with property and spent far too long looking at prices etc online instead of just getting out there and enjoying this carefree phase of life. It might built your confidence etc.

I don't see what's wrong with having an interest in property, there are a lot worse things people could be interested in and the knowledge gained will serve him well in future compared to most who know very little about the ins and outs of the property business (both buying to live in or to rent out).

Wesser

If he spends alot of time thinking and researching something that is out of his reach it will instill anxiety and insecurity and cause him to hold a false belief that he is a waster when he is not . It could be giving him the false impression that he is a waster when he is not. I think he should spend more time doing things that would build his confidence and make him not feel like a waster eg sport etc. He needs to built h u still confidence and gain his sense of self worth from other sources/ occupations.