Two years since Uni

I cannot believe it. This coming summer it will be two years since I left university and got my journalism degree and where am I now? About £15k in debt and working at Asda....

I am sure it hasn't helped I got a 2:2 instead of a higher degree which I am forever kicking myself for, it wasn't like I partied too much but even my best efforts seemed to be only good enough for average.

I can't complain as I went to Australia in Feb 2009 with the hope of securing work alongside my holiday and it went better than anyone could have hoped. A seven month stint of casual work with Fairfax on the journal-titled newspapers was a dream come true.

I recently applied for a casual journalism position at Dandenong in Victoria but was rejected on the basis of me not being a citizen - totally understandable but still disappointing.

At the moment I am forever checking job websites and I have lost count of the amount I have put in for and, mostly, been rejected for. The few interviews I have had have resulted in nothing more than a "Thanks, but no thanks" kind of response.

The latest in a long line is a trainee journalist at the MEN, a place I had a week's work experience placement at back in 2007. However, I cannot even apply for this role as I don't have 100 WAM shorthand, I have 90!

It is a specific quesiton in the application process, not one I could bypass - I could lie but that's just wrong right?!

Being on the end of this that I am, I think it is unfair and harsh for that to be such a requirement to the role. My shorthand would get me by and I have plenty of other skills, such as my real journalism job in Australia and my many work experience placements in and around the area.

Not that I would be 100 per cent for the job anyways but to be ruled out by such a small margin is a bit of a sickener. I can understand Shorthand skills being essential but such an abrupt line has to be considered a bit naive in ignoring all the other skills candidates could bring to the role.

Oh well, I'll keep working at Asda and applying for journalism jobs as I see them or I may just think sod it and apply anyways! I wouldn't be the first or last to "not disclose the whole truth" on an application form.