By Maria Mellor

Okay itÔÇÖs time to talk scary. Getting a job, finding what youÔÇÖre going to do with your life and all that jazz – itÔÇÖs terrifying. I seem to have this permanent lump somewhere between my throat worrying that IÔÇÖll never get a real job, never get what I want in life and wake up one day to find that my degree is useless and IÔÇÖve got nothing to show but hours logged on watching Netflix.

We all know what weÔÇÖve got to do. Get off our asses. The only issue is that itÔÇÖs so much easier said than done. I mean who wouldnÔÇÖt prefer spending an extra few hours in bed in the mornings to facing the cold Cardiff winds. IÔÇÖm not just talking about applying for jobs or going to the library. But, joining societies, meeting people, going shopping or even going to YOLO at the union every once in awhile. If you stay in your room, declining invitations youÔÇÖre only going to get sad and lonely. (Sorry to be brutal but you know itÔÇÖs true!)

But what if youÔÇÖre not good enough? What if youÔÇÖre no good at making friends? These doubts plague EVERYONE. Everyone gets a little nervous before a party or when going to a society meeting. Though just think how much fun itÔÇÖll be. You could have the best night of your life!

If thereÔÇÖs even one tiny part of you that wants to do something, take a chance. WhatÔÇÖs the worst that could happen?

Okay, so IÔÇÖve had a few failed ventures – the short horror film that is laughably crap, the several blogs where I got one or two posts before I got bored, but failure is a necessary step on the path to success. We all fail, but weÔÇÖll never succeed without trying.

Have you ever not talked to someone because you were too shy or too nervous? That happened to me a couple of years ago with Kenneth Branagh. KENNETH BRANAGH. I could have talked to Gilderoy Lockhart if I hadnÔÇÖt been such a bloody chicken! IÔÇÖll undoubtedly regret that for years to come, but now whenever IÔÇÖm nervous about doing something I want to do, I just think of the fact that I could have met actual Kenneth Branagh, sending me marching headfirst into whatever IÔÇÖm scared of. Even if itÔÇÖs not a celebrity you want to talk to. Might just be a girl in your seminar who has nice hair or a guy you fancy, you might as well go for it. Take a chance and possibly make a friend.

Now for the real talk: job interviews. ThereÔÇÖs not one person who doesnÔÇÖt get even a little nervous before an interview. YouÔÇÖve just got to relax and remember that you have nothing to lose if you donÔÇÖt get the job. You canÔÇÖt get MORE unemployed! There are loads of jobs out there and who knows, if you donÔÇÖt get one job, maybe itÔÇÖs destinyÔÇÖs way of telling you that thereÔÇÖs a better one out there. Apply for things, take risks! Even if youÔÇÖre not 100% sure you want the job, itÔÇÖs better to interview and end up declining a job offer than to have no job at all. Even a job in your local shop could turn out to be worthwhile, as long as you can make friends with your co-workers and earn a bit of cash.

What if thereÔÇÖs someone better than you? Someone who has better ideas or better grades. You know what, it doesnÔÇÖt matter! It really doesnÔÇÖt. It may sound like IÔÇÖm just talking a load of guff, but I wish someone had slapped me round the face sooner and said this exact thing to me. Last year I applied to be Social Media Editor for Gair Rhydd. Then, I had no interest in going into journalism in the future and basically just applied on a whim. Much to my surprise I got the job and I can honestly say it was the best thing that has happened to me in my time at university. IÔÇÖve had some amazing opportunities, met some amazing people and made some great friends. You probably donÔÇÖt care about my life story, but my point is that great things can come from unexpected places. Go for it. Say yes. I believe in you and all you have to do is believe in yourself. If no one is hiring you, try and look back at what you could have done better and persevere.

You may think itÔÇÖs weird, but to be a success you have to look at how others are doing. If someone in your field is doing something better than you, you have to see what theyÔÇÖre doing and try and do it better. Say you want to be a YouTuber; you need to watch other YouTubers to see what makes them successful, and use elements of it in your own videos. ThereÔÇÖs no such thing as true originality and itÔÇÖll help you massively if you look at other peopleÔÇÖs work for inspiration in style and content.

I may not be the best at directing, drawing or even writing. But IÔÇÖve found something I enjoy and IÔÇÖm going to stick with it and work at it. Maybe one day IÔÇÖll be making a career out of it. Maybe IÔÇÖll get a novel published. If you enjoy something, do it. If you donÔÇÖt enjoy it, donÔÇÖt do it. However if youÔÇÖre not enjoying it because you think you might not be good enough then you need to find a way to quieten the voices inside your head telling you to stop and work hard to BE the best. In the wise words of Shia Labeouf: ÔÇ£donÔÇÖt let your dreams be dreams. Just DO IT.ÔÇØ