This post is also available in audio form:
Every student of any age going to school or university during these difficult times, particularly those graduating this year, has to find a way to cope with the current situation and manage their mental wellbeing. Finishing studies and having to navigate a very uncertain world and job market is not the optimal way of starting off a career. Olivia Pinnock, a London-based fashion journalist and lecturer, and I discussed how the pandemic has affected students and their mental health. We focused on what graduating students can start doing now that they are entering the job market in such overwhelming and unpredictable times. You can listen to the full conversation on the audio version of this post.
Olivia Pinnock is the founder of The Fashion Debates, a platform that she uses to promote a more sustainable and ethical fashion industry. She is also a lecturer at the London College of Fashion, the London Metropolitan University and Norwich University of the Arts.
During the conversation, we touched on how these are such trying times for students and how every single one of them has had a very individual experience coping with isolation and the pandemic. Olivia mentioned how some students haven't been able to produce the body of work that usually helps them create a portfolio that they can show to potential clients once they finish their studies.
She also offered some advice for people entering the job market at the moment. She said that, even though it's not great and wonderful right now, university is not just about the grade you get at the end of it. The university experience is about what you learn, the connections you make, and the experiences that made you who you are. And you are taking all of these things away with you.
She also said that students mustn't compare themselves to others, everyone has got their own timeline adding that for students with an entrepreneurial spirit, particularly in the fashion industry, now is the time to shine because the industry desperately needs solutions.
Whether you are a student, or someone interested in the challenges that students are facing these days, you can listen to the full conversation on this link.
Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.
Subscribe to my weekly blog posts here! You may subscribe to the audio version wherever you get your podcasts.