Long time lurker, first time poster, from the UK.
I'm starting to get serious about this FIRE thing. I am very good at saving money but suck at earning it. If I am ever going to make it, I need to earn more than a couple of hundred here and there. The problem is, no one would hire me.
I got straight A grades at school then a 2.i from a top university. However, I knew then that the corporate life was not for me, so I did an arty postgrad which took two years and most of my savings while living at home with my parents. I graduated last July and promptly got married. I moved with my husband to a mid-sized town where he is studying on pretty much a full scholarship (tuition and mostly maintenance) for his dream job. I worked OK through summer and autumn in arty-related jobs and saved almost all I earned but now, in a new city, am struggling to find work.
I think I have made a huge mistake with the arty thing. I love doing it myself, but doing it for other people SUCKS BEYOND BELIEF. I am not sure why I didn't realise this before, but oh boy do I know it now. I am also a very anxious person and taking on ill-defined responsibility terrifies me. I don't know if I'm doing it right or wrong, and the entire arty world depends on networking and dealing with narcissistic personalities. I have also come to a too-late realisation that I am A HUGE INTROVERT. I want out.
The problem is, I can't find a job doing anything else. My dream job at the moment would be part time, nearby and not too stressful (admin would be ideal, or retail if it's more like a clothes shop than a supermarket). Unfortunately, I am overqualified and underexperienced for retail and for admin. I cannot find ANY jobs that do not require any experience.
I just don't know where to turn. I have a good degree, but am too far out of university for any graduate/trainee schemes (and do not have the drive for them anyway) and have no marketable experience. I'm not going to end up on the street because we can squeeze a living out of my husband's scholarship but it is very bare bones and leaves nothing for saving - I want to plan for a future where I do not have to worry about these things. I feel like it may be a self-esteem/anxiety problem, but I honestly cannot see how I can market myself to any employer - but I do think I would be an excellent employee (polite, reliable, organised - but how does one prove these things in advance?)