Four weeks into my notice and time was running out. The beginning of last week and I had begun to panic that I had yet to find employment.
My positivity was waning and with no prospects on the horizon I started to accept that the newspapers were right and I was destined to spend my mid-20s on the dole.

I guess it was easier to be positive when I still had four weeks at my desk working away but perhaps it wasn't positivity I had been channelling all this time but rather, denial. Mid-week a friend rang to say that his 'second job' needed someone and he had recommended me.

As a waitress.

Back to my roots.

I accepted happily, after all a job is a job and even better is one I can do easily and enjoyably. Trying not to be bitter that I had spent four years in college to end up back where I started, I counted myself lucky that through his connections I was chosen above the 300 CVs for making coffees and polishing cutlery. Miraculously once I accepted my fate and told myself how lucky I was to have actually landed a job that would pay my rent and keep me in my love nest, then all of a sudden the interviews started coming in.

By the end of last week I had somehow found myself with several interviews, all within this volatile media industry I had studied to become a part of. And not just me -my fellow-redundant office buddies had also found themselves with similar, and in some cases, the same interviews!

After interview number one I was hurrying through town in the rain one dreary afternoon when a head popped out from a racy car. It was unemployed youngest brother and his three friends, offering me a lift as he knew I was heading home to the north county. This journey was insightful to say the least. Four former students each of them was now on the dole and embracing their new found status.

'What are ya worrying for', one of them quipped. 'Just wait til the recession is over and move home in the meantime' was the advice offered to me as we sped along the roads, the lads discussing who's house they were having cans in that night. Perhaps they had the right attitude I pondered, worrying doesn't change anything. The lads wanted to talk about a session rather then the recession and warned me if I kept up my whinging I would find myself on the 33. They didn't want to listen to recession rambling..'Yeah she never stops', piped in my brother, 'she's even doin' a column on it'.

But I wasn't ready to give in just yet. For everyone I hear about who has lost a job recently I am now hearing stories of others who have found one.

One of my nearest and dearest has finally found work after several months of frantically searching. Another recently made redundant has now found herself with a job in a similar field and although earning less, she is happy to have been given 'another chance' in Ireland as she puts it. Of course all of this is little consolation to those who are still searching. Despite interview opportunities I have yet to be offered a 'career' job and until then am extremely thankful with my restaurant position. Plenty of customers to have a recession rant with.