Finding work again after a very long time of being unemployed due to mental health

Hi there @Wandering1993 thanks for posting today, and congratulations on reaching the end of your degree! I can share what I've found useful in my own experience, as someone who did a lot of volunteering before getting a paid role.

It look me a few years of volunteering before I was able to get a paid job after my degree. I also volunteered a lot during my degree, to try and build up experience. It can feel pretty daunting if you don't feel like you have enough 'direct experience' of a job when you apply for it, but a degree gives you so many transferable skills.

Some of the ones I can think of now are time management, project management, research, team working, balancing priorities, critical thinking. There's also interpersonal skills, can you think of times you've had to argue against someone's decision, or manage someone's expectations? You can use examples from whatever parts of life you feel comfortable with, but which demonstrate your skills and competencies. 

One of the key things to practice, is having examples of skills that you've built up in your life so far, to use during the application, and then at interview. Remember that the application is to get to the interview, and the interview is to get the job itself.  

Because of my disability, I also know that I'll not be able to work full time hours, which does sometimes feel like a disadvantage, depending on the employer and job role I'm going for. Other times, this is an advantage, and I'm trying to view it in this positive way more often. Sometimes you need to switch your own mindset first!

If you're worried about this, think about persuading an employer that different ways of working are a positive thing to bring to an organisation, and that your perspective and lived experience is an asset, you'll be halfway there already.  

It's also worth taking time to consider the type of role you'd feel happiest in, is it working with the public, or in a small team, or working from home? What kind of tasks do you excel at, creative ones, or process driven work?

I hope what I've said makes sense and is useful for you. I know I've asked a lot of questions, and hopefully the answers can be a good base to build from in your search. Keep us updated with how you get on, and let me know if anything's not clear!

Alex