Disclaimer: I keep reading articles about Graduates looking for work and how tough it is out at the moment. These articles inspired this week’s blog. 🔼🔼🔼 The photo above is me at 25ish with my amazing Classroom Assistant, Chris! 🙂

Shortly after I turned 21, fresh out of Edgewood Teachers Training College in Durban, and buzzing with excitement (and nerves), I headed off to London. I didn’t even know how to cook anything more complicated than French toast, or what the difference between a washing machine and a dryer was. That being said, around 30 of us from my class were heading overseas, and back then, it was just what you did.

I landed in a council house, somewhere between East Putney and Wimbledon (where else?), with about 20 Antipodeans crammed in, surviving off Pot Noodles and optimism. Every morning, I’d head off into central London with my trusty A to Z book in hand, ready to earn my daily rate as a supply teacher.

If the Recruitment Agents were honest, they should have called it ‘danger pay’, but we earned about £100 a day to supervise inner city London classrooms in the late 1990s.

One of my biggest misconceptions back then? I honestly thought you worked, got paid, and the money went straight into your back pocket. I had no clue about taxes, rent, bills, or just how much the Tube would rob me every week. The concept of budgeting? Foreign. I was rich for about 30 hours after payday, then reality hit. Welcome to adulting. 🤨

Fast-forward to 2025, and all you hear is how “hard” the job market is. AI is eating jobs, degrees don’t guarantee anything, and graduates are overwhelmed. But here’s the thing:

The job market isn’t harder than it’s ever been. It’s just different.

And if I could sit down with my 21-year-old self, I’d give her three pieces of advice that aren’t sexy, but they still work in this crazy world of AI and economic downturn.

1️⃣ Your Passion Will Probably Change, and That’s Okay

Let’s get something out of the way early: the thing you start out doing? It might not be your “forever thing.” And that’s not failure, that’s personal growth.

When I was 21, I thought teaching was it for me. I packed up my life, moved to London, and dived headfirst into supply teaching. And sure, it paid well – well enough to let me travel every six weeks like clockwork – but the reality? It was more crowd control than a calling. I got bitten (twice), had chairs thrown at me, and spent a lot of time wondering if this was really the plan for the rest of my life.

But here’s the part I didn’t know then: your passion can evolve as you do. That’s not flakiness, that’s you tuning in to those little niggles in your head. Paying attention to your gut feelings. Pivoting when the signs are there.

Teaching taught me how to facilitate several different personality types at once, how to read and lead a room, and how to adapt in the moment, and those skills?
They became the launchpad for everything that came after.

👉 Try this: Don’t stress about nailing your “passion” at 21. Instead, chase curiosity. Look for things you don’t hate doing on a Monday morning. Focus on becoming valuable.

💡 Reminder: The job you love at 23 might not light you up at 33, and that’s a sign of progress, not a problem.

2️⃣ Your Network Is Your Superpower

The hard truth? The job market doesn’t run on merit. It runs on networks. Your qualifications get you a foot in the door once. Relationships open doors again and again.

I learned this early on. I was at a school fête in London with a friend when I met another South African who just happened to work at a much better school in a nicer area. And guess what? They had vacancies. That one chat with the HOD shifted my entire trajectory. No application portal. No perfect résumé. Just a human connection and some good timing.

That’s the kind of thing no CV can do for you.

Networking doesn’t have to be awkward, by the way. It’s not about schmoozing at terrible events. It’s simply about staying curious, being helpful, and planting little seeds everywhere you go.

👉 Try this: Set yourself a low-pressure target. One new professional conversation per week. Over a year, that’s 52 new connections. Do that for five years and you’ll have 250+ people in your corner. That’s how careers are built.

3️⃣ Drive Your Career, Don’t Drift

In my first teaching job in London, things weren’t that serious. There wasn’t much prep work, the kids were pretty wild, and most days felt like supervised chaos.

But after a while, I realised something. I wasn’t learning anything new. I wasn’t growing. And I certainly wasn’t using the education qualification I’d worked so hard for back in Durban. That was my “offence” moment. I could’ve coasted along, but I decided it was time to move on.

That’s what driving your career looks like.

👉 Try this: Write down three non-negotiables for your next job. Minimum salary expectations? Location? Learning curve? Use these to steer decisions.
You’re in the driver’s seat.

🔁 TL;DR — The New Rules of Starting Your Career

🧠 Build competence before chasing passion.
🤝 Relationships beat résumés.
🚀 Drive your career. Don’t wait for opportunities. Create them.

❓FAQs

Is the job market harder today than before?

Not really. It’s different. Every generation says it’s harder. What’s true is that the middle is being gutted. You need to stand out with competence and relationships, not just degrees.

How do I choose what to get good at?

Follow demand. AI-adjacent fields, skilled trades, healthcare – they’re hiring. Focus on what feels interesting enough to master. Passion might follow.

I don’t know anyone. How do I start networking?

Start with one conversation. Ask alumni, DM someone on LinkedIn, attend a niche event, or volunteer. Send an article. Be useful first, ask later.

What if I don’t know what I want long-term?

Totally normal. Focus on what you want to learn next. Use your three non-negotiables as a compass, not a roadmap.

🎯 Next Steps

Want help figuring out your next move in a world where AI is flipping recruiting upside down? This list of Tried & Tested AI Tools will help you, A LOT!

👉 Visit my Online Academy for practical training, or check out this blog on how recruiters can upskill with AI without the overwhelm. You can reach out to me via LinkedIn if it is easier for you! 🙂

And if this post resonated, share it with a 21-year-old who needs a little real talk (and maybe a warning about flying chairs in London schools).