The Guardian homeBy . Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett was on benefits when she graduated, but now earns a living doing what she loves. Troubled by tales of a generation in crisis, she decided to track down her sixth form. I was already signing on when I graduated. This was not unusual, but during the ceremony I felt pretty sad and hopeless. It was difficult to quaff champagne and toast our futures when I couldn't make rent. Plus I was horrifically hungover, thanks to the four-bottles-for-a-tenner wine deal my dad had provided the night before.
Although I'm now earning money as a freelance writer, at the time it seemed unlikely I would ever make a living from doing what I loved. Almost half of those who have graduated in the last five years in the UK are in non-graduate jobs for which they are overqualified and underpaid. This means the average graduate "starting salary" of £29,000 is a distant dream for many university leavers, as they take anything that's going in a competitive labour market and render it even more difficult for the less qualified to find work. More...