Stephen McGinty: How to get the results that matter from university of life

There will be no nostalgic memories of bawdy nights in the student union from me, for, alas, university, or at least its computer system, said no. Twenty years ago the ancient spires of Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as, well, every other university in the country, took a brief look at my UCAS form and said: "No thank you. Not today."

Luckily, I was able to trudge off to begin an apprenticeship in print as a copyboy at the Glasgow Evening Times. As my former classmates marched in support of Nicaraguan coffee, I shuttled back and forth to the vending machine for rounds of Nescaf. While they picked up the brightest blooms of politics, philosophy and economics from the fragrant gardens of academia, I was dispatched to the picture library and returned with a file on Ayr town centre. The sports desk were not best pleased: they had asked for Ayrton Senna.

In the years since I'd always hoped to one day cadge an honorary degree, so as to re-align the chip on my shoulder, but it does, however, make me a suitable candidate to issue advice to the disappointed masses.

So what would I do if I found myself today once again locked out of the hallowed halls of academia?

The first thing would be to secure any kind of part-time job, regardless of how dreary. The reason is simple, you'll need funds to help you pursue your chosen career and any kind of job develops self-discipline which we all require. Next, if you know what career you wish to end up in: congratulations, at least you have a target which, more than likely, will be more than many students aimlessly shuffling down the four-year path of an arts degree will possess.

If you know the career then set aside as many days each week as you can manage dedicated to the pursuit of your goal. Let's say it's two, (Saturday and Sunday don't count), then how should you use your time? First: decide you'll be "working" nine to five at securing your new position. Be at your bedroom desk promptly, preferably in a shirt and tie, trust me, it focuses the mind (and you get to take it off at the end of the day, which can be a pleasurable relief). Accept that you will be in for a long haul. Your former classmates will have to put in four years to emerge with a degree, decide that it may take you that long to get on the first rung. Yes, it's a depressing thought, but the earlier you face it, the less likely you will be to get discouraged.The key is to think of this as a game of endurance and everyday that you hang in and keep going, dozens of your competitors will drop out.

Then make a list of all the places that you'd like to work, start with the field, let's say the media, start with the bull's eye, such as the BBC etc, then widen out. Once you have an even 50, find the right person to contact, an individual, not a title and write to them. Trust me, it will most likely get you nowhere, but it's a solid start. The other benefit of a letter is that they stand out, emails are easily deleted, but it takes effort to open a letter. One week after having written the letter and assuming you have had no reply, then gather up your courage and call them. If you get them on the phone, ask if you can come and see them for a ten-minute chat. Most people will say no, but play the odds, the more people you write too, then call, the better your chances of getting to someone who will remember what its like to be mustard keen and give you a break.

It's also worthwhile dedicating one of your "work days" to going to the office where you want to work and asking to speak to the person. Will you look like a "stalker"? Perhaps, but you will also be demonstrating a degree of determination that some people will respond too. If someone shows the slightest degree of support, but can't see you that day, come back the following week.

The key is to be polite and personable, as what you are seeking is that all important, foot-in-the-door.

There has recently been a great deal of debate about nepotism and the use of family favours to secure work placement, It's all nonsense, people will always use what they can to get ahead and there is no such thing as a level playing field. If you don't know someone, but know their work, write to them and ask for advice or assistance. You may be surprised by the response.

If your letter writing, door-stepping and personable pleading pays off, we now enter the world of the "unpaid intern". Suck it up, for if you do get the opportunity to work in an architect's office or a TV production company etc, do so.

Back at university or college, your former classmates are paying thousands of pounds to learn, so although you will be out of pocket for travel etc, at least you are not being charged and if you are clever about it, it can be an invaluable experience.

Plus, the world of work is full of people working for free, such as entrepreneurs who can spent months and thousands of pounds developing products with not guarantee of any financial return.

There are easy ways to shine. Dress smartly, never underestimate the power of a smart suit and tie, even in a TV production company where everyone dresses likes it's Saturday afternoon. Arrive early, stay late and be meticulous about even the smallest task. A TV producer once hired an intern after he saw that they used a ruler to ensure each stamp was an equal distance from the envelope's edge.If you are sitting doing nothing, then every hour, on the hour, go round the office and ask if anybody needs any help.

As part of your two "working days" figure out what, on the university course to which you'd been deprived a place, you can learn yourself, either at night school, a part-time course or with the plethora of computer programmes and on-line learning courses that will guide you through everything from shooting a film to learning Cantonese. Which brings me neatly to my next suggestion: learn a language, preferably a difficult one that will push you ahead when it comes to job applications, such as Arabic or Mandarin.

Now, I appreciate that there are certain jobs for which a degree is absolutely essential and no amount of enthusiasm and hard work will overcome, like medicine, for example, the part-time, learn-on-the-job practice of which is ill-advised and no doubt illegal. Then there is the fact that many employers use a degree, and then what standard of degree, as a sieve with an ever finer mesh, to sift through the thousands of applications.

What you have to do is find a way to make direct contact with the people you hope to one day work with, so that your eventual application comes with a personal recommendation.

University, though I'm sure I would have enjoyed it, isn't the most important thing in the world. Character, determination and drive may yet deliver you to where you wish to go. Remember the words of Winston Churchill, which are currently curled around my coffee mug: "success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." So good luck.