Dear Editor,

Work experience: "It's not what you know, it's who you know."

I have just received a phone call from a friend in my year for whom I offered to get work experience in my father's firm, but unfortunately I had to turn him down because no one will give me work experience and I must now take the job which could have offered him.

This proves my point that it is only because I know someone that I can get a job at all.

"No, sorry, we're too busy at the moment" or "we aren't doing anything at the moment" and "we can't be bothered to have you hanging around, even if you will work for nothing" are the usual responses.

At least now I have an understanding as to what it feels like for those who are unemployed, who need a job desperately and keep facing constant rejection. It's enough to make you give up on life totally.

At first I thought it would be easy - young, eager, naive, will work for nothing, can make a good cup of tea. But, as it turned out, finding something for me to do was much more bother than the opportunity of getting free labour.

Yours,

46 Rockfield Ave, Perrystown, Dublin 12.