"I suffered so many setbacks, and nobody would give me a chance," says 20-year-old Danny Clifford. "The whole episode was so draining that I turned to drink and drugs for an escape."
His reaction to the reality of unemployment is hardly uncommon of those stuck in the maelstrom of job seeking and rejection.
The number of people out-of-work last month was 1,240 in Exeter – enough to more than fill the Cathedral – and 744 in East Devon – roughly the capacity of Exmouth Pavilion.
But the jobs market appears to be growing more and more rapidly in Devon and across the country, with just 1.3 per cent of people in the county and 2.7 per cent in England and Wales still claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA).
The issue of unemployment was highlighted at Devon's 'largest ever' job club in Exeter on Friday when hundreds of people were supported in their pursuit of work.
The 'Super Job Club' at Belmont Chapel and Job Centre Plus near the city centre gave people the opportunity to search and apply for jobs, have mock interviews, and attend seminars on relevant topics.
Damien Parr, 38 from Beacon Heath who was unemployed for three years, said: "It was devastating not to have work. I lost a lot of confidence especially when I kept being rejected from job after job."
But his fortunate improved earlier this year when he secured a full-time job in hospitality after attending a group run by the Exeter YMCA.
"I'm absolutely delighted not to be on the dole any more. I can't praise the YMCA volunteers enough. They gave me one-to-one support that really made the difference," he said.
The event was the first of its kind to be run by the charity – the city's only provider of voluntary employment support for those seeking work – as well as JobCentre Plus and Barclays bank.
Sophie Hodge, community relations manager of the charity, said: "We wanted to get the word out there about unemployment, and especially to highlight the tough time people in Exeter are having searching for work. There are many genuine reasons why people stay out-of-work, including health issues, homelessness, literacy difficulties and not being able to work a computer.
"Those here today have been given a real boost in their search for work. They should have a lot more hope and optimism of finding a job."
The charity currently runs nine drop-in job clubs for those deemed furthest from the employment market, such as the homeless, ex-offenders, disadvantaged young people and those facing disabilities.
Last year 99 of its clients achieved their goal of meaningful and sustainable employment.
Mrs Hodge added: "We have a good track record of helping people find employment. That's because we spend a lot of time with people, offering them one-two-one support."
The rate of UK unemployment fell to a five-year low of 2.2 million in the first three months of the year.
Meanwhile the number of people in work rose to 30.43 million, the highest since records began in 1971.
Minister for employment Esther McVey said: "Each and every person who has made a new start or hired someone new is helping to make Britain a more prosperous and confident place to be."
Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw attended the Exeter job club and praise the "excellent" charity's work in helping young and disadvantaged people find employment.
Of the various support groups there were those helping people to write CVs and applications and to use computers and the internet.
Sarah King, of Glenorchy Work Club in Exmouth, said: "We see a huge spread of people from ages 16-65, and up to 60 people each session. There are certainly jobs out there at the moment, but it can be challenging to get them."
That was emphasised last month when Tesco announced that more than 700 people had applied for eight jobs at its new store on Sidwell Street.
Store manager Angela Rice said: "There were so many great applicants which made the decision very tough when it came to selecting the successful eight."
Another successful job applicant was Danny Clifford, who given an offer of carpentry work and subsequently managed to turn his life around.
"I couldn't have asked for a better job," said the Exeter YMCA resident. "Everyone needs to get a job at some point. The YMCA was absolutely brilliant in supporting me. Now I certainly dress better, and I don't even smoke any more!"
