2011 closes as 2012 hammers on the door

2012 is here and who the hell knows what life will chuck at us in the months.  Just sitting here and thinking about 2011 which has certainly had it's highs and lows.

Here are some of the things that stick in my mind:

• I found  a job that I am still in and in many ways still enjoying it.  Six months of searching and I finally got one. No easy task but back in the construction sector so I was one happy bunny. Hopefully 2012 will be my year and I'll get a perm job and be able to save up for a home of my own. 
• The London riots were shocking and disturbing, I've never felt uneasy in London, the city I call home.  A sad week of chaos in August was certainly not an image that we should have been portraying to the world.
• I learnt more about me and how to cope with the dullness of having to look for work for six months. Writing this blog, being active and getting out and about helped me a lot. 
• That life is precious, you can't plan for everything and that the simple things can make me happy. 

Job hunt for 35 hours each week or else!

Haha, that's the findings from a prominent Government thinktank led by Iain Duncan-Smith.  Wow, yet another initiative that seems to stink of the Government trying to get those all important jobseekers stats down.  What I want to know is how the hell is it possible to jobhunt for 35 hours each week.  Wow if job hunting is a full time job you would technically be earning just over 50p an hour based on standard jobseekers - now what was that about the minimum wage!

There aren't enough jobs in the world plus most jobseeking is now taking place online - how the hell could you do that for 35 hours. Job hunting for someone who wants to work is not highly pleasurable as it is with some of the downsides being depression and loss of confidence as you start to question your worth and whether you are actually employable anymore.

Personally, a few focused hours is about all I can manage each day before my concentration goes and I end up surfing the net, writing a blog piece or working out what fantastic feast to cook up for dinner (the menu tonight is Thai Chicken with mango salad as featured on This Morning yesterday looked yummy).

Job hunting is a mind numbing drab process and to get the best out of it you need to not just do blanket mailouts but actually tailor your applications and letters and calls to stand out above the crowd.  Creativity takes time and I am a firm believer that I would much rather put my best foot forward by sending something bespoke that I am 100% proud of. This approach has meant that I have secured a much higher rate of interviews than many.

Why Are We Waiting

One thing I can't abide is people wasting my time.  I've never been known for my patience. So if I'm due to sign on at a certain time, I expect not to be hanging around for almost an hour.  Last week I was given a piece of paper with a different time to sign on at yesterday due to the Bank Holiday.  

Off I trotted to the Jobcentre for 11.40 not my usual 12.45 signing on slot. If I'm late at the Jobcentre I would basically be given a warning and if it happens a few times have my benefits stopped.  All just another way to improve jobless stats ultimately. So by rights if the Jobcentre keeps me waiting shouldn't I get a pay rise due to their incompetence?! Nice theory but sadly this does not work in practice - obviously waste the time of the under employed is not deemed to be of any significance. 

The man who should have been seeing me seemed to be doing other things.  Work related but form filling as opposed to signing people on.  In the end up I sat there for 40 mins. Man was I getting annoyed - I even went up to check that he had my book which he did. My general exasperation was compounded by the fact that I had things to sort out with regards to my dad's estate which meant trekking across town plus I had an interview to prepare for the next day too. 

When I was seen a good hour later, the first thing he said was that I was too early and that my time is 1245.  He even showed me his computer screen to back up his statement.  I said that he'd given me a piece of paper with a different time on last time I signed on. He said there was no record of this - admin is obviously not a strong point for the Jobcentre maybe we should introduce fining for their screw ups. 

Anyway, he said that for next time I would have to attend a one-to-one interview to help me find work.  It is due to last at least half an hour.  The letter I had referred to a back to work workshop which I asked him about as I had not done that part.  He said "that workshop is not for people like me as I don't come across as someone looking to stack shelves at Sainsbury's so I would not need to do that part and the one-2-one would be better for me".  Then I asked if I needed to bring my CV.  Turns out he had a copy on file which he read in awe.  Wow - maybe all the under employed aren't no hopers :)

The perm hunt

Heaven

Having a new job is fab and my first pay cheque in 6 months will be arriving on 30 Sept - woohoo. A new pair of shoes may well be what the doctor ordered.

My role is interim and although my company will be advertising for a permanent person I still am keeping all avenues open and on the hunt for a perm role. I guess it's the nearest I can get to security in these challenging times but it would help to make me feel a tad more secure.

A past interviewer has got in touch to say that they would like to see me again for a perm role so that's good. Also been looking at different roles in charity fundraising as that's my dream job. Had been a bit unmotivated in terms of looking for a perm role once I'd secured something interim but then I went to an event last week about how to find a job in charities which inspired me to keep on going for the completely right role.

I now have a new mini job plan, have joined the Chartered Institute of Fundraising and set myself a networking events diary - so bring it on!

Recruitment agents - friend or foe?

Hhmm - I am not entirely sure on the response to this question but currently am veering towards the foe sided response.

Having just completed week 3 of my hunt for work, I have seen more recruitment agents than you can shake a stick at. Looking for potential roles in marketing role (where I have traditionally worked) and ones in charity fundraising (a potential career I would like to move into) - I have 2 CV's. This means that I have to post applications to 2 sets of recruitment agents.

Not being wet behind the ears, I fully appreciate that agents ultimately need strong candidates to field to their employers and they earn lots of dosh for placing you in the process.

What I have learnt about recruiters?

Just because they call you in all excited to "come in for a chat", it doesn't actually mean that they have a potential role for you.

A few have actually interviewed me and then said "we have no roles for you. However, can you name your old employers competitors and then I can approach them on your behalf?". This line has happened quite a few times and worries me immensely as follows:

1. As a specialist recruiter in professional services I would expect you to know my previous firms competitors - esp as they were a large well established firm.
2. If you don't know that part of the market, you obviously would not have firmly established contacts in that firm. Where exactly would you be adding value to my job search? I am happy for them to approach competitors where they do have established relationships though as it may be beneficial. But I do object to them wanting to use my CV as a way to get their foot into new potential hirers. This smacks of them being desperate for new jobs and using any means they deem necessary to find new contacts in a fiercely competitive market place.
   
3. As a seasoned marketer I would hope that I had the skills and capabilities to approach the immediate competitor firms directly, if it's something that I want to explore.

Don't get me wrong there have been some lovely knowledgeable ones along the way who I am keeping in touch with on a regular basis. They give constructive feedback about your CV, know the market and understand what it is that I am really after. They're the ones who I am happy to put me forward for roles. Also, they're the ones that I will go to when I do have a job and am looking to hire new staff.

Why Am I Here?

As a recently made redundant marketeer, I've kicked off my search for work this week. Yippeee - at least the sun is out so I can hang out in my garden too. I figured this blog would be good way to chronicle my steps towards finding that all important next role. Why am I doing this you may ask? Well it's a way to keep my mind entertained - being unemployed can get rather boring rather quickly plus I figure there are many others out there in a similar predicament so it'll be reassurring to know that you're not alone.