Slow summer for job seekers

Although the number of jobs available decreased between early July and early September I still managed to apply for another 90 jobs.

Interviewing – by the numbers

Of the roles I applied for I was invited to interview for 8 roles, so nearly 10% conversion rate.

For each interview:

• £60 (train to London and parking)
• 6 hours to attend
• 12 hours to prep

Of the 8 roles I interviewed for I attended 2 interviews for 2 of the roles.

If you have been keeping track you probably see that:

• The conversion of applications to interviews needs to improve.
• The cost of seeking employment is high.

I get no financial assistance, no help from the state and no contribution from the companies conducting the interviews. This is a disturbing new trend with employers. There was a time not so long ago when companies covered the cost of attending interviews. I will discuss this in more detail in a future article.

What’s happening?

I didn’t get any of the jobs.

Once I was told I was successful, only to be told the budget for the role didn’t come through. The second time I attended two interviews, completed a test, had two additional telephone meetings (interviews by another name) and it ended with the company deciding that that project was not going ahead.

Realistic expectations?

A friend asked me if I was aiming too high. I told him I was not. Here’s why.

To test the theory that I have properly positioned myself within the market I applied for two roles that pay £20’000 below what I normally ask. In both cases I was interviewed and in both cases I was rejected. In both cases the justification for the rejection was I was too qualified or too senior for the role, that I would get itchy feet and move on as soon as something more appropriate came up.

What next?

I am once again re-writing my CV. This time I plan to focus on my consulting experience. I have significant experience consulting to small and medium sized companies as well as some experience consulting to EVP and CEO level in large companies so the shift is appropriate. Is it enough to get me a job? I hope so. The important thing is to keep trying, keep reviewing, keep revising my approach and eventually find the approach that will work for me.

One month gone and still no job

I started this blog one month ago today. I still do not have a job.

Job search activity log

Over the past month:

• I applied for another hundred or so jobs
• I had agents play all the normal agent games
• I have had two telephone interviews
• I had one face to face interview
• I had one rejection

I had an interview in London with one prospect, so a train to London for £60 and two weeks later and they finally let me know that the job was offered to someone else. Why they couldn’t tell me sooner, like the day of my interview, is open to debate.

Job seeker rules

Assume the job is gone unless:

• An agent or employer calls within one day of sending initial application
• Telephone interview is arranged within 3 days of initial contact with agent
• Invitation to F2F interview is confirmed within four hours of telephone interview
• Invitation to second F2F (if required) confirmed within four hours of first F2F, or
• Job offered within one day of F2F

Obviously there are exceptions to this set of rules but they create bounding limits on stress and expectations. If something happens that is not within the above and it leads to a job, fantastic, if not, I will not have been expecting any different so I will not be surprised or disappointed.

Two Conservative Ladies

Two Conservative Ladies.

and in other news…

Woke nice an early this morning, 5am as usual, to prepare for another soul destroying slog through the job boards, another round of CV review and revise, another day in the life of an unemployed person.

My day always follows the same routine, wake, watch the news , have a coffee and break my fast with toast.

I have come to conclude that the majority of our economic woes would go away if only the media would stick to reporting the news instead of abusing their monopolistic hold on our collective short attention span to drive the agenda of their owners or political influencers. Something about responsible journalism comes to mind. But we do not want to risk the freedoms of our journalists to expose corruption and challenge the establishment.

So what caught my attention this morning was “Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, tells parents to get a job.”

Iain has the answer for us all.
From here

Thanks Iain, I hadn’t thought of that. What a fantastic innovation to the situation faced today by millions of British families today.

What does Iain Duncan Smith know about life for working class families anyway? Sure, he and his ilk tricked enough of them into voting for their party, and I can’t deny that standing for election is like to be the most gruelling job selection process known to man, but if and when he and his are finally ousted they will not be joining the dole queue. Not as long as he can speak. Iain Duncan Smith is a well paid after dinner speaker. And let’s not forget about the many offers for consulting roles that are sure to flow in for senior politicians once their political careers are finished. No, the Right Honourable gentleman from Edinburgh has never known the feel of poverty or the struggle to find work.

We are trying to get a job Iain. Unless you have something constructive to add to the conversation do us all a favour and go swill on champaign. Repeat the process until you finally realise you have no authority or gravitas to preach to the working class. Having had a real job nearly 30 years ago does not qualify you to speak to the reality of working class living in 2012.

I sent out another 19 application yesterday. I have been invited to participate in a telephone interview tomorrow and a face to face meet and greet (not even an interview) next week. This is progress. The past month has been bad. Not even a single telephone interview. Perhaps things are turning. Lets not go on about green shoots though. The main difference is that I have expanded my search parameters to include things I once thought behind me. Never mind that in all the world there are only 20 people who can claim to have my experience in a particular area. The opportunities in that area are rare. My primary skill set is also rare. So, while constantly testing the boundaries of my skill set against the market and refining my CV I have also learned that there are real drawbacks to specialising.

Update rate

I said I would update this blog once a week but in reality I plan to update it as and when I have something to say.

If anyone else wants to post an article related to the topic of this blog leave me a comment and we can make the necessary arrangements.

If you are also seeking work remember, it has to turn eventually.

314 applications and counting

There is an old song by some oldtimer that asks the question I feel in my soul these days…

How may roads? he asks.

Tell me this, if you can:

How many applications?

I’ve heard people talk about the gold rush and how aside from the few lucky lucky enough to get out of the Klondike with their gold and those nasty enough to steal it from those who didn’t the majority of the wealth was made by the suppliers.

If you were selling shovels and wheel barrels and prostitutes and whiskey and blankets and tents and were smart enough to leave the prospecting to the gamblers you got out of the Klondike with a healthy return on your investment and a reasonable pot of compensation for your time and trouble.

So are there shovels that I can sell?

I do not want to keep looking for gold.

I do not want to start shovelling shit.

What am I to do to make a living wage and recoup my investment? My pension and savings are now gone, my future looking bleaker by the day, my guts starting to rot.

Well hell what do we do now when the future looks so dark the night has more light then the dreams that once kept me smiling through the desperation and desire to find a simple fucking job.

This is my first entry.

I am going to update it once a week.

My weekly updates will include:

• My latest job application count
• Analytical data like who responded and who couldn’t even be bothered to fucking acknowledge me
• Examples of the kinds of rejections I commonly receive
• Financial details that should help to shed light on the actual cost of unemployment

Oh yes, if you are one of my creditors… I promise that I will pay you when I am in a position to do so. Having debt collectors call me daily and sending me letters threatening legal action and what… are you going to tie me to a tree and scrape the value of my debt from my body? Maybe you can cook me, sell the fat and ground bones, but a judge will get no more satisfaction.

If my creditors keep harassing me there is a reasonable chance my wife will flee just to avoid the daily ritual with the rounds of calls from this debt collector or that.

I have your details on file dear creditors.

You will get your money when the world has once again turned the screw.

Until then please consider the effect of constantly turning the screws in my thumbs.

by the way guys… those of you creditors who knew better… yes, I did have some money stashed away. Its all gone now. Paid to my landlord to keep a roof over my head for three more months. With a bit of luck that will be enough time to find a job and get my shit sorted. If not I suppose there is always the possibility of getting into a hostel. If they are all filled up I can always throw myself upon the mercy of her majesty and hope for a bed, three meals, and a roof over my head through the winter.

Unemployment is unfulfilling

Dignity demands employment

When the jewels have been sold off at a fire sale and the barons fled to warmer climes dignity is a luxury

Have I lost the plot?

I just want a job!