Munich time

Yesterday I applied for a job.

This morning I woke up just before 7am and discovered someone had tried to call me half an hour earlier from a Munich number.

For some reason I hadn't heard my mobile phones ring even though they're next to my bed ... probably because it was 6.30 in the morning when they rang.

I called the number back and started speaking: "Sie haben mich kürzlich angerufen ...". It took me a little while to realise they were replying in English. Not just because I was still a bit sleepy but the line was very bad.

Turns out the caller was in India but using some number redirection service and hadn't heard of timezones.

And they were calling about this job.

So that's good.

Double thumbs up

 On Tuesday I had a video interview with a large but unknown company.

After the senior manager interviewing gave me a synopsis of the company and job I was asked to tell them about myself.

I started with the "I just want to say" - with my English accent - "that I'm an Irish citizen - just feels so good to say that".

The senior manager laughed and said "Yes I saw that on your c.v. ...." and gave a double thumbs-up.

Yesterday I also had a telephone interview - that's right, not a video even though it's 2021 - for another job.

Slight change

 Follows an abbreviation of an email exchange over a few hours today ...

Recruiter: "Hi TJHWNN, my client wants to interview over video for the role of Head of IT Operations and Infrastructure. Can you suggest some times."

Me: "Great - here are some times, plus, if they don't work look at my Calendly to see other free times and book me in [Calendly is awesome]"

"Thanks TJHWNN - um - the budget and the job spec has changed. They're now looking for an IT Systems Administrator. Would that be of interest?"

".... no ...."

"Thought not - didn't want to waste your time, let's connect on LinkedIn"

Snookered

 After a couple of busy weeks applying for jobs then fielding phone calls and feeling quite positive I had a couple of weeks of no activity.

Even jobs where I had a video interview and really, really felt I would get a second interview came back negative.

I keep reminding myself of the following (stolen from an ealier post):

• you're British and everyone assumes you'll be thrown out of the country (because of Brexit)
• you're not fluent in German - this is more of the case now that the world's leading English speaking country has removed itself from being taken seriously (that's a Brexit dig by the way)
• you seem to be too senior for some roles
• there's a freakin pandemic which means you ain't up for traveling anywhere - which is a pity as you've angled yourself to be a multi-national, nah, global manager

On my c.v. I now put my Irish nationality first. I think it's made a difference that I am unequivocally still and EU citizen. Last year I was putting "pending" on my c.v. and I think most recruiters baulk at that.

In fact, I suspect that some recruiters still equate anything British as being non-EU. But I've never been to Ireland ("I don't even know where Ireland is") and I spent the early part of my working life in London.

Although I am paying more attention to practising my German (watch the news daily etc.) I don't think I will ever be fluent and able to work in the language for a whole day. My advantage in being in Germany is that I'm a native English speaker.

I'm still only looking for jobs in Munich. Pandemic-wise it's safer. But not being able to work, or travel to, anywhere else frustrates the international capability I've been developing over the years.

Again

One of the jobs for which I applied yesterday was for work in a project management office. They needed someone with fluent English and experience in complex IT projects and a few other things.

Sounded similar to the first (freelance) job I took in Munich 15 years ago. So, I applied.

The agency called today. It turns out it is for the same company and more or less doing the same thing.

Now, there was an issue about salary (it would be a rather strange freelance arrangement where you're an actual employee ) but you could (have to) work from home due to the pandemic. The other "advantage" is that there would be no responsibility. 

Well, that's not an advantage for me.

He'll get back to me tomorrow.

Are you a vegetarian?

 Maybe I should compile a list of strange questions at interviews.

...

Anyway, yesterday I had a video interview. I think it went well.

At one stage the interviewer from the recruitment agency remembered that he hadn't asked the most important question (it's the title of this post).

I replied that all the animals I eat are themselves vegetarian, if that counts (actually I'm not sure about fish).

Then he told me about the hiring company which is international and deals in food processing. This includes the bit in the process where the animal thinks it's going to have its temperature taken by the nice person in a white coat - probably a vet - with their nice thing in their hand which probably measures forehead temperature and ...

[this post is not sponsored by the Vegetarian Society]

The rest of the interview was difficult as I had suddenly become very hungry.

Actually there was a more important question which he also didn't ask.

He wanted me to think about the role discussed and I promised him I would do so and get back to him the next day (today). In reality, however, job sounded just right for me.

After the interview I checked out the company and they have a head office near to the city where I live. Near, that is, unless you don't drive. 

I don't drive.

So, just now I emailed the interviewer telling him that Europe's most prolific carnivore can't go any further in the recruitment process for this job.

This week I applied for three jobs and had two interviews (this one and one I haven't mentioned which was a second interview):

Thank you for your application

 I've been getting quite a few of these recently. 

Well, I have been making quite a few applications so that correlates.

Most of them continue with "... unfortunately we have decided not to take this further" or something similar.

Occasionally, like today or last week they then continue with "we'd like more information/talk with you".

But when I initially see emails like this I think "Oh well, another rejection".