Saturday isn't a job hunting day

But I found a site for expats in Finland: www.iesaf.com

It'll be useful both for my job hunting and business building endeavours.

And I re-assembled my computer work station. Typing is much better now as I'm sure you'll have noticed.

To do this I had to clear some space in my room.

I emptied the contents of one large suitcase into a slightly smaller suitcase. I then put this sligthly smaller suitcase into the larger one.

Then I emptied the contents of an Atlantic travel case I mainly use for flights. Into it I put my carry on (soft luggage) bag. Then I put the travel case into a larger Atlantic travel case I also sometimes use. A bag within a case within a case.

Cleared a lot of floor space that way. Just hope I don't need anything from within the cases though - or the cases themselves.

I then used up the cleared floor space with the work station I assembled.

Haven't done any Finnish or XP studying though. It is a bit hot in southern England at the moment (well hot for us pale Brits). Well above my operating temperature.

Another day not at work

Except it's a Friday so it's another half-day not at work.

As I've mentioned before I only job hunt for the first half of this day (and maybe a little bit in the afternoon). There's not too much point contacting recruiters on Friday afternoon. They'll have forgotten the contact by Monday morning.

Today I applied for one job.

Palavar
What a palavar. The agency had advertised on www.monster.co.uk but hadn't put their own email address. This meant I had to apply on line.

And this meant setting up a Monster account, filling in lots of details and manually amending the c.v. they had uploaded onto their system.  Quite some time.

It would have been much quicker, and better, to have emailed the agency. Worst, looking at the job advert I didn't really meet one of their key criteria, so I only wanted to apply in a half hearted way anyway.

After applying for this job I went back to my old favourite www.jobserve.co.uk and stumbled across the same advert - this time with an email address.

I think the Friday feeling was spreading as they seemed to have some database indexing problems. This meant I had to retry quite a few times before new pages of jobs would be revealed.

Weekend
My weekend starts now and ends on Sunday afternoon.

What shall I do with it?

I know, I'll:

• find out what my professional title is these days, it's changed recently
• re-assemble my workdesk so I can job hunt in comfort
• do some work on the business development front and update my other blog
• carry-on learning Finnish and studying for the MCP in XP
• watch TV and read randomn pages from the web.

Guess which of the above activities will be the most engaged?

Getting webby

I have a mult-media approach to job hunting.

I have my c.v. (resume for any Americans reading this), business cards and a web site.

The web site is quite professional. Using frames in a rather elegant way (I like to think) it displays the skills and experiences I can bring to organisations. It also has some neutral, nice photographs which I clipped from various web sites.

At the bottom of the home page is a little "do not enter here" sign. Putting the cursor over it reveals a "Do not click here" notice. Should one - and one will - click there, it goes to my page of writings and also links to blog sites like this one.

But I reckon people looking at my site for professional (i.e. recruitment) reasons won't notice this link. They'll go straight to the bigger links including one showing a PDF of my c.v.

This is very useful.

Sometimes email fails and when I phone a recruitment agency they haven't received my email. So - whilst still on the phone - I tell them my web site URL and from there they can quickly see an example of my c.v.

This happened today. I spoke with an agency but their system was down so they couldn't retrieve my c.v. from their email inbox. I gave them my web site's URL and they browsed to it and could see my c.v. This way, they could remind themselves of why I wasn't suitable for the role they were advertising.

Bother.

One of the problems was that I'd been out of work for about two years. I explained that I had had a serious accident (intensive care, two weeks in hospital, surgery etc). But the other problem was that my background in IT service management didn't fit their requirements anyway.

Anyway, they still thought my c.v. was good.

Today I applied for two jobs.

Total for this week: eight applications. This is good.

Sorry I didn't have time to be brief

I also completed yesterday's homework. This was to tailor my c.v. to match - as closely as possible - a three page job description I'd been sent for a role in Germany.

At first I found this quite difficult.

I limit my c.v. to two pages. Having been involved in the recruitment process myself as a manager I deplore three pages (or more) on c.v.s. I also know that the more senior you are the shorter your c.v. So I never, ever go over two pages.

This reminds me of the phrase "sorry this letter is so long, I didn't have time to write a short one". Can't remember who said this. Anyway, succinctness takes time.

Eventually I worked out how to fit my tailored "sales message" into the two pages. It's funny, writing a c.v. does require some feel for graphical layouts. Which isn't at all easy when you have double vision.

I then slept on it and got up relatively early (that is, late for most people) to check it again. Then sent it to the agency. An hour later I phone them. They'd received the c.v. and thought it looked fine. Hurrah.
 

Back to it

Return

I returned late last night from Helsinki.

English people should never be allowed out of the country. Especially to developed countries like Finland or Germany. They may never return.

Unfortunately I did return. It's a bad time to job hunt in Finland as the whole country is on holiday. In fact, they all go back to work next week.

This morning I got back into the job hunting routine. And managed to fire off six applications. That's good for one week, let alone one day.

Homework
 
As I wrote one application I had a feeling of deja vu (I know this French word should have accents). Over a year ago I applied for a job with a large company in the Rhine area of Germany.

The recruitment counsultant liked my c.v. and put my name forward. Then things got drawn out, weeks to months. Eventually we agreed that the role had probably died.

As I wrote this application I had the feeling that I was writing to the same consultant. After I'd hit the Send button I started to look at my jobs database to see if it indeed was the same consultant. But before I could do this he had phoned me! Not only was it the same consultant, it was for the same client!

This role was a bit different but still seems to match very well. And the consultant feels that the client now has their act together and can turn things around in about two week (rather than five months to never).

He's sent me a big, three page job description and asked me to tailor my c.v. to fit it (within the bounds of honesty). That's my homework for this evening, I'll send it off to him by tomorrow morning.

No news from Prague

I also phoned the agency who's been handling my application for a company setting up in Prague. No news although my call has prompted him to fire off an email to them.

The company has a world-wide presence and normally quite a good reputation. I'm very surprised that they haven't given me any feedback. Although they paid for my flight the trip there cost me quite a bit of money (plus lost income). So, I'm not impressed.

Whilst I was away

For my flight to Helsinki I reached Heathrow quite early. I always leave a lot of contingency time for flights. Sometimes I use up all the contingency time and just make the flight. Other times I'm sitting at the airport for a few hours.

This time it was the case of the latter. At the check-in it was suggested that I catch an earlier flight. I nearly agreed but decided that I may as well mooch around the duty frees and look for a book etc.

Just as well. As I was getting my chocolate croissant and tea my mobile rang. It was an agency I'd emailed the day before. We chatted about the role he'd advertised. It turns out it wasn't really right for me but it was good to talk to him anyway.

A few days later, I was emailed by another agency I had contacted - "please give me a call". So I called her on my mobile and we had a chat about the role she'd advertised. The rate wasn't good but okay. She's putting my name forward.

A packing day

In other words a non-job hunting day.

Well, I've been packing for my trip to Helsinki tomorrow. And it meant I had to go to the shops again. For:

- some wrapping paper for my godson's present (I underestimated how much I'd need when I got some a few days ago)
- a birthday card (I forgot to get one when I went present shopping)
- a get well soon card (as I've just heard he's broken his leg!!).

Big thanks to Frank (recently name checked in my status blog) for pointing out that my web site had a misspelling of "organisation" on the main page. It's so annoying. Quite a few friends have looked at it and didn't spot it. I certainly didn't and I looked and looked. Still, it's been corrected now.

Getting to be a good week

Applied for three jobs today.

As usual, nearly every job is advertised by an agency on various web sites.

I phoned and got through to nearly every agency I'd emailed today and yesterday.

One was concerned about my work absence before my last role - a short contract assignment. Well, I was made redundant from an energy trading company just as the IT recession got going (and a bit later they went out of business). Then Enron collapsed, and WorldCom, then the massacre on 9/11, then other companies collapsed. Then I collapsed. An accident put me in intensive care then a specialist hospital for 16 days. It's hard looking for a job when you're unconscious. And UK hospitals don't have patient-side internet access. And it took quite a few months before I recovered. In fact, I'm still recovering although I am able to work.

Rant over - just pointing out that this career gap will live with me for the rest of my working life.

But so far, it's been a good week. Quite a bit surprising as it's the holiday season. I hope no-one wants to interview me next week when I'm in Finland.

Not bad

Today I applied for four jobs. Not bad.

And this week (i.e. from Sunday) that totals five jobs. Not bad at all for the second week of job hunting. And really not bad considering it's now the holiday season. And it's only Tuesday.

On Friday I'm off to Helsinki for over a week. It's for a bout, or rather another bout, of R and R. It's also my godson's second birthday (he lives there).

I'd really like to live in Helsinki, for several reasons:

- everything (i.e. infrastructure, heating etc) works, even in the depths of winter
- I can look at blondes all day long and sometimes in the evenings as well
- I can eat rheindeer
- and elk
- mobile phones work on the underground, underground. Oh, and the underground works.

But getting a job there is difficult. I would like to see companies when I'm over there but this is unlikely on the forthcoming visit. Why? Because practically every company shuts down for summer holiday until August. My godson was clearly born at the wrong time of the year.

Oh well. Nevertheless I spoke with a couple of agencies today about jobs in Helsinki. One of these agencies considered me for a role there a year ago. It never came about.
The other agency had a role in London - also a year ago - for which I applied. But the contact in the agency was Finnish and I got to talk to her about roles in Helsinki.

Neither had roles there at the moment but it was worth calling them. I'll contact them again when I return.

I've pretty much decided that I won't look at UK job hunting web sites whilst I'm in Finland. Too much effort and it's never paid off before. I'll enjoy this second break (first one was in Granada) and try to learn some Finnish. Yes, really.

In terms of statistics I consider five job applications per week to be the minimum. Anything above, like 10 jobs per week, is quite good and indicates progress in the economy. With the current holiday season I don't think I'll hit that figure until September (assuming I'm still looking).

Monday

Applied for one job today and that was a job I saw on Sunday (I didn't send it until I'd rechecked it this morning).

In the afternoon I phoned the agency handling the job. The recruiter actually remembered me. I'd used them a year ago and in fact they were a client of mine a couple of jobs back.

The recruiter thought that my lack of recent small team management may be a problem for the client. Whatever.

Saw an article in the Sunday Times on the pschycological traits of interviewers. I slightly suspect this was puff for during the silly seaon. It was a short piece stating the obvious fact that interviers have traits as much as interviewees. I don't disagree; I've often been interviewed quite badly.

Shifted weekend

As mentioned, job hunting seems pointless on Fridays. Much better to wait until Monday to contact recruiters. They're more likely, then, to remember me. (Please feel free to read between the lines here).

But I do look at sites on Sunday afternoon. Some recruiters do post jobs over the weekend.

So, I have a slightly shifted weekend: Friday after-noon to Sunday afternoon.

Today, there was only one suitable job. I drafted an application but won't send it until tomorrow morning. Why? Because I've had a couple of glasses of wine - a big deal for me these days - so I'd like to check the application once more, when the alcohol has totally left my body.

Friday feeling

This morning I sent off the c.v. to the agency with whom I spoke about a role in Germany yesterday.

I also sent off my c.v. to a couple of other agencies recruiting for specific clients: both permanent roles.

Then in the afternoon I called them. Both were negative. In one case they were negative about my lack of recent experience in team leading (even though I did this for five years). It wasn't personal, they just had to raise the bar as they were getting so many applications.

I don't think I'm going to look for jobs this afternoon. In my experience Friday is a bad day to approach recruiters. It's coming to the end of the week and by Monday they'll have forgotten my details.

2nd day summary

No. of jobs applied for: 0
No. of positive responses: 1

This occurred because I sent my c.v. to an agency yesterday. They had emailed me a few weeks ago advising me of their new contact details.

I phoned them up today but they said they were busy at that moment. A minute or so later they called back. They had an interesting role for me in Germany. This would start as a contract assignment but may change to permanent status in the second year.

Great. I've worked in Germany before and know a bit of the language. Now, I saw their desired candidate profile and it doesn't exactly match mine. But the agency said it'd be worth me sending a tailored version of my c.v. I'll do that tomorrow.

Today I also spoke with an old agency I've used before. In fact I used them in my second to last role when I was trying to recruit staff. And then I contacted them after my redundancy and we kept in contact. They weren't able to find me a job (bit of an IT recession, as you know) but they are one of the leading UK and European agencies.

They said they felt that things were consistently getting better in the IT job market - exactly what I wanted to hear. I sent my c.v. to them and the agency who got me the last role.

Their optimism is reconfirmed by JobStats which shows that there's been a consistent recovery in the IT market since July last year.

That's good but I'm still miffed that the holiday season will reduce the number of recruiters just when I'm available for work again.

Business cards

This is going to be scary

I can't find my book of business cards.

I know I took it out my travel bags some months ago but now I can't find it.

This is a very minor disaster. Fortunately I also keep all my contact addresses on my Palm Pilot (a T3 so girls will talk to me). But I still like to look at business cards. They a better reminder of people.

Business cards hint 1
In fact I'm so anal about this that when I receive a card from someone I write on the back of the cards where and when I've met the person and any particular context.

Business cards hint 2
Maintaining this level of anal-ity (is that a real word?) I've also got my own cards made up. It's better than trying to beam your details to their PDA and some people don't even own a PDA, it's true.

Business cards hint 3
But even when we exchange business cards I still send an email the next day or so - a sort of nice to meet you etc.

Business cards hint 4
Actually this is more about web sites. I have a free web site where I keep my professional details. The address of this site is on my business cards.

With this approach it must be surprising that I'm ever out of work.

Business cards hint 5
When you've lost your business cards Rolodex look for a little bit then stop looking. This is the only way you'll find them.

I'll see if hint 5 works in a day or so.

Ooops

Last night saw an interesting job. Decided it was better to wait for this morning before applying as I'd be fresher.

But, most of this morning I was tied up in other things. I did, however, get time to fire off an application for the job.

After the email was sent I had another look at the advertisement. And this time I saw, a bit too clearly to give an excuse, that it wasn't really suitable after all. Oh well.

But worst of all the company was an outplacement specialist who I'd used some years ago. I really should have focussed on their advertisement a bit better before applying.

Deferred activity

This is where is gets difficult.

I need to get my job hunting approach right. But I could easily fall into the trap of getting everything right (e.g. physical environment, technical environment etc) at the expense of actually looking for a job.

I.e. I could easily fall into the trap of deferred activity, aka procrastination. The temptation is even stronger when most of my job hunting is online. And there's so many other things on-line.

I must be strong and keep focus. I will.

But first, lunch.

First step, first problem

So, step one, make sure my old database is up to scratch.

When I was doing IT support at a major accountancy firm they sent us on an MS Access advanced user course.

What they didn't tell us was this was an inducement to stop us all from leaving whilst they were going through an IT outsourcing programme. Their failure to tell us this meant that we all went on as many courses as possible (and that was quite a lot) then left.

In the end they pulled out of the outsourcing deal at the last minute before they signed the contract. But they still had to recruit for the 50% of the IT department who had left.

Whilst I was at the firm I never used the advanced Access skills I had acquired at their expense. Nor have I used it in subsequent employments.

But I have used it to keep track of my job applications. It's very useful in these lean times. Makes sure I know if I've already applied to a company. And it helps me keep a track of applications versus responses. This shows me how well I'm doing.

When I went to open up the database, for the first time in eight months it didn't open up properly. Yikes. Some sort of corruption. Fortunately I occassionally do back ups and managed to restore a working copy. Phew.

Starting up

So, for the first time in eight months I have to restart the job hunting programme.

This consists of:

1. making sure my job hunting database is up to scratch. I've applied for so many jobs in my time that to keep track I wrote an MS Access database.

2. Looking at www.jobserve.com

3. Looking at www.monster.com

4. Gnawing the carpet.

Before I start

Whilst I was in my last role I didn't actually look for another job. But a few people did contact me.

One for a permanent job in Prague. I even went for an interview there. I'm still waiting to hear from the company.

Another agency contacted me about a contract role in Brussels. They haven't got back to me yet either.

And, of course, the recruitment agency who got me the last job may be able to find me another. I'll be contacting them soon.

End of the first day

My total is: 0 jobs applied for.

Proves my point about it being the holiday season.

Bad timing

My last work - a contract assignment - was extended and extended until I implemented the project near the end of June.

Great. This means I'm now job hunting in July. The holiday season.

Which explains why the Job Serve and Monster sites are so sparse. I've already looked through them for today's job postings.