Paulaner

I love German beer, especially Bavarian lager, and especially Paulaner.

After my stint in Germany I returned to England but it was a year before I could drink the usual lagers here.

For many years I could only drink Paulaner when I returned to Germany, or visited the expensive alcohol section in Selfridges. And then they stopped stocking it.

Recently it's now on tap in London bars. Fantastic. This probably means I'll now get a job in a part of Germany which doesn't stock it.

Apart from tasting great Bavarian beers don't have any impurities. So the chances of a hangover are greatly reduced. Especially if you take the precuation of drinking some water as well.

Which I did on Friday. Plus, for various reasons, I shouldn't drink too much anyway. One of these reasons is making an ass of myself in front of directors.

So I was okay on Saturday. But I didn't job hunt as it's a long weekend (there's a public holiday in England on Monday). I did, however, do a lot of work on the business plan but, as usual, haven't updated that blog.

Friday - well the bit after lunch

Last few days I've spent trying to hand-over information and activities to my successor.

But we were called to a meeting with the UK director (equivalent to MD or GM if we used those titles). Didn't know why. Shouldn't matter too much as I'm leaving on Tuesday.

Anyway, he reminded us about the awayday and that they'd mentioned a directors' award there. Well, it had been a long day which culminated in group alcoholism. Though I don't (or rather can't) drink much I drank as much as I could.

So, he reminded us, then told us we'd won the award for our contribution to the office move. Apparently it had gone better than expected. Basically everyone came in on the Monday after the move weekend. And once they had sorted out their new desks they started working, with only a few glitches. I'm not sure what they expected but apparently we exceeded it.

Our prizes were "red letter day" vouchers. I'm actually delighted just to be thanked.

I'm also wondering how I squeeze this into my c.v.

And after work, we went to a bar for my leaving drinks. Not that I was able to buy any as a couple of directors put their cards behind the bar.

Friday

I spoke to a couple of agencies. One had absolutely nothing in my area.

The other thought they didn't have anything but quickly asked if I had any release management experience - expecting a "no".

Er, I setup a team for a major investment bank some years back.

She said they'd get back to me in a little while. But of course they didn't. I'll chase them Tuesday.

Thursday

In the morning the director of one of our businesses (though really it's more a subsidary of our owners, just sited with us) came up to me brandishing a job definition.

Thought I could do it, so did I, and within five minutes (which is all the time I had) he had my c.v. It's for a implementation project in Europe. I'll chase up about it on Tuesday (Monday is a UK public holiday).

The office move project, for which I managed the IT relocation, went very well and it seems my stock is high.

First part of the week

Didn't hear back from anyone to whom I applied on Sunday.

Well, I'll console myself with the notion that the holiday season is upon us. Though really, there's a month or two to go before it really is.

Managed to squeeze off one application on Monday evening. I received an automated response from the agency. Apart from acknowledging the application they also stated that they didn't recommend any c.v. writing agencies. Funny thing to put in a reply. There must be some problems (well, new problems) in the recruitment industry.

Yawn

Oh, tired.

Went to the gym after work. First time in over a week.

Then went through Jobserve and the Monster. Managed to squeeze out one application: an agency was looking for an interim manager.

Oh, and I received a phone call today - seems the Prague company wants to interview me (again), in Prague. Hopefully soon.

Tired. So no more tonight.

That's it

Well, I've had enough.

I've spent a lot of yesterday and a lot of today trying to sort out a business plan. I know this bit should go in the other blog but I don't have the energy.

Plus, I've spent several hours today browsing the two main job sites I use.

And my job will be hard right up till the last minute (1730 on Tuesday).

I think I might look for a short break somewhere the weekend after next.

Two or three

No, not pints (or litres, which is the proper quantity by which you should be given beer).

Pages on your c.v.

I was speaking to one of the speakers (ooh, bad sentence) after the contracting event.

He was a bit shocked that I only had a two page c.v.

I was a bit shocked that he was a bit shocked. I've spent ages reducing my c.v. to the succinct sales document that it is.

However recruiters, especially those in the technical and contacting end of the market go by quantity, not succinctness.

And nowadays they search by keywords (e.g. XP, SQL, Oracle, TCP/IP etc). Just put as many keywords on your c.v. as possible.

Now, if you ever find yourself sending your c.v. to me, do not do this. Well, you can do this if I'm recruiting for a specific role but keep it to two pages.

The speaker also said that he could tell who had been to outplacement consultants (as I have, twice) as they always send two page c.v.s.

I guess for some jobs I'll have to extend my c.v. But for permie and higher level jobs I don't think this is necessary.

Contractor event

On Wednesday I attended a seminar on contracting held by the North London Branch of the British Computer Society.

I'm actually a committee member of the branch but that may not be for long as I can't be certain if I'll be staying in London.

I arrived late, later than I had warned, as an email server had caused some problems at work.

The seminar was very good. The speakers told how the market was much more bouyant than in recent years. They also mentioned that rates were re-approaching 1999 levels (which were very high indeed).

Last week ...

... on Tuesday I applied for three jobs. That was the only day during the week that I applied for jobs. The rest of the week I was out.

That's my excuse for not updating this blog. What's your excuse for not reading it, or for not posting comments?

Another Sunday

Today I applied for five jobs. And that's my long-standing weekly target.

It was a mix of contract, permenant and one interim job.

Found it

No, not a job. In fact I couldn't find anything in the Monster today. Nor in The Sunday Times.

I did, however, find a link to an electronic notepad. It works with normal paper, but also stores an electronic copy. I've been looking for one of these for ages. If anyone has heard anything about the Digimemo please let me know.

I spent a while this afternoon going through Google for comments about this product. I haven't heard a bad word yet.

Ideally, I'd like to see it before buying but I fear it isn't in the shops.

Can't say

There are two advantages to working as an interim in an open plan office.

1. You can openly look for jobs as it's understood you won't be there for long.

2. You can refuse to mention your salary, or what you're looking for, on the phone. Others would hear and the resulting riot would be rather unpleasant.

So, when I'm asked, I explain that I'm in an open office so can't say. The recruiter then suggests a figure.

At the moment they've either hit the mark or been higher - in which I say, "yeah, that's about right".

Bit busy

Well very busy on the current job and a bit busy on finding the next job.

The recruiters for the VP job in Germany replied to my email, thanking me for "my documents" and advising that they'll get back to me. I think they meant my c.v.

I also spoke to a couple of agencies.

One had contacted me a while back about working for a former employer.

Well, it's been quite a while and things might have changed. So, I replied positively (after querying a friend who's recently started there).

After a week I hadn't heard anything so I phoned them. They had received my details and filed them. During the chat the recruiter mentioned a PM infrastructure role - on a contract basis - with EMEA responsibility. You bet I was interested.

VP

Yesterday I didn't trawl for jobs. The reason included the words "arsed" and also "couldn't".

To make up for it today I applied for a job in Germany, as a vice-president. I actually met all their requirements (including the bit about knowing some German - I'm hoping that doesn't change into having to know the language fluently, we'll see).

It was quite easy to do. Normally I spend ages tailoring my c.v. for each job and writing an appropriate, but brief, covering letter. Of course, I use set phrases, which I keep filed away. Nevertheless, putting them together takes time.

In this case, however, it was much easier. I merely used the c.v. and covering letter I had sent to the Belgian agency on Sunday, making only very minor amendments.

The Belgian recruiter said I had a great c.v. Let's hope the Germans agree.

One application. That'll do.

Catch up

Saw today in The Register an article about 419-ers targetting job hunters.

I was writing about these sorts of adverts a year ago.

On-going

Avid readers (there had better not be any other sort) will be aware that I've been trying to get a job in Duesseldorf. For the last couple of years.

I phoned the agency again today (I'd re-sent my c.v. to them over a week ago). They hadn't heard anything but hoped to get back to me this week. (There were two public holidays last week in Germany which would explain their recent tardiness.)

Why do I want to work in Germany? An article in the BBC's news web site suggests that there's mass depression there.

By the way I found this link on a blog-site mainly about a German living in England. At last, I've met some-else who has a blog-site. Christian's site is very good, but then again you need to know German to understand it. And he's just left England so I guess it won't be updated much.

Whereas this blog site continues whether I have a job or not.

Oh

Another agency phoned today.

They had already phoned a couple of times: last Friday and the Wednesday a week before.

The feedback from the first job they called me about was that their client wanted to interview me.

In Hull. Which is where they're based.

Not really sure where Hull is.

I now know it's about three hours by intercity train from London. So, we agreed an afternoon interview slot.

And it won't be held until 2nd June. This is great as it allows me to focus on the last few weeks of work, and also to focus on getting an even better job.

From what I've heard, Hull isn't a particularly pleasant place. And this is from Northerners who were brought up near Hull.

Mmm.

Great c.v.

Yesterday I sent my c.v. off for a job I saw advertised in Monster. It was based in Brussels and advertised in English but by a Belgian agency.

Today, they rather surprised me by phoning.

The woman calling me suddenly switched from perfect English to perfect French. Now, this was a "preferably" in the advert. In reality, however, it turned out to be mandatory.

I've written before about agencies who state mandatory requirements as preferences. Don't they read this site?

Pity, she said, as I had a great c.v. which they really liked.

Well, it's a pity but it's also a bite.

Lighter

On Friday I met someone involved in The German Joke of the Day. A very good site which has a link to Rent-a-German.

I'm surprised someone hadn't thought of this earlier.

The German Joke site also had a link to The Translation Workplace, a website for translators.

None of this has much to do with job hunting, especially as I'm not a translator (although I could, perhaps, translate Estuary English into English) nor am I German, so I could not be rented out to non-Germans.

Roundup

Well it wasn't a great week on the job hunting front. Or any front really.

I was contacted by an agency about a job in Hull (another job actually, they contacted me the week before about a different job in the same city but I forgot about that).

Prague, Duesseldorf, Hull - so hard to chose.

An agency I'd contacted about a specific job told me that others had been interviewed.

I sent my c.v. on spec to a few agencies.

I, er ... um.

Today I applied for a job in Brussels.

Busy is good

The mantra of people who know what it's like to be not busy - but not from their choosing.

Monday was a UK bank holiday (I was taught that it should be "an" before a vowel but then again, I was also taught that electrons orbit the nucleus - not totally true).

It was a good Monday in some respects. I'd been contacted, on spec, by a few agencies in the last week. All automated emails, I'm sure. Nevertheless I sent them back my c.v. In a semi-automated style.

I also applied for a job in Duesseldorf. A job for which I originally applied two years ago.

My c.v. is a bit similar to the one submitted before but I've ironed out the recently discovered errors. (No-one spots them but me, I'm sure, and I spot them later than I'd like.)

That's right, I found another error at the weekend. One which had slipped through despite many proof readings by myself and others.

From now on, I read out my c.v.s aloud. It's the only way to spot the errors.

I also corrected a friend's c.v. But it was very good to start with.

In less than a month's time I will be out of a job (my interim assignment finishes at the end of May). My rental of the flat in London ends mid-June.

So, now is the time.

It's depressing to go back to hunting. I can't do it day-in, day-out. Most of the day is interrupted by work. I also need to get out: I spent two years partially disfigured and a little bit isolated after an accident falling on top of redundancy. Now that has cleared I feel I need to get out a bit.

I also need to develop the business (see other blog for details - but to save you the trouble, don't look now as it's not been updated). At the weekend I did a cracking update to the financial model which would make accountants swoon with jealousy. The gits.

The other problem emerged whilst looking at Monster today. I don't have time to look at Jobserve as well. The UK IT rates seem low and I don't feel like applying for them, considering my current salary is much higher than what's being offered. Like, I'm going to earn in seven months what some jobs were offering in a year.

I also noticed that Germany is picking up with more job offers. These were mainly advertised in German. Well I can read German to a high level, and can order beer (by the litre) in Bavarian. Somehow, I don't think that's enough.