A diary based on my latest attempts to get a job; this time in Munich. I'm an engineering graduate (and chartered engineer) with more than 10 years' experience in IT. Over five of these years have been spent in team leading and project management roles both in the UK and abroad.

Monday, April 05, 2021

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.


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