Guess what?

The contractors at the client company, including me, have been put on a furlough again.

Afghanistan

I received an email about a job in Khabul. The email was clearly a circular so I didn't even bother to reply. The next day I get a call about an interesting opportunity which would particularly suit me due to my background with the company involved. Lots of money, benefits blah blah blah it's in Khabul. I live in the fourth best city in the world. The chances of me having my head cut off whilst being videoed is not high. And as we have Afghan restaurants here (which are very nice) there really is no incentive for me to consider it. So I don't.

Malta

An Englishman contacts me on Xing.com about a position. Turns out he's in Malta but the job is in Munich. I call him. Also turns out that the job is re-advertised and that I had applied for it earlier. Nevertheless he puts my name forward.

Chinese experience

Having made eight business trips to Beijing I know how great the food can be.


As well as having eaten a lot of Chinese food I also worked a lot with people from Beijing and was able to use that fact in my application for a job with a Chinese company today.

I'm getting hungry just thinking about the food actually.

Learning

Learning, always learning.

Today I learnt some more about:

• confusing people - tell your report to do something they have been specifically told to wait on by a stakeholder
• demotivating people - threaten them with furloughs and even instant dismissal if they don't do new and really complicated things even though they have a lot to do anyway
  
• stressing people - get the person whom you told to do something (that they have been told not to do) to do something else at the last minute, then to go back to what they are doing, all this without allowing overtime
• defocusing people - when your programme is going badly, and you have an immoveable dropdead date with massive corporate risk, get all the people who can get you out of the hole to do timesheets and create detailed, practically fictional plans running over 18 months.

Am not impressed with this disorganisation.

Taleo

... or to give them their proper name "fucking Taleo" (I heard this from someone else).

I am rather hoping that if anyone ever manages to complete a Taleo based application they automatically get the job.

Today I actually managed this and am now smugly sitting back waiting for the offer.

That sinking feeling

Apart from the furlough and then the massive descope my boss is acting like he is a bit stressed.

Which is reasonable but not pleasant.

I talked to another colleague about it and he agreed.

I want out.

Descope

The programme on which I work likes to descope things. Big things.

Originally I was working on five big things.

This was descoped to two big things.

And today it was reduced to one big thing.

Mind you it is big thing I am working on right now but it is not boding well.

re.vu

Via Lifehacker I found the site re.vu.

I even created an account so that it gave me an easy to spell URL with my initials along the lines of re.vu/easytospellurl rather than use my full name which would look like re.vu/difficulttospellurl.

Not sure how useful it will be though. Some Lifehacker commenters mentioned that most recruiters prefer c.v.s in Word so they can put it into the databases.

Udate the blog, must update the blog

Today I found and applied for a permanent job in Munich.

Found on Toytown.

Networking

Yesterday one of my contacts on Xing.com, whom I only met a couple of times, sent me a message asking if I was available for work.

I replied positively.

This afternoon an agency contacted me as a result - he had relayed my details to him.

Unfurloughed

Since Monday I have been back at work.

Let's see how I did during the furlough:

1. Fix girlfriend's hard disk which suffered a major crash. - Had to be repaired by someone who knew what they are doing. Anyway, she now has a Macbook Pro. Am envious,
   
2. Look for jobs. - Looked, applied, was contacted by at least one agency and today had an interview as a result.
   
3. Improve German (I am supposed to be almost fluent, not almost incoherent) - Have done a little bit more than before
   
4. Run during the day, I'm already at 8km, heck maybe even go swimming - Now up to 10Km although no controlled drowning swimming.
   
5. Update this blog - whaddya think you are reading?
   
6. Do some private appointments (dentist etc) - done
   
7. Learn some new recipes - well, read some new recipes
   
8. Meet up for lunch with friends (like sushi on Thursday) - raw fish was eaten.
   

One

Today I applied for one job.

I also went to the dentist for a regular check-up.

And, so far, I haven't looked at any German.

Slight change in approach

These days more jobs seem to be advertised in German, or requiring good German skills.

And I have good German skills ... on paper.

But in reality they need brushing up.

So, for the second week of this furlough I am concentrating on improving my German.

I will still look at job sites but that won't be my main focus.

E.C.C.A.

Yesterday late afternoon I had an emergency cake then curry alert which meant that I couldn't report that I had applied for two jobs.

One was in response to an agency contacting me on Xing. The other, I saw on Monster (via Toytown). This one is actually quite close to where I live.

Strangest job advert layout of the week

My thanks to Elliot for alerting me to this:

Job description: Technical management of electronic developments within R & D projects Contact internal and external electronic and electrical issues in the project Budget responsibility Responsible for timely preparation of the necessary technical solutions In collaboration with the Project Manager rate, fixing, schedule, quality and functional goals of the electronic components

• Planning, monitoring and control of internal and external development capacitance (hardware, software, testing) with internal tuning
• Timely Identification of development risks (cost, schedule, technical) project manager and technical supervisor at as well as planning and control of countermeasures
  Required Qualifications
  • University degree in electrical engineering, computer science, industrial engineering, etc. or equivalent qualification with relevant professional experience
    • perennial experience in the development of electronic components in the automotive industry
    • experience in project and requirements management and change management
    • hardware and / or software development experience
      • Good SPICE process development experience
      • distinctive quality and cost consciousness
        • Close collaboration with customers and suppliers
        • Very good command of german and english
          • familiarity with the standard Microsoft Office programs
          • Automotive experience is an advantage We welcome your feedback and are always at your disposal to answer questions for.

Things to do during a furlough

1. Fix girlfriend's hard disk which suffered a major crash.
2. Look for jobs.
3. Improve German (I am supposed to be almost fluent, not almost incoherent)
4. Run during the day, I'm already at 8km, heck maybe even go swimming
   
5. Update this blog
6. Do some private appointments (dentist etc)
7. Learn some new recipes
   
8. Meet up for lunch with friends (like sushi on Thursday)

Any other ideas?

Furloughed

Last week started to get rather busy.

Things are coming together in the programme, kick-offs had to be kicked-off.

Monday, yesterday, saw a lot of work on preparing one of these kick-off meeting.

But then my agency phoned to fell me that I, and practically all the other contractors, had been immediately put on a two week furlough.

Which means for two weeks I don't work and therefore don't get paid.

Reasons ...

1. ... I might need another job:

The programme on which I am working has recently suffered over a 50% decrease in scope.

2 ... I really might need another job:

Sometimes I only get one work-related email a day.

3 ... I really need another job:

Yesterday I received a blue Lufthansa Miles and More card.

This means all my airlines loyalty cards are at the lowest level. No more privileges, no more upgrades.

Just over a year ago I had two gold cards and a silver one.

And I would fly to Beijing or Tokyo.

Now, I have to get special permission to take the train to Bad Homburg.

Interesting view

from the other side of the interview desk.

As you know I've sat on both sides as well and have similar but not identical views.

Interesting comments too.