A morning at the fair

A job hunting fair organised for IT bods by the Munich unemployment office.

I've been to job fairs in the UK but this was much better.

Being an organised panda I had shortlisted the companies I thought were appropriate - about 11 - and was  in and out within two hours.

For most of the companies I visited it was obvious that my German is a bit on the crap side. One lady, early on, however, said that I had good German but probably better English. I suggested she waited 20 minutes to hear what my German was like when I started getting tired (and fed up of the lingo).

Oh, and by the way, I have been feeling quite ill.

Good, great but ...

After talking with the head of the college on Sunday I spent the rest of the day, and yesterday morning, looking through notes and thinking about how I could lecture in PM.

I actually became excited about it - it could be a good part-time activity while I develop this business (see other blog).

Then, yesterday afternoon, I trundled over to meet the two heads of the college. All went well. There are only three hours of lectures a week and ... there's no pay for preparation work etc. Which means I would only be paid for three hours a week. Over 13 weeks.

Just not economically viable - I get more unemployment benefit. We all had a little brainstorming session to see if there was a way around this. So far, we are bureaucratically snookered.

Urgent

Actually, over the last few weeks I have been applying to jobs and even having telephone interviews.

Then yesterday (Saturday) I was going through my emails and noticed one from the president of the local AGBC.

It was a forward from a manager of a business school who is looking, urgently, for a lecturer in project management.

I sent off a quick reply outlining my interest and including my c.v.

It tends to show that email is becoming less and less useful as it is too noisy.

Short and nice

That was a quick video interview: hi ... worried that you will be too expensive ... what sort of ball park are you looking for ... oh ok, never mind.

Just one

Today I applied for one job in Munich.

It was appropriate and in - even more appropriately - was in English.

They asked for very good German skills but we'll see.

German perhaps

This morning I had a meeting with a consultant (that's what they're called now) from the German unemployment office.

She was very pleasant and appreciative on what I've been doing.

But she only spoke in high speed, beaureaucratic German - or rather a dialect of German (I can only cope in standard German, Hochdeutsch).

I left with lots of forms and leaflets, all in German, with the daunting task of understanding them.

I reckon even a native German speaker would have problems.

More German malarky

Last week the German unemployment office sent me an electronic message which mainly asked for my c.v. in GERMAN (their caps, although they wrote the message in German).

German c.v.s tend to be longer than Anglo-Saxon ones but in this case it is shorter.

Bit of a bite

Contacted on Xing (the German version of LinkedIn) by a recruiter for what turned out to be a job in Düsseldorf.

We spoke in German about a probable interview until I started to say - in German - that obviously my English was better.

The recruiter immediately switched to English and told me that the international company really needs someone with very good German - even though the job details were in English.

I explained that my German is rusty as I live in Munich - a land which only pretends badly not to speak English.

At least it's a bite.

Although ...

... I have better things to do than take another job (like starting my own business) today I send my c.v. to an agency who contact me about a freelance job in Luxembourg.

Schadengefreut

... for my soon to be former employer (they still pay me to the end of November but I am released and am under no obligation to them).

Yesterday I got a last minute invitation to a former colleague's birthday party. Good food (he barbecued in the rain), drink and company.

He's leaving the company (actually resigned before I did) and has now got a good new job (he resigned without first finding a new employer). Another former colleague was also there and he has resigned, having secured a good position with a well known e-commerce firm.

At the party I heard of other people who have left, or will soon leave, including the last CEO who had been there for less than two years.

Oh, and they lost most of the business with a major client.

The company really does seem to be following TJHWNN's First Law: you make me redundant and your company will soon cease to exist.

More malarky in German

Although I am paid to the end of November the German unemployment office wanted to see me and review my c.v.

Yesterday I updated it, a little bit, and today took it to the office.

It is in English. My selling point in Germany is that I am a native English speaker, there is no point writing it in German, plus it would be much longer.

The person I met there was very pleasant and gave me information (including about startup assistance) and want an update by the end of next month.

She also told me that my German was good and was surprised to hear that I seldom use the language, either professionally or in my private life.

it's not all startup activity

I've been mainly working on building this new business since I left my company (who are still paying me for a couple of months).

I put in a light hearted post in LinkedIn which attracted quite a few likes (including one from the co-founder of the Indian-part of the company I've just left).

And today a former VP in APAC asked me to send my c.v. to him.

I will, even though I want to give this business a go. You never know. It may even result in me taking an interim assignment.

But not enough German

Despite my apparent skills in German filling in a form - an online form - about your work details is a tedium.

And some entries were filled in my the employment agency and were just wrong and couldn't be corrected.

More uses of German ... keeping the economy afloat

Although I have a Mac Mini (or is it a Mini Mac?) at home I like to have a laptop to hand.

Having yesterday returned my Surface Pro to work I decided I needed to have my own portable device so today I went and bought .... a Surface Pro 3.

Seriously, I need it.

Although superb devices these aren't the cheapest laptops and at the checkout I found that it exceeded my bank card limit (in Germany you can often make purchases with bank cards which immediately debit your account but being a risk-adverse society the credit limit is quite low).

So I had to cross town to go to my bank, draw out the money then go back to the shop to pick up the device.

And all this: going through the decision making and purchase in the shop, then talking to the bank clerk, was done in my third language*.




*English is my first language. I don't actually have a second language.

Useful after all

A few years ago I was forced persuaded by the unemployment office to go on an occupational German language course (B2) which I actually passed rather well.

I then found myself using those acquired but now rusty skills this morning when I went and registered again at the office.

The agent I was talking to was rather complimentary about my German.

Just posted

my first ever LinkedIn post.

It's an idea that went through my mind yesterday about an interesting, or off-beat, way of advertising the fact that I am available.

Let's see how it works.

Strange

Left work.

Not burdened by a urgent need to get another job.

Almost feeling numb.

Went to an Internations Dinner thing. Had a few drinks to unwind but nothing crazy.

Does anyone need an infrastructure manager?

That's it.

Had to wrap things up a bit earlier than I thought so I could go and get my passport from the Indian visa service. They still hadn't processed it and I need it as ID so I can go to the unemployment office tomorrow (which I am obliged to do).

Said goodbye to lots of people and left by 3pm.

De-bounced

I couldn't take the embarrassment.

Yesterday our CEO, fresh back from a three-week holiday, bounced into our office all excited about the new customers we've won and how it would be an exciting time for us all.

I gently asked to have a quick word and, in his office which is nearby, told him that I was leaving on Tuesday. I also gave the reason.

He was a little bit surprised but took it well and wished me luck.

Drafting

Things are happening at work and although I am updating this blog I'm not really - I'm saving them as drafts and will publish them later when the dust has settled.

Meanwhile I will post other stuff.