Double thumbs up

 On Tuesday I had a video interview with a large but unknown company.

After the senior manager interviewing gave me a synopsis of the company and job I was asked to tell them about myself.

I started with the "I just want to say" - with my English accent - "that I'm an Irish citizen - just feels so good to say that".

The senior manager laughed and said "Yes I saw that on your c.v. ...." and gave a double thumbs-up.

Yesterday I also had a telephone interview - that's right, not a video even though it's 2021 - for another job.

Slight change

 Follows an abbreviation of an email exchange over a few hours today ...

Recruiter: "Hi TJHWNN, my client wants to interview over video for the role of Head of IT Operations and Infrastructure. Can you suggest some times."

Me: "Great - here are some times, plus, if they don't work look at my Calendly to see other free times and book me in [Calendly is awesome]"

"Thanks TJHWNN - um - the budget and the job spec has changed. They're now looking for an IT Systems Administrator. Would that be of interest?"

".... no ...."

"Thought not - didn't want to waste your time, let's connect on LinkedIn"

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.

Again

One of the jobs for which I applied yesterday was for work in a project management office. They needed someone with fluent English and experience in complex IT projects and a few other things.

Sounded similar to the first (freelance) job I took in Munich 15 years ago. So, I applied.

The agency called today. It turns out it is for the same company and more or less doing the same thing.

Now, there was an issue about salary (it would be a rather strange freelance arrangement where you're an actual employee ) but you could (have to) work from home due to the pandemic. The other "advantage" is that there would be no responsibility. 

Well, that's not an advantage for me.

He'll get back to me tomorrow.

Are you a vegetarian?

 Maybe I should compile a list of strange questions at interviews.

...

Anyway, yesterday I had a video interview. I think it went well.

At one stage the interviewer from the recruitment agency remembered that he hadn't asked the most important question (it's the title of this post).

I replied that all the animals I eat are themselves vegetarian, if that counts (actually I'm not sure about fish).

Then he told me about the hiring company which is international and deals in food processing. This includes the bit in the process where the animal thinks it's going to have its temperature taken by the nice person in a white coat - probably a vet - with their nice thing in their hand which probably measures forehead temperature and ...

[this post is not sponsored by the Vegetarian Society]

The rest of the interview was difficult as I had suddenly become very hungry.

Actually there was a more important question which he also didn't ask.

He wanted me to think about the role discussed and I promised him I would do so and get back to him the next day (today). In reality, however, job sounded just right for me.

After the interview I checked out the company and they have a head office near to the city where I live. Near, that is, unless you don't drive. 

I don't drive.

So, just now I emailed the interviewer telling him that Europe's most prolific carnivore can't go any further in the recruitment process for this job.

This week I applied for three jobs and had two interviews (this one and one I haven't mentioned which was a second interview):

Thank you for your application

 I've been getting quite a few of these recently. 

Well, I have been making quite a few applications so that correlates.

Most of them continue with "... unfortunately we have decided not to take this further" or something similar.

Occasionally, like today or last week they then continue with "we'd like more information/talk with you".

But when I initially see emails like this I think "Oh well, another rejection".

A whole month

 Looking for a job in Germany is harder - normally - than in England especially when:

• 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

Anyway today I applied for five jobs which is my target when I'm in Germany for the whole month. In fact I also applied for three on Sunday.

It helps that I can now state that I'm Irish and British (note the order). This is thanks to a grandfather I only met as an infant. I've never been to the Republic of Ireland. Doesn't matter though, just get hold of various birth, death and marriage certificates and Sheamus is your uncle.

Hypothetically

 Just had a second interview with a large company. Although they called it the first interview. Guess I'm not the worst engineer at maths after all.

Anyway, beforehand - quite a few days beforehand - I spent time researching the company and reading advice on how to interview with them. The company itself, in their guidelines,  stressed not to answer hypothetically - they want to know your real experience - not how you would deal with things.

I'm ready.

Come the interview the very pleasant interviewer starts nearly every question with "Hypothetically how would you deal with the following situation ...".

And I answered "Well actually that situation did occur and this is how I dealt with it".

I'm beginning to suspect I'm too experienced (not old - experienced) for this position.

English c.v.

Just been asked by a recruiter for my c.v. in German.

I replied that it's only in English and that my advantage in Germany is that I am a native English speaker. (I didn't mention that it would be too tedious to write it in German.)

Ironically the above correspondence was carried out in German.

What a surprise

I've just received an email from an organisation in the startup scene asking for a writer.

And I've just applied.

Ja

This afternoon I had a telephone interview in German for a job where the only required language was English.

Two and a bit

This week was a slight improvement as I managed two and a bit applications.

I say "a bit" because one of the job adverts (jobverts? - yeah, jobverts) I saw was really just trawling for their database.

One

After the week before's mega six applications I expected something good last week.

Obviously I was wrong and only managed to squeeze out one application. And that was on the Sunday when the week started.

Also, rather discouragingly, I received a lot of rejections from the previous weeks.

On the good side, however, I did get the final certificate (my grandfather's death certificate) needed to submit that I have Irish ancestry. The plan is that after the UK has committed economic suicide Brexited I can remain unemployed/amazingly successful as an entrepreneur in Munich.

Six

Although I haven't been posting much recently I have slightly increased my job searching efforts.

But my focus is on freelance or fixed assignments.

And I am in Germany and this is the holiday season.

Nevertheless this week I managed to apply for six jobs.

Six!

Maybe you want a German copywriter.

For the last few days a very good jobs site has been advertising for a German national to be a interim project manager for a German military procurement project. In Germany.

But they advertise in English.

I didn't apply.

Actually quick

I haven't been updating this blog much - s o r rey - so an update is appropriate.

Yesterday I had an interview for a freelance PM position. The recruitment agent, who accompanied me into the meeting because that's how it rolls in Germany, told me she hoped to have news by the evening or early this morning.

Yeah right. Companies, especially big ones, just aren't that quick. Especially in Germany.

Ummm. Actually in this case they were. I received an email from the agent yesterday evening and start on Tuesday.

Ugh

Yesterday I had a face to face interview. It went ok, probably quite well except that:

1. As I was about to leave my flat, wearing my fancy tailor made City suit, brogues and silk tie, a migraine started. I rarely get migraines and when I do the symptoms are a problem reading things and a slight wooziness. So I wasn't too affected by it.
2. When I reached the company's reception I was going to meet the recruitment consultant who would accompany me into the interview (they do this here in Germany). There was a young lady sitting in reception. I said her name and we shook hands. And as per our earlier phone calls we spoke English. But I didn't feel certain and double checked her name. Turns out she wasn't my recruitment consultant. She did rather nicely say that after that whoever she was going to meet would be a disappointment.
3. Then the real recruitment consultant turned up. It was definitely her. She had received a message that my interviewer would be a few minutes late. And after a few minutes a man turned up. We shook hands and I gave my name. He then started to take us to the cafeteria as he felt it would be a more convenient place for the discussion. Halfway there he took out his business cards and gave them to us. I looked at the name on it and realised he wasn't the person we were due to meet. I did jokingly ask him if he was recruiting. We went back to reception and eventually the correct interviewer turned up.

It's 2017

And yet the company wanted only a telephone interview. They called me a few minutes before I boarded a plane and arranged an interview next week. As I will be away they said it would be by telephone. I've been using video calls professionally and personally for about ten years so I naturally suggested a Skype video call. But they just wanted a POTS* call.

I guess it's that sort of company even though it is in the IT business.

Other companies - not many to be honest - take as granted that the first, non-site interview will be by video.

 (*Plain Old Telephone System)

maybe it did give an edge

I wrote on Friday about a call from an agency which exercised my mobile skills, sending messages from my cell phone after downloading files from OneDrive and attaching them. Whilst sitting in a cafe.

They phoned back today and arranged a face to face interview at the end of this week.

It's 2017

Back around the early 90s I was looking for a change of employer.

To give myself an edge I wanted a mobile phone so that I would be more contactable. In those days most mobiles were analogue and therefore crap. I waited until the first GSM phones came out choosing Orange as the provider. They were innovative in marketing and provided great service.

I can't remember if it helped or not.

Anyway at lunchtime today I was contacted by an agency on my smartphone. I was at a restaurant with a friend so didn't answer. They sent me an email and after the meal I was able to reply, using the smartphone and attaching my c.v. They later called me back and asked me to send some references (in Germany these are given to those leaving employers). From my phone I was able to go to my OneDrive and attach them to an email whilst sitting in a cafe.

And, of course, this was all synchronised with my PC and MacBook at home.

Let's see if this makes a difference.

Oh, and once I got home another agency called about another job.