Well, trying to, anyway. Have had a nice two weeks basking in the sun and doing absolutely nothing, now recently returned home to start looking for the next gig.
My God, isn’t that a depressing exercise…
Basic parameters are something reasonably senior, preferably a bit difficult, ideally within two hours of home: having had six months of living in hotels the other end of the world, it would be nice to have the option of coming home for the evening. The skill set is mostly Service Management but I’ve run big programmes and have a couple of solid interim roles under my belt, so I’m not that worried about which industry or even which label they want to put on it. And I have clearance at the moment, so neatly avoiding the obvious excuse for not considering me for work.
So, out of around 50 roles in my scope, I’ve applied for five this week. Bear in mind I’m more than capable of doing all of them: I’m not going for work I can’t do, the only real filter I’m using is to ensure the rate means I actually make a profit at the end of the day. I’m not going to work 100 miles away for £250 a day, I’m afraid.
So first one, CV goes in, follow up with a phone call, no answer. Try several times, no answer. try calling at 6pm (cunning plan to avoid the switchboard), no answer. OK, scratch that one
Second one. CV goes in, follow up phone call, speak to the agent!! Sadly he’s working on filling a couple of support roles right now, will be looking at this role in about two hours. Never hear another word (and by the way, he’s working on two support roles at £30 an hour tops rather than one senior one at £500 a day and likely to need more staff – where do these people learn their economics? Toyland?)
Third one – “Fill in this form” says the website. So I do. No contact details so no follow up possible. Last I hear of that one.
Fourth one. Good match, fairly local, and I talk to an agent that has a brain. He’s going to submit the CV, will send me a confirmation email later today. Three days on, no email.
Fifth one. No contact number on the ad (Why, FFS? Aren’ t you supposed to be a sales organisation?). Ferret one out from Google and LinkedIn. Call in. Nobody available, leave a message. Yeah right, we know all about write-only Answerphones
Had a long talk with an agency I do know. Seem their “recruiters” haven’t put me forward for roles because “He can’t do it” – in whose opinion, may I ask? – or because I don’t have some paper qualification or other, despite me having been using that methodology for the last 20 years . Get me the sodding interview, I’ll show them I can do the bloody job. Who’s the expert here, me with thirty years mostly senior experience or some double glazing salesman with attitude? (If you want a real laugh, look them up on LinkedIn and see just how well qualified most of them actually are…)
I think this is going to be a long couple of weeks…
