The Search Begins

[Stevenj214]

Having been made redundant on Monday as the company I worked for folded, my search for a new role is now under way.

I registered with the job centre this morning.

My CV has been updated (see here if you would like to give me some feedback). My mortgage insurance policy also has a free CV checking service which I'm awaiting feedback on.

I have 2 "chats" lined up with competitors of my ex-company next week, a chat with a Sales & Marketing consultant I know to be arranged and I applied for a public sector job tonight which has a closing date of the 24th.

I've had a brief look through S1 Jobs and identified some interesting roles, but have not yet had a proper look through the other job websites.

I know a few on here have been in a similar situation recently so any help, tips or advice is welcome!

[Stevenj214]

First frustrations with the Job Centre System this morning. Yesterday I told them I had 2 possibilities of jobs in London and Manchester and I was going down to meet the Directors. Great! They say, we can support you with travel costs! Just bring us confirmation of the interviews.

Today I go in and say I have confirmation on my email account, but could I use one of their computers to print it off. No, was the reply. Ok, can I forward the emails to you? No. Their suggestion - go to the library and print it off and come back. Eventually they allowed me to show them the emails on my phone.

After some chatter with managers, they come back to me and ask if it is an actual interview. I say it's not an interview in the sense that there wasn't an advertised vacancy, but I'm going to see 2 of my ex-company's competitors and my knowledge and contacts will be valuable to them. I'll hopefully be creating a position for myself.

Some more chatter with managers and I'm told it's not a "no" and I have to go and find evidence of the cheapest mode of transport and bring it in (having to go via the library to print it off).

I ask if I can give the details over the phone because I'm going to visit some family and will be heading straight to England from there. Nope, I have to come in to the Job Centre again.

In summary, I have to remain close enough to the job centre to attend personally to provide evidence which I can't print off of the cheapest forms of transport which I won't be using to get to a (non) interview which may not be eligible for support so that a manager can make a decision.

I'm not sure if there will be many more frustrations or if I will simply do as requested by them and give them my autograph in 2 weeks time.

[john_p]

Bad luck. Play the system, every other bugger in there will!

[AJS-]

My advice would be don't bother too much with stuff like that from the job centre unless you really REALLY need it. Whether by design or just stupidity, most of their schemes end up making things more difficult and time consuming. Just get yourself to interviews where you can and I reckon you'll be back in work in no time.

[flyingjase]

Are you prepared to relocate? That would open you up to a lot more options.

Also, a cycnic might ask if there is any connection between your "new pricing model" on your CV and the company going tits up!

[Stevenj214]

flyingjase said:

Are you prepared to relocate? That would open you up to a lot more options.

Also, a cycnic might ask if there is any connection between your "new pricing model" on your CV and the company going tits up!

I am prepared to relocate if necessary. My new pricing model was a first step to fixing at least one of the issues the company had. Unfortunately it was too little too late!

[Stevenj214]

So I had both appointments this week. One of them I hadn't been getting great vibes from, the other I was feeling much more positive about.

Chat 1 was in London on Tuesday and I had a thanks but no thanks email on the Wednesday.

Chat 2 was in Manchester on Wednesday and was much better. I spent an hour and a half with the Commercial Director and the Business Development Manager, then had a tour of the facility. It went very well and they asked me to go away and put on paper exactly what I thought I could bring to the company. I duly done that this morning. The Commercial Director will have a chat with the Managing Director early next week and get back to me.

I also had another interesting chat on Thursday with someone who may be looking to set up a new company in the same sector and was sounding me out to see if I could be interested!

Edited by Stevenj214 on Monday 4th October 16:33

[Pothole]

Stevenj214 said:

First frustrations with the Job Centre System this morning. Yesterday I told them I had 2 possibilities of jobs in London and Manchester and I was going down to meet the Directors. Great! They say, we can support you with travel costs! Just bring us confirmation of the interviews.

Today I go in and say I have confirmation on my email account, but could I use one of their computers to print it off. No, was the reply. Ok, can I forward the emails to you? No. Their suggestion - go to the library and print it off and come back. Eventually they allowed me to show them the emails on my phone.

After some chatter with managers, they come back to me and ask if it is an actual interview. I say it's not an interview in the sense that there wasn't an advertised vacancy, but I'm going to see 2 of my ex-company's competitors and my knowledge and contacts will be valuable to them. I'll hopefully be creating a position for myself.

Some more chatter with managers and I'm told it's not a "no" and I have to go and find evidence of the cheapest mode of transport and bring it in (having to go via the library to print it off).

I ask if I can give the details over the phone because I'm going to visit some family and will be heading straight to England from there. Nope, I have to come in to the Job Centre again.

In summary, I have to remain close enough to the job centre to attend personally to provide evidence which I can't print off of the cheapest forms of transport which I won't be using to get to a (non) interview which may not be eligible for support so that a manager can make a decision.

I'm not sure if there will be many more frustrations or if I will simply do as requested by them and give them my autograph in 2 weeks time.

they appear to be acting in an unnecessarily wk manner, but perhaps too many of your Manc compatriots have been using the Travel to Interview scheme for free trips.

My jobcentre just ask me to fill in the TIS form before I go and then they pay either mileage if public transport is impractical or the cheapest rail ticket cost. They telephone the interviewer to check I've been. I think there has to be a specific job on offer and it has to be going to last for 6 months but surely the people you're going to see would stretch a point for you, wouldn't they? I'm sick of the bloody DWP. Half the time they're telling you they'll dock your money if you don't investigate every single oppotunity for paid work which arises, bog cleaner, MD, brain surgeon or otherwise and the other half they're trying to make it difficult for you!

Here's the TIS link, maybe they are just applying it to the letter of the rules for the reasons above.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Jobseekers/...

[Stevenj214]

Stevenj214 said:

Chat 2 was in Manchester on Wednesday and was much better. I spent an hour and a half with the Commercial Director and the Business Development Manager, then had a tour of the facility. It went very well and they asked me to go away and put on paper exactly what I thought I could bring to the company. I duly done that this morning. The Commercial Director will have a chat with the Managing Director early next week and get back to me.

I got a phone call from this company this morning asking me to fly back down for a 2nd chat with the Commercial Director and Managing Director on Wednesday!

[Stevenj214]

Another update from today - I've been offered the job!