In yesterday’s blog I wrote about how the simple things in life can change as a result of being a jobless wonder. Late nights involve even later get-ups and inevitably, this snowballs the rest of your day. My day started at around 11:15 and at lunchtime, I had a bowl of coco-pops for breakfast. After catching up on some lovely and much appreciated blog comments, I followed this with my ‘morning’ shower…at 1pm! At Dea-time (my newly-entitled 3pm meal between dinner and tea) I had beans on toast, but by the time my ‘proper’ tea-time arrived, I wasn’t hungry! Perhaps this was through a lack of physical exertion? Either way, Mother Taylor wasn't best pleased that I wasn't peckish as she'd scalded her hand in the preparation of the home-made soup and it was only fair that I wolfed it all down!
Before I go any further, I should clarify at this point that my day wasn’t all about eating food whilst festering away in my pants and socks! Every opportunity has been used for Google searches, phone-calls, e-mailing, social networking and for the formulation of ‘to-do’ lists. In the interest of adding a bit of excitement and glamour, I’ll refer to this as my ‘Battle-Planning’!
It isn’t all bad being unemployed though; I feel positively refreshed, the dark circles beneath my eyes appear to be relenting and the first person I saw this morning was Holly Willoughby! Not having to rush about from the second your eyes open means there’s time to actually take in and process the day’s news. Today, Gerry Rafferty, an iconic British song whose hits include the classic ‘ Baker Street’ and ‘Stuck In The Middle With You’ passed away. Meanwhile, the whole of the Premier League seems to be chasing David Beckham’s signature and even though fuel has hit an all-time high…there’s no mention of a blockade or demonstration!
Dilemma
On the job search front, I’ve found myself in a bit of a dilemma over the last 24 hours. Just before Christmas, I responded to an advert in the local paper which required the simple task of e-mailing a CV. I really wish more companies took this ‘old-school’ approach as those of you who, like me, have filled out reams of application forms in the past will know; it takes a significant amount of time to properly complete them. To spend 2 or 3 hours completing an application form and then not even receive a call-back can be truly soul-destroying. By sending a CV in and then meeting your prospective employer, surely they get a much clearer picture of the real person than any words presented on paper can portray?
Having sent my CV in I was invited to interview and as there wasn’t much information available prior to this point, I wasn’t sure what to make of the company or the role until I met the interviewer. By this time, it was two days before Christmas and as it transpired, the job seemed to be a very interesting, attractive and potentially exciting one, involving procurement and expediting goods. It was explained that the role would involve a wide range of responsibilities, a variety of communication levels, plenty of on-the-job training and representation of the company via some international travel; …Right up my street!
As I left the office, it was explained by the boss that there was still a few more people to see and that he’d be in touch ‘in the new year’. Finally, he handed me his business card and invited me to send an e-mail if I had any questions. So, as the New Year approached, I was presented with a dilemma: Should I ‘play it cool’ and wait until I got the word back in the New Year, or should I show some initiative and let him know how keen I am? In the latter case, would an e-mail with further questions come across as presumptuous?
In the end, I carefully worded my e-mail and hit the send button, hoping to receive a reply sooner rather than later.
Over the last few days, my laptop has taken a hammering, being swirched-on and utilised throughout the day and late into the night. As it stands, my web browser is open with five tabs…two for my e-mail accounts, one for facebook and the other two for job searches. Patience is the key now, but I don’t think the ‘F5’ key has ever been used so much! As I hit the refresh key, every now and then I'm greeted with the excitement of a new message in my mail box. Imagine my disappointment when I see that it’s merely a promotional e-mail inviting me to the unveiling of a latest model at the local car showroom!
Over the last few days, my laptop has taken a hammering, being swirched-on and utilised throughout the day and late into the night. As it stands, my web browser is open with five tabs…two for my e-mail accounts, one for facebook and the other two for job searches. Patience is the key now, but I don’t think the ‘F5’ key has ever been used so much! As I hit the refresh key, every now and then I'm greeted with the excitement of a new message in my mail box. Imagine my disappointment when I see that it’s merely a promotional e-mail inviting me to the unveiling of a latest model at the local car showroom!
On a slightly more romantic angle, I e-mailed Darren Bentley today, who is the PR Manager at Burnley Football Club. In the e-mail, I basically suggested he should “Gizza job”, (but of course - in a much more professional and articulate way!). Oh, how I’d love to help write the match-day programme, update the website with the latest Clarets news and draft exciting press releases for the club I've supported, man and boy! This unorthodox tact is one I’ve actually tried once or twice in the past and although previous attempts have been unsuccessful, I have learned as I’ve got older that if you don’t ask – you really don’t get!
Other progress today includes a phone call to a local business man I know who has a couple of fledgling companies including a small private hire firm and a small commercial cleaning company. During the phone call, I establish that he wants me negotiate some new cleaning contracts, perhaps over two days in the working week. I arrange to meet him on Friday afternoon to find out more details, so it’s a little bit of something to fall back on and as the old saying goes - beggars can’t be choosers.
I also received an e-mail from a local agency regarding a position I replied for many weeks before Christmas. Perhaps the first guy didn't work out? “My assistant will give you a call later” it read…but the phone call never came.
One thing I haven’t mentioned yet is that I’ve also got ambitious plans of working for myself too and have been working on a Business Plan now for almost two months. The plan is to bring a sophisticated new coffee shop-come-wine-bar to Blackburn town centre, but the project requires a lot of money – of which I have none. I’m meeting an old acquaintance from a previous foray into the trade later this week and as this is a huge story on its own merit, I’ll save the details for another day!
For now it’s the end of another day and the waiting game continues.
Many blessings to you all
Jason
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