The tide is turning... (a long over-due update)

I am pleased to say that my apathy is changing to optimism – the sun has been shining and I’ve taken full advantage of my unemployed status and lapped up as much sunshine as possible last week – in full anticipation of today’s dreaded rain. But the main thing that is making me really smile is that I am FINALLY getting some interviews through – yippee!!! So I have been very busy over the past month or so, hence the need for a well over-due update!

Job hunting is a funny thing: on the one hand I am over-qualified for a lot of roles, but then on the other hand I don’t have enough relevant experience – the frustration is mind-blowing. I was down to the final 5 for a job at Lastminute.com – oh – I would’ve bitten their hands off for a job there. The money was rubbish but what a brand to work for and I can only begin to imagine what the perks were. However, they decided that they needed someone with more “traditional” marketing experience... Hey? What’s all that about? Anyone would’ve thought they would want someone with a more digital background but it seems that even for Lastminute.com - the boundaries have changed since we entered into a recession.

I was also pretty much convinced that I had nailed a role in Farringdon working for Optimus publishing. I had half a day to prepare a marcoms strategy using social media (thanks to Jimmy Goldsmith for providing much needed printing facilities that sunny afternoon). I really saw this as my chance to excel and blow the other candidates out of the water – so I prepared a pretty decent presentation on how to use Twitter. I don’t like to blow my own trumpet but when both the Marketing Manager & MD were jotting down what I was saying and asking about TweetBeeps, the importance of #Hashtags etc I was pretty convinced I had nailed it (they hadn’t heard of the terms so I had to explain how they really should be using these to help monitor their online currency). The company as a whole was obviously at the infancy stage of implementing a social media marketing plan and I seemed to be the person who could help them do so quickly and easily. Again, the money for this role was rubbish but I got a nice feel for the company and after putting my current situation into a perspective, a low salary is better than no salary. My consultant told me that their initial reports were that I was their favourite candidate; great the job should be mine. OH NO – after all the hard work, the 2 hour interview and subsequent presentation hand-outs and notes taken during my presentation, they have decided to go for an internal candidate. I accept that recruiters are well within their rights to do so but it is very annoying after you’ve prepared a lot of work and in my case – pretty much prepared a Twitter marcoms campaign for them already. It’s also frustrating for the recruitment consultant – I’ve built up quite a good relationship with Louise @ Spotlight recruitment and trust her judgement; how infuriating it must be for her, briefing and prepping candidates only to find that there was no need for her hard work. I know I have given some rec cons a hard time but when you find a good one you want them to be treated decently as you know they go the extra mile for their candidates and deserve the fee they earn when they successfully place someone. I have requested feedback as to why they chose not to go for me so I can learn for future interviews but I’m still waiting... In the meantime I’m preparing for a 2nd at RBI and 2 firsts at Informa – so the future is looking bright!

Other than job hunting, some bits and bobs of freelance work (thanks to Jamie) and upping the ante on the running stakes – I have been glued to The Apprentice. A couple of weeks ago when I saw Debra whip out a Secsinthecity make-up mirror I was a) shocked that she hadn’t bought a new make-up mirror for when she was on TV, b) quite impressed – did she consciously mean to get some prominent brand placement on TV? If so, good job and c) realised that I need to stop using my Secsinthecity mirror and invest in a nice new one; it is after all nearly 10 months since I left TMDR so time to move on I think! After Debra very nearly got the chop in the first week I have been eagerly watching to see if she’s going to go full throttle in the next few episodes, but I have been quite glad to see that she’s been quite refrained. I watched the last episode (followed by You’re Fired) on iPlayer this weekend and I thought Debra gave a fantastic presentation; it showed why she’s gotten to where she is – I am just waiting for her to come into her own again and start calling the shots. She’s been a wee bit quiet recently so whenever it will be no doubt it will be good TV!

However, I was really very cross throughout that entire episode of The Apprentice and I couldn’t decide who to direct my anger at: Phil for being such an over-bearing, idiotic, know-it-all twit for suggesting such a stupid, “pants” idea, or for Kimberley, the so called Marketing Consultant for going along with such a ridiculous, crap, stupid product?! She’s supposed to be a marketer? Where exactly was she proposing to position this product? Pants man & Wake-up call?! Hello? What about all her knowledge, years of experience etc? Was this just another example of the sales v marketing battle or did KImberley really have no decent marketing knowledge? The only decent thing about the product was the execution of the commercial but this should not have been the main thing that Kimberley was proud about – it should’ve been her product development & design and a delivering a decent pitch (she couldn’t even be bothered to do that and left it to poor old Mona!) Marketers like Kimberley give hard working marketers like me a bad name!

So, the jobs are starting to come through which I really am very, very relieved about. Some of you have been sending me links to good jobs being advertised which I really appreciate (big thanks to Stephen O’Donnell – I’ll let you know if James Cann invites me for an interview). I’ve had some good meetings with fellow mylonglunchers which have lead to some opportunities which is really positive. My Dad has stopped sending me links to jobs for numpties and is more sympathetic to my cause. On the plus side, as there’s a bank holiday on the horizon so I don’t have to go down to the Jobcentre until 18th May which is fabulous! I was last down there a week ago – this being the day after I returned from quite a large “Hen Weekend” in Bath. As I opted to sign on at 9am on Mondays I had a bit of difficulty getting out of bed that Monday morning so I grabbed a latté with an extra shot on route to meet with the degenerates. Can you believe that a legion of security guards confiscated it upon entry to the Jobcentre?! I haven’t had anything confiscated since I was about 15! It was taken In case I became violent and threw it at a member of staff. Now, I know Ken can be a bit annoying but I would never throw a much needed hot latté at him! This became a talking point with some other people who were waiting to be seen – we agreed that we should be put in a different room, away from the other people that frequented the establishment once a fortnight (and have no intention of doing anything other than claiming off the government). The scary thing is – I’m starting to make friends down the Jobcentre! We sit in the same spots every week, we all politely ask how the hunt is going – and then try and ignore the cussing chap (one of the many SW16 degenerates) who fails to pull his trousers up every week, stinks of weed and calls all the staff a “bleep, bleep, bleep!” It’s when this chap rocks up every week I see the need for the security guards and understand why they took my coffee from me. I have actually applied for an Assistant Brand Manager role at the DWP. If I get it – I’ll do my upmost to change those god-forsaken hell holes for the good – they really are awful, I hope you never have to enter one.