No it really is. I’ve never actually “job hunted” per se, since before I graduated I’d always been in back to back employment. Looking back, some of the roles I took probably weren’t the best for me but how many dodgy relationships and hairstyles do you have growing up, it’s natural right!
Returning from travelling with a fresh mindset and unwavering optimism about my future I set about updating my CV, researching some companies I was interested in and registered my CV with Reed.
I hadn’t used Reed before, so the influx of phone calls from recruiters interested in my CV was flattering, it’s the work equivalent of taking a good selfie and seeing those likes fly in. But having the same conversation about my passion for Digital Marketing with each of them and receiving a bunch of roles in circus entertainment, a few in candle making and two in deep sea diving is tiring, I tell ya.
Looking for a job is a lot like speed dating
You have to look for that spark, that bit of excitement that makes you want to get up in the morning, and let’s be honest you’re hardly going to go for the first bog standard Barry that presents himself in front of you. I’ve reached the age (yep I’m waving that age card) that refuses to settle, I want fireworks, I want to be appreciated for the experience I have and the things I still have to learn. I’m looking for the perfect match.
I’m an over-thinker by nature and had puzzled over the best way to open my covering letter on Reed. I’d pondered the best way to get across my relevant experience, alongside my dreams and ambitions for what I’d like to do next. Little did I know that a lot of recruiters don’t necessarily read that bit – you know the bit about what it is you’d like to do.. I know right! I’ve also had three job offers to become a recruiter just to add more hilarity to the situation..
I’m engaged to a recruiter (different field) so I have to be a little careful what I say here, as I can feel his eyes burning into the back of my head as I write this, but to be honest this isn’t even a dig at recruiters it’s more of a dig at people that don’t do their jobs properly. Whatever industry you’re in, as busy as you are, it is SO important to be on top of the detail. My account managery-ness is coming out here, ok yep so what, detail is important. Imagine you’re on a date and you repeatedly get his/her name wrong, it’s happened to me (the date lasted approximately half an hour).
Fancy being a sofa tester?
Some recruiters are pushy – REAALLLY pushy. You finish a call with them feeling totally knackered having agreed to take a look at a furniture testing job in Azerbaijan because you don’t have the mental capacity to battle with them any longer. Whereas surely it should feel like a partnership or a mini wolfpack, driving towards a shared objective. Yes, I said wolfpack.
I spoke to a recruiter yesterday and we spoke at length about my recent trip around Asia, his trip around Asia, what I wanted and didn’t want from my new role and the reality of the mediocre cheese selection in Asia. Although he didn’t have any immediate roles suitable for my experience (honesty) we agreed to pick up the conversation later in the week and I flagged him as someone to stay in touch with… proving there are some good-uns out there!
A wise person once said, what you to do procrastinate is what you should really do for a living (thanks KT) and while writing and tweeting 24/7 is pretty much exactly what I want to do and always have, I’m not sure how videos of fluffy dogs, painting my nails or wedding movies really fits in?
Here’s to holding out for the one x