Jobunting Joke

I'm angry, actually scrap that, I'm not angry, I'm fuming. I've been feeling like this since yesterday afternoon. The event which prompted this was my boyfriend finding out - via email - that he'd not got the job he'd interviewed for.

Pretty standard situation really when you apply for a job, you could get rejected or get told you haven't passed the interview stage. This I completely agree with, granted it's harder to accept when said person has been looking for work for the last few months, but still, it's life.

The thing that's annoyed me though even more than mentioned rejection is the way companies insist on treating people.

I felt the need to have a little moan as it's becoming a recurring theme amongst people I know and I don't think it's right. So rest assured this isn't just a 'woe is me' post to gather sympathy for me and moreso my man.

A friend of mine found her partner out of work for a long period of time, I can't remember if this was originally prompted by illness or redundancy, but either way it wasn't his fault. Now, he tried day in day out to apply for jobs, provide proof of his efforts and impress at interviews. Lucky for him, some will say, he even got interviews in the first place. This wasn't the problem, it was the false security created by the companies who interviewed him.

Over the last few months I've witnessed a host of selfish behaviour in job-hunting. Thankfully in my search for new employment I found something reasonably quickly, I wasn't out of work at the time and companies I interviewed with treated me fairly.

Well all bar one. On one occasion I met someone for just a talk, not a formal interview, just to go and find out more about what they do. However on meeting said person and talking for about two hours on a Friday night it resulted in him near enough offering me a job there and then, creating a position/drawing up a job spec on the spot and leaving me with reassurances of how good I was and he'd get a formalised spec/offer sent over.

Promises of high salary, responsibility and a generally fantastic opportunity were all on the cards. I was amazed and over the moon - all this from a 'talk' to discuss our industry.

As you can guess it was all too good to be true and the guy then proceeded to avoid contact and when we did speak backtrack on all he said. He was still trying to string me along when I accepted the job I'm at now.

Similarly, I've seen people go for test days on jobs, be given their own uniform, be added to the rota and be fed sentence upon sentence of reassurances on how perfect they are for the job. This is then followed by being hard to get hold of, being told decision dates have been extended and eventually a very much delayed 'sorry you haven't got the job'.

Now we all know companies are full of busy people and sometimes you don't hear back at all. I agree actually getting a response or a 'No' is quite an honour in this day and age.

At a previous job, before they finally hired a recruitment person, I used to be told not to worry about bothering to tell people if they were unsuccessful and to simply ignore that person's calls and emails. Nice.

However, what I think is much much worse is this sudden trend of giving candidates this false sense of hope. Misleading them - for some unknown reason - they have got the job and then after they've invested their time, effort and likely money (travel expenses etc), turning round and telling them No.

Where has this come from? And why are companies doing it?

So if you are involved in recruiting in some way, please do spare a thought for this people trying to get a job. They're not some lazy bum wanting to claim benefits and have an easy life. They have a host of skills and if you think they're over-qualified then surely that's up to them to decide when they originally saw the job ad?

This is people's livelihoods, futures and hopes you're messing with and not just simply a number to tot up your calculations or a name to cross through on your To Do list.

One day it could be you who is out of work and sitting the other side of that table.

I’ve got a job!!!

Okay this is probably going to be the most boring (and slightly cheesey) blog ever, but I just had to shout it from the rooftops – I’VE GOT A NEW JOB!

Yes after umming and aahing for the last 6 months wherever to leave somewhere where I really wasn’t happy, I can’t believe how quickly I’ve found employment! And thank goodness before I was due to leave work.

I really couldn’t tell you how many jobs I’ve applied for through the various job alerts and employment site opportunities I’ve replied to. All I know is since mid May I’ve had a casual chat which resulted in a near job offer, an interview which fell through as they reduced their budget and weren’t pursuing the role anymore and then another interview – whereby I was successful, was called back for a second one and then got offered a job the next day. Pretty speedy work if I do say so myself (I’d only resigned 15 days before). Just seems utter madness I held off resigning for so long now.

Anyway I’m not going to go on too much about this, but I really do feel I need to put down in words how supportive, committed and caring some people have been to me throughout this whole process. You really do learn who your true friends are and I was blown away at how much people cared and were there for me.

I can’t even say thank you enough to my boyfriend and parents to how far they’ve gone and how much comfort they’ve brought me from their amazing ways, but on top of that a few close friends and work colleagues have really made me close to tears with their help and support. So, just really wanted to say a humongous thank you to them all, from the bottom of my heart.

The next step now then is that I begin my new role at the start of August and I’m lucky to have a break of 18 days from when I leave work to when I then start my role, a-mazing!

Of course I’m nervous and scared about the responsibility involved in this new position and it will be so strange not being the one who knows it all, but I know it’s also a fantastic new chapter in my life.

Now I’m just filled with dread for the leaving do – my poor liver is already shaking with fright!