HR Magazine

End of first week of unemployment. It’s Friday and the job from heaven (well, very competent agent) is on-hold until Monday, due to the person I saw not being in the office until then. I had spoken to Paula (the agent) and told her of my thoughts about the job - all very positive. Her response was also very positive, stating again what a great company it is, how suitable I am etc, etc, etc..... Anyway, I had to wait until Monday before a return date could be arranged. In the mean time, there are other recruitment agents. I had spoken to three and and was put forward for four jobs. Blimey! I also contacted a printing company that was one of my suppliers at the old job and the conversation gave me a glimmer of hope that all is not lost. I was feeling quite perky and had a very optimistic view so I decided not to advertise my spare room for a lodger until after the weekend. I felt something was in the air and the need for a lodger would not arise. How wrong was I? Very. Monday came and went and Tuesday did the same. Hmmmm? I started to smell a rat. Wednesday morning I got an email from the agent stating another candidate had been chosen. But I was under the impression I was going back for a second interview/meet the team for a huddle type thing. No impression, that’s what was said. Suddenly, the agent is no longer available. No response to my phone calls and emails. It all started so well, but once a recruitment agent, always a recruitment agent - they always revert to type.

Day one of unemployment. The company had ‘generously’ allowed me not to work my notice period, so I’m being paid to be at home - marvellous! After a brief moment reality kicked-in: I need to get a job. I spent the next two days poring over newspapers, magazines and the jolly ol’ internet. I sent out countless letters all accompanied by my CV to recruitment agencies, and for any advertised jobs that bore the faintest similarity to my last role. No takers. I then got pessimistic and thought what if I don’t get a job for a few months? I have a mortgage to pay and a lifestyle to maintain. A light bulb flickered into life over my head: lodger. I have a spare room that’s crying out for someone to use. I got stuck-in and cleared it, stripped it, cleaned it and painted it in two days. The biggest headache was relocating all the crap. I live alone in a two-bedroom flat, however, I have a lot of stuff. I discovered the loft and that swallowed a fair amount, but the rest had to be shoe-horned into every spare inch of space. On the morning of day three of unemployment I had a room ready to advertise for a lodger, and then an optimistic turn of events on the job hunt. I received a text message from an ex-colleague, Jane, asking how I was feeling now I’m on the scrapheap (Jane had left the company a week before me). Messages flew between us, and at some point Jane recommended a recruitment agency, one I had overlooked, saying how good it is. She offered to call the agent on my behalf as she had the contact. Well, the next thing I know is I’m the in demand, apparently. The agent, Paula, couldn’t believe her luck. She had loads of suitable positions and would have no problem getting me a job. I couldn’t believe my luck! Within an hour of speaking to Paula I had an interview with a high-profile design agency the following day. Amazing. This is the kind of agent I like. So, I got onto the web (gawd bless it!) and read and read and read some more about the company so I could speak with great insight and knowledge at the interview. I had the interview; it went extremely well; it was more like a chat with a friend; I was asked if I would like to return the following week to meet the team; and I said yes. It all boded well............

Ahhhhh, Monday morning. Another invigorating week at work loomed ahead. What shall I do with my time? It had been very quiet for a couple of months and the days dragged-on for what felt like an eternity. However, that Monday brought forth news. I received an email from my boss (who only sits in the next room!) saying he would like to see me at 5.30pm, just before I left for the day. A shiver went down my spine: was that the sound of an axe I heard being sharpened? 5.30 duly arrived and the meeting started. “It’s been very quiet for some time now...blah, blah, blah...downturn in market...blah, blah, blah... entering a recession...blah, blah, blah...need for redundancies and you’re in the frame”. I wasn’t surprised, more disappointed. I have contacts in my industry and know other companies are doing well. We then entered into a week’s ‘consultation period’. This amounted to me having to come up with ideas to save my skin. I knew then there was no way back; the company was doing its legal duty and simply prolonging the agony. I spoke to a friend who works in HR to check my rights and to find out if there was any point in trying to stay. He said it was worth a go, but agreed with my gut-feeling of it being a done-deal. At least it confirmed for me the company was playing by the rules. I did come up with some splendid ideas for the next meeting, but to no avail. I left the company after one year and one week’s consultation.