HR Magazine

Let's get back to poor treatment from recruitment agents, as I feel a rant is needed! This is the one left simmering gently with the expectation of something positive actually happening. HA! I contacted agent about advertised role and why I wasn't called. "I thought it is too far for you" bleated agent. I'll be the judge of that, and when informed about company, package etc I decided it was well worth the journey as the company is a major PLC in the catering industry with in-house design. So began the fruitless journey. After the obligatory week passes I am told client is impressed with my CV and wants to meet me, however, it will have to wait as he is off on paternity leave. After three weeks client is back. Client is going to visit the agent in a few days time because there are now other roles that need filling and I am reassured that the company, unlike many others, isn't playing games and budgets are approved; I also confirm that he still wants to meet me. Ah, I hear you cry - this all has a familiar ring to it, and you're right. Unsurprisingly I have to call the agent for an update on the meeting with the client (the day when I'm called by an agent is the day hell freezes over) and to my utter amazement there may not be a role because of budgets changing! When I say 'amazement', I'm sure you appreciate the irony. Another week passes slowly by and I call the agent (me again) to be told that a decision still has to be made. Then another week goes slowly by with the same old story meted out about still waiting on decision. I have a theory: when client met agent he was shown more CVs for the role. In the four weeks since looking at my details, I'm sure the agent has had more people come onto its books. Client decides that others are more appealing and goes with those, but instead of blowing me out decides to hold me in reserve, just in case. It's only a theory as I have no evidence apart from an aching feeling in my guts. Merry Christmas and I'll be back in the new year.

This week I have decided to digress away from me (a subject I dearly love), but keeping the work theme. There is something to report, but I'll let it simmer for another seven days as it may get resolved by then. You and I along with anyone with a half ounce of sense are aware of the threat to the high street small businesses by the big chain stores. In many cases the threat has become reality. I wanted to buy a newspaper and was passing a petrol station with an express/metro/local/whatever supermarket attachment. I was about to enter and I decided no, I want to support local small businesses. There is an independent newsagent/convenience store on the other side of the road. I crossed a busy main road (how brave....), entered shop, collected newspaper and duly went to pay. I then encountered a common occurrence: indifference. 'Customer service' is a phrase that the high-street convenience store owners are oblivious to. The amount of times I have been served by someone with a phone wedged under their chin talking to a mate is many. These shops are not doing themselves any favours, especially during the current economic climate with supermarkets slashing prices. I always get excellent service from staff at the big stores. Ok, I realise it's seems scripted at times and can come across a bit 'too American', but I have often had friendly banter/chit-chat with the sales staff. The convenience store owners need to wake-up; otherwise they'll be joining me in the ever-lengthening queue at the jobcentre. I promise that next week it will be about me, me, me!

Another day dawns and the question is: what will I do today? At the start of my unemployed journey my days were reasonably full: recruitment agents making rash promises along with a fair amount of jobs being advertised. So, I had meetings, interviews and I blitzed companies with my details; I was in good spirits, all things considered. Those days now feel a very long time ago: I'm running out of companies to target, job ads are drying-up and agents are conspicuous by their lack of contact. The awful thing is I am now 'letting myself go'. I used to bounce out of bed, breakfast, shower, dress and get on with the job-hunt. Now I drag myself out of bed, have a very leisurely breakfast, don't always shower unless I know for sure I'm going out and I dress like a slob. The difficulty now is pacing the day. I tend to have a slow morning - I go for a run mid-morning which leads nicely to lunch and then I only have to worry about the afternoon, and that's when I get on to the computer and continue the search for the holy grail - a job!