Monday 17 November 2008

Signing On

Today is the first day of my official unemployment, since my contract with Alliance & Leicester finished on Friday 14th November.

This morning I went down to town to visit the Job Centre - only to find that I didn't sign on there; I was told by a pleasant chap on the staff there that I needed to call an 0800 number. He gave me a booklet which also informed me that I can enter my details for a Jobseeker's claim online. In view of the fact that the phonecall takes 40 minutes, I decided to take the online option - only to find that I'll still be getting a phonecall from them, which should take - guess - 40 minutes!

The tally of jobs I've applied for in the last fortnight is up to 12, with an interview with a Derby firm on Thursday. This wasn't for a job I'd actually applied for - it was the result of a phonecall from an enthusiastic agency man. I hope it will be successful, but the blurb I was sent concerning the interview seems to indicate that I'm going to have to trawl through my memory banks for examples of technical support issues I've had to grapple with in my previous roles. Since there were so many of them (and I've been to bed since then), it's going to be fun.

There's a job in Loughborough I rather fancy - I won't say what it is - but it would be a departure from IT (although it requires IT skills), and it would also be in a non-commercial environment. I'd like that; I've come to despise the corporate culture that has developed over the last 20 years. It's theatre by another name: all the posturing, dressing up and reciting lines that don't come from the heart. Fingers crossed..!

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