Plans for getting back in the game

[fatJock]

Used JCL, CICS etc a lot. Was an operational support guy. Don't know if those jobs exist anymore. Wasn't CLIST replaced by REXX?

Ah JCL takes me back - did some at CSC on their Ford Motor Co contract back in the late 90s in their Ops team.

[Dorkeaux]

Ah JCL takes me back - did some at CSC on their Ford Motor Co contract back in the late 90s in their Ops team.

Yeah.. I love making the youngsters flesh creep describing what it was like pre-internet.
Two tea-chests of manuals and printouts hauled on a dolly from contract to contract. With my name written on them on sharpie.

My most treasured book was the blue System 370/390 JCL text, can't remember the author.

[fatJock]

Yeah.. I love making the youngsters flesh creep describing what it was like pre-internet.
Two tea-chests of manuals and printouts hauled on a dolly from contract to contract. With my name written on them on sharpie.

My most treasured book was the blue System 370/390 JCL text, can't remember the author.

Hahah yeah - Ford had a water cooled Amdahl mainframe before just when I was leaving they replaced it with something marginally bigger than a filing cabinet. Lets not even mention open reel tape and punch cards

[Dorkeaux]

Good thread.
In response to the "State of the Market" thread and at the risk of repeating myself, I made a long rambling list of how I find work here:
https://forums.contractoruk.com/busi...ml#post3013331

To re-iterate, when I'm looking for work I spend almost every spare moment doing the stuff on the list. Every day.

The only thing I might add to the list is to get familiar with AI, at least to make some helpful suggestions on your CV. Surprisingly useful.

[willendure]

Good thread.
In response to the "State of the Market" thread and at the risk of repeating myself, I made a long rambling list of how I find work here:
https://forums.contractoruk.com/busi...ml#post3013331

I think that is all good stuff on your list.

"To the posters who worry about the stench of desperation and lack of confidence, it’s true that exhibiting this in a call or interview is not good. The good news is that the difference between being confident and acting confident is exactly nothing. Truly. Practice and see."

Personally I think the harder you try, the more positively you come accross, not the opposite - unless you start whining about how difficult things are. My routine for finding contract work involves me pinging off as many CVs as I can in the day to try and reach as many potential connections as possible. Then the following morning at 9am, I start trying to reach people by phone and probably spend at least the next hour doing this, dependant on how much success I have with it. I think there is something about this, probably at a subliminal level, that sends a message - this guy is keen, he really wants the work, thats the kind of candidate/contractor we want, someone who is bright and ready at 9am to get the job done.

I also agree with you that you should apply for jobs that are only marginal matches to your skills. That is how I got my current contract, I chanced it by applying for something that I was not a close match with. That role closed, but around a week later the recruiter phoned me with another role that she thought matched better to my skills. That role is the one I now have, and it was never even advertised.

Like you, I enjoy the process. Actually I usually find the process more exciting than the actual job!

Best of luck, you old greybeards with your mainframes!

[sadkingbilly]

Best of luck, you old greybeards with your mainframes!

[ResistanceFighter]

I think that is all good stuff on your list.

"To the posters who worry about the stench of desperation and lack of confidence, it’s true that exhibiting this in a call or interview is not good. The good news is that the difference between being confident and acting confident is exactly nothing. Truly. Practice and see."

Personally I think the harder you try, the more positively you come accross, not the opposite - unless you start whining about how difficult things are. My routine for finding contract work involves me pinging off as many CVs as I can in the day to try and reach as many potential connections as possible. Then the following morning at 9am, I start trying to reach people by phone and probably spend at least the next hour doing this, dependant on how much success I have with it. I think there is something about this, probably at a subliminal level, that sends a message - this guy is keen, he really wants the work, thats the kind of candidate/contractor we want, someone who is bright and ready at 9am to get the job done.

I also agree with you that you should apply for jobs that are only marginal matches to your skills. That is how I got my current contract, I chanced it by applying for something that I was not a close match with. That role closed, but around a week later the recruiter phoned me with another role that she thought matched better to my skills. That role is the one I now have, and it was never even advertised.

Like you, I enjoy the process. Actually I usually find the process more exciting than the actual job!

Best of luck, you old greybeards with your mainframes!

I'd be interested to know how much success people are having by phoning in person. I've tried to do this when I read about a role I think I would be prefect for, but I've never actually got though to anybody

[Dorkeaux]

I'd be interested to know how much success people are having by phoning in person. I've tried to do this when I read about a role I think I would be prefect for, but I've never actually got though to anybody

Back in the day, I used to follow up contract applications with a phone call.

These days I find most agents block or otherwise discourage direct cold contact. I almost never get through first time.
A shame, I think they are missing a trick.

But if they have called me previously, I find they keep my contact details and are happy to speak to me.
Another good reason to talk to as many agents as possible, even if they are b*llend*.

[oliverson]

....

Like you, I enjoy the process. Actually I usually find the process more exciting than the actual job!

....

Ha ha ha.

I have another slant on the process though, I'm getting stressed out at not being able to find something I really don't want!

[oliverson]

Back in the day, I used to follow up contract applications with a phone call.

These days I find most agents block or otherwise discourage direct cold contact. I almost never get through first time.
A shame, I think they are missing a trick.

But if they have called me previously, I find they keep my contact details and are happy to speak to me.
Another good reason to talk to as many agents as possible, even if they are b*llend*.

This is the snowflake generation for you, they simply cannot interact with anything that doesn't have a screen! Almost like the Stallone / Snipes film 'Demolition Man'. In fact the world is in many ways turning into some of those films, including DM. Films like Terminator for example. We'll all be hiding in the sewers soon as Drones come hunting us down, trying to reduce the number of humans on the planet.