Are there any jobs out there?

[suityou01]

Nuclear industry. Apart from insolvency firms, nuclear is the UK's only growth industry. And they can't employ indians very easily because of the security implications.

<puts popcorn in microwave>

[chris79]

Thats right, we should be fully aware of who is getting our CV and what the real prospect is of getting the role. Why do agents have to be so cloak and dagger. They raise your spirits calling out of the blue, not asking for refs, giving the impression of a good agent, going through the motions of rate, location, skills etc, often complimenting your 'strong CV' and experience, say they want to forward your CV to the client and that they will email a full job spec then nothing. Bad manners. If there is no real job then say so, at least I know your marketing me rather than stringing me along.

The agents must be pestering clients as much as they pester us, in the end no one wins.

Never ever love a job you don't have.. my tactic now is to seem interested, but not overly interested.. I ask for the particulars of the job then ask them to email me over a job spec so I can check out the job and consider the rate being offered. I never take anything further than that until the email is in my inbox, if it doesn't arrive then it was just a waste of time in the first place.. if an agent really wants you then they will have the email with you that day, no excuse.

[suityou01]

I'm in exactly the same position, been out since November, 2 kids, mortgage, etc.. war chest will last me quite a way into the future but ultimately it's not good as it's just lost opportunity passing by.

CV is doing me justice, getting a few calls a week, had a few interviews, and got some more stuff in the pipeline, but so far still no signed contract in my hand.

Just sit tight and keep applying, something will come up - it always does. Last week when I got told 'it was a no' on the 2nd interview I actually found myself sitting questioning myself and wondering what the future holds. 1 week later and I'm 100% over the rejection and thinking onward and upward.. one job isn't the end of the world, I've had more calls this week with interest and opportunity and I know it's just a matter of time. Life has a habit of testing you, it will all turn out ok in the end! Good luck with the job searching... for your info, I decided that I was going to make the entire UK my job search, not just local.. if staying away from home 5 nights a week is the only solution, then so be it!

Thanks Chris79. Kind words. I am looking all over UK and have no geographical barriers as such (since 5/1/09) anyway. Phone does ring, but mostly timewasters. You're right, something will turn up. It always does.

[jMonkey]

I got a call on Monday and the agency went through my experience, availability, rate and where I would travel to etc. He then said he had two possible roles for me and would send through the job specs for me to look over. Nothing has arrived. I don't quite understand the point of the call if they have too many people on their books. I've also had two people from one agency say they were putting me forward for a role, and would send me through the job spec but again, nothing.

Thought I'd add my experience with this..

Every single day I get calls saying the same thing - promising to email details to look over etc. and nothing appears.
I now have a biiig list of pimps who do this and as soon as they call again and they are on the list, I have some fun with them

I got to the point where I don't bother answering my phone in the mornings, if they have a genuine role then they can leave me voicemail.

A new trend lately I've noticed is calls about contracts in the other side of the world, well, Yorkshire, Scotland (for me anything further north than Birmingham may aswell be hehe ) and then diving into the usual 'well, let me take some details if anything closer comes up' which includes the '2 references' and 'how are you finding the market?' and 'who have you interviewed with' fishing tactics.

[Stan.goodvibes]

Thanks Chris79. Kind words.

yeah way to go Chris. I have the luxury of a contract till July and probable extension, but I know what its like to be on the bench (several times - largely coz I like to take long holidays after a contract finishes)...

When you are out of work you wonder if you are ever going to work again. The whole contract process gets blown out of proportion - when you don't get a contract you think you'll never work again, when you do actually get another contract you wonder why the hell you were so worried in the first place.

Don't let the knockbacks get you down. It just means that there is something better around the corner. As Chris says, one job isn't the end of the world.

Yeah, tough times, but the good times will swing round again, and we'll all be a bit older and wiser...

[Rob_S]

I'm just about to put my CV back together after being in a contract for 4 years!!! This thread i must say is slightly depressing.

I've still half got a (direct) contract with same company but they're buggering about, lots of promises not coming to anything etc..

We can but try.

[norrahe]

I'm just about to put my CV back together after being in a contract for 4 years!!! This thread i must say is slightly depressing.

I've still half got a (direct) contract with same company but they're buggering about, lots of promises not coming to anything etc..

We can but try.

We all go through the stage of "oh my god I'll never get anything again, my CV is cr@p, I'm cr@p etc.. etc.. etc.."

Ignore the bull tulipe, keep applying and just accept that things are the way they are.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Yeah - that old movie !!

Oh Dear me - I wont ever get another contract - but you will.

Ive been more than 6 months between contract before - I had a great time.

Theres more to life than working in an Office - so I hear.


And even if were possible that somehow your last contract was the last one in the Universe - does it matter ?

[norrahe]

And even if were possible that somehow your last contract was the last one in the Universe - does it matter ?

Nope, the best thing to do is get up off yer ar$e and do summat you want to do or catch up on things that you never got round to when you were working.

I've extended the amount of hours I volunteer with a local charity, have finished planting and sorting my garden. Went to china and wasted the rest of the time on cuk

[robbie274]

Yeah - that old movie !!

Oh Dear me - I wont ever get another contract - but you will.

Ive been more than 6 months between contract before - I had a great time.

Theres more to life than working in an Office - so I hear.


And even if were possible that somehow your last contract was the last one in the Universe - does it matter ?

And how do you explain to the next agent/client what you have been doing for six months? Doesn't it look bad that you didn't work for that long?

I can accept not working for a number of months, war chest is good for a while, but I don't want to look 'crap' cos I didn't find a gig for months.