After perhaps the longest permie application in history, I've verbally confirmed that I want to take up the new job. As it's with a financial outfit, I've still got to go through a background credit check which takes a couple of weeks, so I won't be home and dry until 3rd/4th week of September (almost 3 months after I originally sent in my CV).
After over 2 months of being glued to this bench, it feels like I'm on the way to the airport but with the remaining feeling that I may yet forget my passport/miss the flight.
Base salary's substantially lower than previous but the package is much better as my previous company was an SME and the new one an MNC. All in all, it'll come out similar to what I was on up until April this year.
My tips, such as they are, are to scan the job boards for ads placed by companies rather than agents and you're especially in luck if it's with a company you've worked for before. The only other company that I got interviews from was by spamming all of the HR departments of the companies in the sector that I've predominantly worked in. I didn't get anywhere with agencies. Not sure why, perhaps it's my age, perhaps I'm just bitter.
My background is that I was a contractor for almost 9 years and survived the last recession (2000-2003). Last time, I was 4 months out of work in 2002 and had to scrabble for around a year between Autumn 2002 and Autumn 2003 when things began to settle again. Trying to avoid a similar scenario, I turned perm in Autumn 2007 when the credit crunch started in the hope of avoiding a similar situation. I got laid off in July, however, so it wasn't that smart after all. I'm aware that there's a permie/contractor divide but at the end of the day, we're all pawns in the game. At least as contractors, especially when you're young, you're better prepared to cope. As a contractor having my gig cut was an occupational hazard, whilst as a permie it came as a much bigger shock.
I consider myself lucky if I'm definitely off the bench. It's not about skill or experience or who you know really, it's just a numbers game. Having experienced 2 recessions now, I'm focussing on plan B when I get back from a short trip. I don't want to ever have to feel that my life is in the hands of other people again. Good luck to everybody.
After over 2 months of being glued to this bench, it feels like I'm on the way to the airport but with the remaining feeling that I may yet forget my passport/miss the flight.
Base salary's substantially lower than previous but the package is much better as my previous company was an SME and the new one an MNC. All in all, it'll come out similar to what I was on up until April this year.
My tips, such as they are, are to scan the job boards for ads placed by companies rather than agents and you're especially in luck if it's with a company you've worked for before. The only other company that I got interviews from was by spamming all of the HR departments of the companies in the sector that I've predominantly worked in. I didn't get anywhere with agencies. Not sure why, perhaps it's my age, perhaps I'm just bitter.
My background is that I was a contractor for almost 9 years and survived the last recession (2000-2003). Last time, I was 4 months out of work in 2002 and had to scrabble for around a year between Autumn 2002 and Autumn 2003 when things began to settle again. Trying to avoid a similar scenario, I turned perm in Autumn 2007 when the credit crunch started in the hope of avoiding a similar situation. I got laid off in July, however, so it wasn't that smart after all. I'm aware that there's a permie/contractor divide but at the end of the day, we're all pawns in the game. At least as contractors, especially when you're young, you're better prepared to cope. As a contractor having my gig cut was an occupational hazard, whilst as a permie it came as a much bigger shock.
I consider myself lucky if I'm definitely off the bench. It's not about skill or experience or who you know really, it's just a numbers game. Having experienced 2 recessions now, I'm focussing on plan B when I get back from a short trip. I don't want to ever have to feel that my life is in the hands of other people again. Good luck to everybody.
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