The Bench - Blog! How do some of you cope and bag an Interview?!

[gingerjedi]

Holy tulipe jedi.

Chin up. The recession will end, eventually. Manly

Cheers.

It's hard to not take it personally as it really knocks your confidence, it was always so easy before.

Luckily you can buy a lot of mundane mondeo for just a few k.

[Gonzo]

It's hard to not take it personally as it really knocks your confidence, it was always so easy before.

You can't take a bad market personally. It also helps if you can remember how bad 1992 and 1993 were.

[cojak]

You really just have to persevere. It's incredible how long it can take in times like these, but if you are good at what you do and are able to maintain your self-belief after each knock back then the work will come.

And when you do finally get a contract they'll be all over you, wondering where you were the last few months when they were desperately searching for the right person. And you'll probably get three offers on one day and a stream of other people calling you after you've accepted one of them.

It's just the way it works out.

It's maddening when you are stuck at home and can't think where to look next for work, but just keep on doing the following obvious things:

• update your details on Monster once a week (triggers off automatic emails to the kind of agents who don't even advertise their roles)
• send your CV on spec to previous agents going back as far as you want telling them you've just gone back on the market and wanted to give them first shout (gets surprisingly positive responses a lot of the time)
• use different search filters on all the job boards (amazing what can turn up outside of your default searches)
• cram as much bluffing material as you can on whatever's currently trendy in your line of work (any advantage is worth having and people really like someone who can casually chat about this week's hip thing)
• be nice to agents when they phone you on spec with some really rubbish role with insultingly pathetic rates (they can often come back a few days later with something really good)

Ain't that the truth!

WHS +1000

[cojak]

Actually on your reply to cojak, I think your comments are spot on.

I dont think you are doing anything wrong. Yes, you are right, quality is better than quantity. Cojak is a BA with a broad functional and business background, so for her she needs to get her CV out, in her case it will be a numbers game.

You have a good, strong consultancy background in a couple of industries. You have also only been applying for a month.

The approach I always recommend is

1) Catch contract as they come up on Jobsite, Monster and Jobserve that you feel you are extremely qualified for. Be quick and get your CV in. Tailor it to the spec and send an email and a note which states, rate, availability and suitability(quick and snappy). If you see a role which makes you think, MMMm, may be in with a chance or dont have all the criteria. Dont waste your time in this market(any other time fine, but not in this market)

2) Phone the agent with a pally tone within 30-60 minutes. 'Hi, Is Dave there? Yes's it's Marillionfan, I dropped him(you) a note)

If no answer, put on the side and ring back a few hours later. If again no answer ring nearer 4 or the next day. After 3 - I put a postit on the wall and leave it.

If I havent spoken to an agent and they dont get back, then to me it's not a real role. After 7 days, it's completely dead.

3) Positive, positive. When you speak, "Yes I can do it' "Yes I am available" etc. If the rate is miles off, thank them for their time and move on. If it's close, push a little harder. Always, always thank them for their time

Otherwise you seem to be OK. It is a tough market. I was surprised it took me two months. The most ever. I applied for about 20 roles in that time, spoke to 10 agents, got shortlisted 6 times and got 4 interviews and three offers but managed to cancel two offers out my playing them against each other!

Thats an all time worst record for me, but to be honest I only count that as 10 applications as I never heard a single word from the other 10 at all.

Good luck.

Last year I spent 1 month looking (2 weeks either side of end of contract), sent off 18 applications and got the 16th contract I applied for.

This time I've been benched 3 months, applied for 40 roles (a percentage drop per month...) and got 2 phone interviews and 1 face-to-face.

I haven't applied for anything this week because my project work isn't out there.

But something will turn up...

[NeverBeenNorthOfTheM25]

Is it just me or do most of the unemployed on here come from the Project Management area .........

I dont seem to have much problem at all as a developer.

[MrHelpful]

Blog Day 2 - The Morning after

Some good tips so far and it is appreciated. Perseverance is definetly the word of the day. As suspected there isnt a golden bullet but it seems to be a case of having to hunt down the role and being in the right place at the right time... is it destiny?!

NeverBeenNorthOfTheM25 -There are a lot of PMs it appears who are on the bench possibly because in a recession - "middle management" are the first to be targetted. Also doesn't everyone aspire to move from a BA to a PM... natural progression. I have chosen to market myself as a senior project manager - given this was the title given to me in my last contract however this is not stopping me from applying for PMO, tech arch and senior business analyst roles too. I have 10 years experience under my belt.

Having watched the BBC1 programme "Jobless" last night I am even more determined to get out of this rutt. Also just read the online version of the Times and it appears Vodafone are to release 500 bods... joy of joys.

Best get onto calling a few agents and trying to secure a contract. I've even asked someone "professional" (prob a recruitment consultant - eek) to look at my CV as of this morning - lets see what that brings.

[gingerjedi]

Some good tips so far and it is appreciated. Perseverance is definetly the word of the day. As suspected there isnt a golden bullet but it seems to be a case of having to hunt down the role and being in the right place at the right time... is it destiny?!

NeverBeenNorthOfTheM25 -There are a lot of PMs it appears who are on the bench possibly because in a recession - "middle management" are the first to be targetted. Also doesn't everyone aspire to move from a BA to a PM... natural progression. I have chosen to market myself as a senior project manager - given this was the title given to me in my last contract however this is not stopping me from applying for PMO, tech arch and senior business analyst roles too. I have 10 years experience under my belt.

Having watched the BBC1 programme "Jobless" last night I am even more determined to get out of this rutt. Also just read the online version of the Times and it appears Vodafone are to release 500 bods... joy of joys.

Best get onto calling a few agents and trying to secure a contract. I've even asked someone "professional" (prob a recruitment consultant - eek) to look at my CV as of this morning - lets see what that brings.

Good wasn't it, I was relieved to see some other people in the same boat! The bit about insomnia and forgetfulness after being off for a few weeks was me to a T, thought I was going mad.

[MarillionFan]

Good wasn't it, I was relieved to see some other people in the same boat! The bit about insomnia and forgetfulness after being off for a few weeks was me to a T, thought I was going mad.

I have that even when I am working.

[FiveTimes]

Best get onto calling a few agents and trying to secure a contract. I've even asked someone "professional" (prob a recruitment consultant - eek) to look at my CV as of this morning - lets see what that brings.

I remember Dodgy Agent offering to do this for people on here a couple of weeks ago - I'll try and dig out the link

Link to thread by DA on reviewing CVs

[cojak]

Good wasn't it, I was relieved to see some other people in the same boat! The bit about insomnia and forgetfulness after being off for a few weeks was me to a T, thought I was going mad.

I deliberately didn't watch it, I didn't want to get depressed about it and I thought that would have been a dead cert after...