Life on the bench: in my dressing gown

[RichardCranium]

Back in the 1990s I took my first contract out of desparation to pay the bills: a support role at £13 / hr that went up to £16 / hr after the first month.

I've just been emailed about a PM gig in my specialist niche area. Paying £16 / hr.

[zeitghost]

Better than nothing?

£10/hr more than I made fixing fruit machines

[SantaClaus]

Better than nothing?

£10/hr more than I made fixing fruit machines

Maybe you should have "fixed" them so they paid out

[zeitghost]

I just fixed them so they could be exported to the Ukraine, comrade.

Ever such funny bank notes needed for the note acceptor unit.

[MrMark]

I reckon I must have broken a mirror or twelve. Got my first "face-to-face" interview on Friday in 6 months. Guess what, forecasts of snow, traffic coming to a full stop etc. I did intend to hire a car (no direct public transport links) but no point if the hirers are going to phone on the day with "I'm afraid Mr X couldn't get in due to the snow today". So it's going to be public transport and taxis taking 3 hours, before I get the call telling me it's off.

[RichardCranium]

...before I get the call telling me it's off.

If the interview is in the afternoon, get confirmation before you leave. Otherwise, be 'unavailable' while on the way there: do not answer your mobile. Instead turn up at reception at 10 minutes to interview and lay it on thick with the receptionist about how it is a good job you left an extra two hours to get there. Use it to your advantage by getting them to guilt them into interviewing you. You might only get one person or, better yet, the recruiter's manager. If they say there is nobody available, go up the tree and ask for the next available boss. If all the other applicants do not get interviewed and you create a good impression ("at least MrMark made an effort"), you might get the gig by default. One thing's for sure, if the IT Director likes you and half of his/her staff haven't made it in, you've got the gig regardless of whether you can do it or not.

Then again, you might spend 3 hours getting there, be turned away and spend 6 hours getting home on one of the worst days of the year: Black Friday.

But you will have tried.

[RichardCranium]

PS:

I reckon I must have broken a mirror or twelve. Got my first "face-to-face" interview on Friday in 6 months.

Well done!

[MrMark]

If the interview is in the afternoon, get confirmation before you leave. Otherwise, be 'unavailable' while on the way there: do not answer your mobile. Instead turn up at reception at 10 minutes to interview and lay it on thick with the receptionist about how it is a good job you left an extra two hours to get there. Use it to your advantage by getting them to guilt them into interviewing you. You might only get one person or, better yet, the recruiter's manager. If they say there is nobody available, go up the tree and ask for the next available boss. If all the other applicants do not get interviewed and you create a good impression ("at least MrMark made an effort"), you might get the gig by default. One thing's for sure, if the IT Director likes you and half of his/her staff haven't made it in, you've got the gig regardless of whether you can do it or not.

Then again, you might spend 3 hours getting there, be turned away and spend 6 hours getting home on one of the worst days of the year: Black Friday.

But you will have tried.

Cheers - very good advice. And thx for the congrats.

[pzz76077]

Dont you guys just do a phone conf with the client first to see if they are suitable or not??

Who is running your busines??

PZZ

[Sysman]

I just fixed them so they could be exported to the Ukraine, comrade.

Ever such funny bank notes needed for the note acceptor unit.

Your fault then?