One delay after another - be patient

The start of the 2012 London Olympics is still a few days off but already the news is full of traffic delays and athletes complaining about how long it takes to get across London from Heathrow to their accommodation in  Stratford. They're the lucky ones - at least they'll be in vehicles that can use the Olympic Road Lanes without fear of fines.

Waiting to hear the outcome of an interview is a bit like that as well. It seems like an eternity before you find out whether you have the job or not - indeed sometimes you never find out at all and have to assume that you have been unsuccessful. Talk about customer focused!!!

And it's the same when you're job seeking as well. There are never enough opportunities around at the time you want them. And 2012 has been a bumper year for the normal excuses - Christmas and New Year fell at the wrong time this year, lots of people took an extended holiday around Bank Holidays and the Jubilee celebrations and now summer holidays are upon us so the slow down (did it ever get out of first gear?) will also be upon us.

Delays in recruitment processes are common place and as a job hunter you just have to face up to the fact that although it's a number one priority for you, for others it is less so - even if they say different.

And you must never get despondent about it all. There are roles around, it's just a matter of finding the right one at the right time. 

You might need to reconsider your strategies. My preference is for a permanent role, but until that happens I'll take on interim roles with the view that they add something to my CV. For others, there might not be the willingness to take on interim appointments but then you are restricting yourself and may wait even longer with no finances being added to your bank balance. Very much a balancing act and a personal decision on this one.

Constantly badger the recruiters, and constantly be checking the job boards and ALWAYS keep up your networking, either via LinkedIn or in person. 

As always, please circulate this blog widely and review my LinkedIn profile. All comments on this blog welcome.

Never a quiet moment in job seeking

Well that's the end of the European Championships and all we have to do now is wait for a few weeks and the new league season will be on us. It's the close season and things are supposed to be quiet, but daily there are reports of new potential signings and transfer rumour follows transfer rumour. So really never a quiet moment and never time to stop.

Job seeking is like that as well. You cannot turn off for one moment. Every day there are new opportunities arising and you need to set aside time on a daily basis to review all the new vacancies that have arisen. It becomes a bit of an art after a time but when you are looking for a role you need to find ways to quickly get to the roles you want to review. Missing a few days means you can fall well behind and miss the opportunity.

The job board review is important but don't forget that you also need to keep in touch with your connections. Obviously they're not expecting to hear from you every day, or maybe even every week, but you need to find a way to keep you on their radar.

I use my blog. I use my Linked In profile. I use phone calls. I use email. I use Twitter.

And also think out of the box. Are there other ways to earn a living other than what you have been doing? Obviously we would all prefer to stay in our profession, but sometimes there's an opportunity to cut the cake in a different way. Often, you hear of somebody who has completely changed direction and made a success of it. So constantly review your options and don't be obstinate to sit and wait for your perfect role to come rolling round the corner.

I'm currently doing a part time role which has evolved into more hours than I started with, but still part time and still on an interim basis. There are a few other things bubbling away and one is a little bit of a change of direction but seems like a good potential. Over the next few weeks, I need to speak further with the person who has raised it as an option for me. So watch this space.

As always, please share my blog as widely as possible. To jog your memory, my preferred option is a full time, permanent senior generalist HR role, although I will consider interim roles. I have no specific inkling for a particular business sector; indeed, my career has encompassed both the private and public sector environments. Please review my LinkedIn profile and see what I can bring to your business. Call me on 07722447847 or email me via this link for informal and no commitment discussions on how I can support you and your business.