Quiet

Sorry I've been a bit quiet recently. I've spent the last week or so bouncing about between some very short term contracts. I can't exactly say it's been relaxing, challenging, fulfilling  or lucrative but at least there's some cash trickling into my bank account.

Fortunately, there is the prospect of something a bit longer term on the horizon. Hopefully this will bear fruit and feed my slight food addiction for the next wee while.

As I have said before, the deeply, deeply frustrating thing is that I'm absolutely raring to go. Give me a good job and I will go at it both barrels and give it my all. Without wishing to sound conceited, I have the intellectual capacity to pick up a lot of things quickly. I also have the personality to fit into most teams and groups of people without too much effort. All in all I think I'm reasonably employable and I would be an asset to any companies that choose to give me go.

On the plus side, I now have some fantastic recruitment consultants on my side. This goes up to and includes a few vouching for me personally despite the fact that my CV doesn't quite tick all the boxes.

Hopefully, fingers crossed, something long-term will crop up soon and I can crack on and give it my all.

JR

Job Hunting

Currently I am job hunting. The process is not going well. Ideally I am looking for something in the legal sector given that's what I have been studying for the last few years. The gold standard would be a training contract that would allow me to become a solicitor however there aren't that many going at the moment.

I have been slowed down a bit in the process by a couple of factors. Firstly there was the fact that I had a resit a few weeks ago which knocked my confidence severely. I have therefore been reluctant to send out CVs with the exam outstanding on it. Secondly is a general lack of confidence in my abilities. I have a good degree from a very good uni, a range of extra curricular activities and interests to talk about and a few positions of leadership and responsibility to my name. Unfortunately so do most others in the job market. I read a column by Boris Johnson a few years ago speaking of his frustration at being almost entirely unable to distinguish between candidates when recruiting for a job.

As a result of this, I have been extremely cautious about sending out CVs which I know is about the worst thing to do. However the near-constant rejection is soul destroying. Then again, so is the fact that I don't have a job and therefore a waste of space.

A bit of a lift came on Friday when I received feedback from a CV review by my college saying they thought it was very well written. A minor victory I know but still a confidence boost that will hopefully  bear fruit.

Part of the problem is my academic history so far. A lot of jobs won't touch me because they know that's not what I want to do and I will be off like a shot. Fair enough. I don't hold it against them. Unfortunately, this extends to a lot of graduate level jobs too and ones that I would be perfectly prepared to stay in for the long term. Because I have now done the professional practice part of my law course as well as the academic stage, it gives the impression that I want to be a lawyer. That's true to a point, I wouldn't have done the course otherwise but it would be nice to be able to communicate discreetly that I really am open to a better offer if they've got one. Law was a decision made with the head not the heart: good salary, bearable hours, vaguely engaging subject matter in that order. Because of this, I am more than happy to consider other things on similar grounds. Obviously some element of interest would be fantastic but there are very few things I can think of that I find interesting that could be converted into a career. Grrrrrrr!

Hopefully I will find something soon:s

JR