A very trying time but the end is in sight......

[adt70hk]

Dear all

Firstly apologies for not being around much for some time….life/work has been so very busy in recent months but there is light at the end of the proverbial tunnel……

Now, I have to be careful what I say given that this is a public forum but as you some of you know, work has been exceptionally busy in recent months and unsustainably so.

Anyway, after a very difficult meeting with our HQ colleagues based elsewhere in Europe on Friday 12th April, I came hope thinking it was time to get serious about looking for a new job. I had been half-heartedly looking for a while but not applied for anything for 18 months or so.

My job hunt process went something like this:

- Checked emails that evening and saw job advert email from LinkedIn.
- The very first one I looked at was a perfect fit, so I applied that weekend.
- Heard back after only two days from recruitment agency and they liked what they saw.
- 24th April - initial ½ hour discussion with agency.
- 3rd May - hour long online interview with Chief Compliance Officer, who was the recruiting manager.
- 15th May @ 1pm – face-to-face interview with CEO (he founded and owns the business), Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer.
- 17th May @ 1pm – call from Chief Operating Officer to offer me the job!! I handed my notice in Monday evening once the contracts were all signed.


Whilst they’re a MUCH smaller UK-based company than my current multi-national employer, and so some of the ‘nice-to-haves’ in terms of benefits are not there (but they’re coming)…..they are paying me 25% more, plus a small car allowance on top – and I will not have any of the legal and regulatory responsibilities either.

Start date is still to be formally agreed but we’re looking at mid-to-late July.

All in all, not bad considering this was the only job I had applied for since the awful meeting!! Oh and it turns out that although there had been lots of applications, I was the only person the recruitment agency put through for interview!!

I will say though, as you’ll see in due course, my problems have not stopped the kit acquisition process!!

ATB

Andrew


PS....since I handed my notice in I have had more than one colleague say that they were expecting me to go off sick with the stress I was exhibiting....a rather sobering thought!!

[Waspie]

Dear all

Firstly apologies for not being around much for some time….life/work has been so very busy in recent months but there is light at the end of the proverbial tunnel……

Now, I have to be careful what I say given that this is a public forum but as you some of you know, work has been exceptionally busy in recent months and unsustainably so.

Anyway, after a very difficult meeting with our HQ colleagues based elsewhere in Europe on Friday 12th April, I came hope thinking it was time to get serious about looking for a new job. I had been half-heartedly looking for a while but not applied for anything for 18 months or so.

My job hunt process went something like this:

- Checked emails that evening and saw job advert email from LinkedIn.
- The very first one I looked at was a perfect fit, so I applied that weekend.
- Heard back after only two days from recruitment agency and they liked what they saw.
- 24th April - initial ½ hour discussion with agency.
- 3rd May - hour long online interview with Chief Compliance Officer, who was the recruiting manager.
- 15th May @ 1pm – face-to-face interview with CEO (he founded and owns the business), Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer.
- 17th May @ 1pm – call from Chief Operating Officer to offer me the job!! I handed my notice in Monday evening once the contracts were all signed.


Whilst they’re a MUCH smaller UK-based company than my current multi-national employer, and so some of the ‘nice-to-haves’ in terms of benefits are not there (but they’re coming)…..they are paying me 25% more, plus a small car allowance on top – and I will not have any of the legal and regulatory responsibilities either.

Start date is still to be formally agreed but we’re looking at mid-to-late July.

All in all, not bad considering this was the only job I had applied for since the awful meeting!! Oh and it turns out that although there had been lots of applications, I was the only person the recruitment agency put through for interview!!

I will say though, as you’ll see in due course, my problems have not stopped the kit acquisition process!!

ATB

Andrew


PS....since I handed my notice in I have had more than one colleague say that they were expecting me to go off sick with the stress I was exhibiting....a rather sobering thought!!

Nice result. I remember my transition from services to civilian employment!! I wrote, it was pre Internet!! To every airline in the UK and a few more besides as well as every oil company operating in UK waters. Hundreds of refusals.
Moral - never be made jobless during a recession!!!
Seems you have the same luck as my son Andrew, he acquired many of his jobs through LinkedIn. Always more dosh, always more perks. Seems a good source for decent employment.

[A_J_Rimmer]

Sounds like that was meant to be - Well done on landing a new position so quickly.

Having had to leave a job due to a bullying new boss that had it in for me - I know where you're coming from.

[Tworrs]

I am very pleased for you Andrew, I wish all of the best for the new position.
Garry

[Lee Drennen]

Andrew congratulations hope all goes well sometimes a new beginning is a have to for your well being as for me it was leaving a where I was a Truck driver there for over 25 years and 3rd in seniority with a Perfect driving record and on time delivery service I had over 10 years Seniority over management and the Vice President and it doesn’t mean a thing anymore. I was treated like I just got hired the last 5 years I was there. The stress left the day I quit I’m currently working 2 part time jobs and no stress and life keeps getting better.

[Ian M]

Result!
Congratulations with the new job.

[Lee W]

Well done and congratulations Andrew, it can only get better from here mate

[Andy T]

Nice one Andrew, congratulations!

[Jim R]

All the best to you Andrew in the new job.

[Tim Marlow]

Great stuff Andrew. Better environment and more dosh…..no downside that I can see :thumb2: Nice to see a recruitment company actually doing its job and filtering applicants before they send them on as well.

[stillp]

Congratulations Andrew.
Pete

[vizenz]

Congratulations Andrew! Good luck and joy in your new job.

[adt70hk]

Nice result. I remember my transition from services to civilian employment!! I wrote, it was pre Internet!! To every airline in the UK and a few more besides as well as every oil company operating in UK waters. Hundreds of refusals.
Moral - never be made jobless during a recession!!!
Seems you have the same luck as my son Andrew, he acquired many of his jobs through LinkedIn. Always more dosh, always more perks. Seems a good source for decent employment.

Sounds like that was meant to be - Well done on landing a new position so quickly.

Having had to leave a job due to a bullying new boss that had it in for me - I know where you're coming from.

I am very pleased for you Andrew, I wish all of the best for the new position.
Garry

Andrew congratulations hope all goes well sometimes a new beginning is a have to for your well being as for me it was leaving a where I was a Truck driver there for over 25 years and 3rd in seniority with a Perfect driving record and on time delivery service I had over 10 years Seniority over management and the Vice President and it doesn’t mean a thing anymore. I was treated like I just got hired the last 5 years I was there. The stress left the day I quit I’m currently working 2 part time jobs and no stress and life keeps getting better.

Result!
Congratulations with the new job.

Well done and congratulations Andrew, it can only get better from here mate

Nice one Andrew, congratulations!

All the best to you Andrew in the new job.

Great stuff Andrew. Better environment and more dosh…..no downside that I can see :thumb2: Nice to see a recruitment company actually doing its job and filtering applicants before they send them on as well.

Congratulations Andrew.
Pete

Congratulations Andrew! Good luck and joy in your new job.

Well that overwhelming response has just showed what a great place this forum is......I have barely been on here since the New Year, other than for a couple of builds and new acquisitions and I get that response!

I do regard myself as being VERY lucky having found a new job on my first serious look and application.

To be honest though if I had not had such a great boss who did everything in his power to improve things and did make a small amount of progress, despite hurricane force headwinds, I would have left a long time ago.

Tim Marlow - The recruitment agency have been outstanding from start to finish and provided all kinds of insight, support, advice and guidance throughout the entire process.....even down do providing advice when it came to negotiating the package. Every other agency I have ever dealt with has been little more than a glorified delivery service that added no real benefit to the process, at least as far as I could see. They did such a good job in fact that I have agreed to write them a review once the process is finally over.


Thanks again chaps for the response, it really did warm my middle-aged heart!

ATB

Andrew

[Tim Marlow]

Agree about recruitment agencies. I used them from the other side and it was unbelievable what you’d get sent. True story…..I was recruiting for the Biopharma industry, and one agency used to send us resumes of farmhands because it had farmer in the title.

[A_J_Rimmer]

Agree about recruitment agencies. I used them from the other side and it was unbelievable what you’d get sent. True story…..I was recruiting for the Biopharma industry, and one agency used to send us resumes of farmhands because it had farmer in the title.

I think I can beat that - When I was trying to leave Lockheed Martin in Ampthill in Bedfordshire I got a phone call from some young employment agency prat, who said that he's got a position that would suit me with an aerospace company... 'Where is it?' I asked, 'I shouldn't really tell you at this stage' he said, 'but it's in Ampthill in Bedfordshire', 'Is it Lockheed Martin?' I replied - the phone went quiet for a few seconds - 'Yes he said, 'how did I guess - had I been approached about them before?'. 'Have you read my CV?' I asked him. 'Oh yes' he said 'from end to end'. 'Open it up again and tell me what my current position is....'

He actually just put the phone down.

I used to have a mate who was a professional head-hunter. He told me that the problem with most job agencies is that they don't read your CVs, covering letters or any of that crap they ask you to do. They'll pull it of the internet or their system, do a key word search and if anything matches they'll pick up the phone. Most of them are less then useless, which is why I'd never waste my time having 'job agency interviews' or other such new age nonsense.

Thank God I'm a Freelancer!