When it rains - it pours

Well, after my little rant in the last post about crap interviews and low self esteem, I have been offered a job!

Its at a large digital media agency www.goodtechnology.com working on a large scale project rebuild a huge hotel chain website and booking system - should be interesting and career forwarding.

So, I start on Monday.

In the mean time other agents have been ringing and trying to tempt me to turn down this role and take theres! (of course)

Our roles pays X more than that one and is just an interview away!

Anyone who reads my blog knows how much I hate interviews.

Hunting for work - like every other stupid man and his dog

Well the recession seems to have hit London harder than I though.

I've been looking for contracting work the past week and the pickings have been... lets say slim. Last year there seemed to be more jobs than people to fill them and the money stupid. This year is another story. The market is very slow and there are less jobs and more people to fill them - its ultra competitive and mildly depressing. The interview process sucks and there is always my nemesis to face - the arbitrarily-useless-impractical-academic-technical-question-test.

"What are the N methods for applying X to Y?"

Er, gee, let me just consult the infinite store of knowledge I have in my head... oh wait, that got full sometime around 1998 and has been dropping the useless redundant pieces of information ever since. In reality we would all use the INTERNET to remember that. (That would be cool if we could use the internet to remember things, as an extension to our memory!). Anyway, there always seems to be someone better and brighter than me, or at least someone who has memorised every manual that is out there!

So anyway, there might be light around the corner. Someone liked my CV and sent me a technical programming test to do at home.

"Here, make this work in less than 2 hours"

That's my kind of test. A real problem to solve. I thought that I really screwed it up, but looking at it now there was at least 5 hours of work there, and I got it almost working and with great test coverage, which turns out they really wanted, maybe, cause I passed and fingers cross it looks like there may be a job there.

Just what the Doctor prescribed

Sarah's medical cover from AIG got us a medical examination at the uber-posh-celebrity-hangout, the Harley Street Medical Center. The nurses office alone was bigger than our living room, with ornate ceilings, chandeliers, statues and paintings!

We had all the tests - BMI, body composition, blood works, lung capacity, neurological balancing?!? and a consultation with the doctor.

Sarah was first and when the doctor asked if she was happy in her job, her reply was "no" (what with her office being shut down for loosing $85 billion dollars, the mood there is not great), she also mentioned that she would like to travel more.

When my turn came, it was quite surreal, this is how it went:

• Name? Jeremy Scott
• Age? 27
• Occupation? Software Developer (unemployed)
• Are you well? Yes
• Do you like to travel? Yes (er... whats this about?)
• Are you good at planning holidays? No (eh?)
• Does your wife know that? Yes (what the?!)

Then, as I was laying in my underpants on the examination room bed, being poked and prodded:

When I was your age I was studying to be a doctor, then I was a doctor and still am. I regret not doing more with my life, like traveling with my wife and having an exciting adventure for months at a time, not just weekends. When opportunities present themselves, for instance you are not tied into a mortgage, jobs etc YOU SHOULD TAKE IT - make the most of now, enjoy your life and enjoy your wife.

As I was leaving, slightly stunned and bewildered, he says

Buy her some flowers on the way home. Do have some money? I'll give you some, I'm serious, do it!

Sarah just bought the "European guide to the motor home"

Portugal!

Leah, Jeremy and I
Originally uploaded by jscott1.

Portugal was a fun, short escape from London. It was good to get some rest and relaxation in the sun. I even got a swim in, though it wasn't that warm, but if the kids could do it so could I - how do they do it?

We were with some friends who managed to get an apartment from someone. Little did we know that it was in 'Little Britain' - a whole lot of Brits sunning it up. Oh well.

Still it was a great time. We went horse riding and had a bbq on the roof terrace and drank really cheap but good Sangria.

More photos here.