Futility's Search

About my futile and irritating search for a job in a market that wants skilled employees, but is saturated with mediocre workers

Haven't had much time to blog.
Been working on a project that is still 7 months away, but I thought I would get up to speed on it.
Can't really look for work this week, as we are between holidays. No one seems to be in the office this week, making it impossible to get answers back about possible job status.
Anyway who cares?
With the immense tradgedy unfolding in Asia it is hard to think about our own petty lives. All the people dead and displaced has put my own whinging in perspective a bit.
Don't know why, but I've been cooking a lot of Asian food lately. Perhaps in sympathy. Cooked out of a Sri Lankian cookbook for the first time in a while. Last night I started out to make something Moroccan, but it veered off unconsciously towards Indonesian, at least in flavors. Perhaps it is in some sense of being connected Globally.
I realised I should contact my friend in Singapore to see what is going on with him.
I think I'll tune into some of the Asia Blogs now. . . .

by: ChefNeal at 16:58 | link | comments

Haven't had much time to keep you up to date. Our house has been beset by flu and the pace of life has had an unwanted added dimension to it.
Work prospects are dwindling during the holiday season. And what should be a joyous time of year is fast becoming an irritant. God, I hate being among the masses of working poor--only in my case I'm not working. Thank You for the wife's job and pittence at least.
I honestly don't know how people cope.

by: ChefNeal at 16:54 | link | comments

Finally got an interview.

I should be excited right?

Oh, I am, but there are problems of logistics which I am never able to see beyond.

But surely they can be over come?

Yes, they can.  They are not insurmountable. Daunting nonetheless.

Get off your ass and get going. This could be your big chance.

I know.  I want to do it, but it is raining and cold and I'm sick
and I've got a few days before I have to do anything.  I'll get
excited then.

No! Do something about it now.  Get a move on.

But I don't know what the weather is going to be like on Thursday.

Does it matter? Make it happen.

Oh, alright.  First, I've got to get off this rock with out
getting my suit muddy.  Perhaps I should change into it once I get
closer to the appointment.  But still, I've got to at least clean
the car inside and out.  Better yet--I'll do that, but I'll rent a
car in town. You know, mine needs a break job. No sense letting fate
take control on such an important day. . . .

Won't that cost too much money?

I'd rather spend it and make my lunch meeting on time and as unflustered as possible.

Where are you meeting?

I found an Italian restaurant off the beaten path, recommended by a
friend in the business.  It's a long way for me to drive, but as
the interviewer is flying in, I didn't want him to drive too far from
his hotel in a town he's not familiar with.  As it is I've got to
travel over 100 miles and back.

Quit complaining.

Oh, I'm not complaining. I'm actually going to plan on the interview
going so well that I'll have a re-call the next day to see the
project.  I'm going to pack an extra suit and over-night stuff so
I can be flexible as to my plans once in the city.

Ambitious a bit?

Just practical.  Speaking of which, I better get my groove on and rent a car.

Bye.

by: ChefNeal at 15:36 | link | comments

I finally finished shopping.  Made my way to Althea's Coffee shop for a connection and fix of coffee before my class tonight.
Got lucky and found a job listed on my main websource for listings.  Quickly sent an email with cover and resume--God, technology is great.  To not have to fax, or mail and get an quick exchange helps a lot.
Saw a great show on BBC America last night.
Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares.  I'm not sure whose more of a nightmare--Gordon, or the restaurantures whom he is trying to bail out.  Got to love the exchange though--yelling, screaming and some of the most classic food errors you'd ever want to see.
Makes me miss restaurant work, but not that much.  Thankless and backbreaking.  Think of the 25 or 30 top chefs we all know of and back them up with the countless others who slave away without recognition beyond their own small world.  Give me the spot light thanks.
Battery is running low.  Better end this drivel for now.

by: ChefNeal at 21:23 | link | comments

On the mainland. I had to come over here early due to the threat of bad weather. I could have caught a later ferry and arrived around noon, but my shopping schedule would have been tight. Instead, I am here killing time. I am stopped at my favorite coffee shop now. I'll switch to my new favorite in another town later in the day if I still have time. I am on a mission for cheese this morning. All sorts of singular cheeses. As part of my class I plan on discussing a cheese board. It seems rediculous to pour so much time and thought into a 2 hour class with no follow up. The search for work has been a bit pointless this week. No news, no contacts. I am about to give up. The Networking possibilities are slim. I have marginal hopes for this class tonight. Last week's class yeilded two emails about possible future classes and a talk about Ireland. I hope something will come of it, especially if no work heads my way. Christmas is looking especially grim. We shall see.

by: ChefNeal at 16:28 | link | comments

Sunday early afternoon.

Hunting through on-line classifieds.  What a pointless waste of
time. I'm trying to plot my revenge against all the staffing agencies I
have applied to and never received a response from.  All the adds
I followed up on, emailing, and faxing or mailing my paperwork
to.  I spent fourteen dollars the other day to overnight a
resume/application packet to a prospective employer because over the
phone they said I sounded like a good match--what happened?  The
HR department was backing itself up.  They already had their
primary candidate, the were using me as comparison fodder.  That's
$14 less I have to apply to next months mortgage just because some one
who is ineffiecient at their own job can feel good about making the
right choice.

I'd better not go on in this vein.  If I continue I will only get
more pissed off.  Note to self: View the world through the eyes of
your neighbor.  Yeah, Bull shit.

Tomorrow I will wake up and begin the whole thing over again.  The
waiting for the phone calls that never come (I am expecting no less
than 3 this week at somepoint; good or bad I just don't want to be in
limbo any more).  The trolling websites.  The futile attempt
at networking from a far.

I must also prep for a class I am teaching on Wednesday.  Its a
pittance, and my students are there to learn and because they enjoy
what I have to teach and how I present it.  But two classes (I
taught on last Wednesday) a quarter is not going to get me
anywhere.  It hasn't even led to any other part-time work like in
the past.

Last time this year I had 3 or 4 events I was cooking for, and the
cooking classes, and I was looking at travelling to London for a job
interview.  A lot has changed.

by: ChefNeal at 19:09 | link | comments

Welcome to my new blog.



I'll try to keep this one more alive than my last. 



Why not, I have practically nothing else to do at the moment, and lots of time to do it.



I am looking for work.  Not too unusual in this economy. 
However, I live in a remote part of the country and cannot just strike
out anytime I want.  It costs me $50 in traveling just to get
groceries for the week.  I will move when my place sells, or I get
a job somewhere which pays enough to move for.  Have had my place
on the market for two years, but thanks to a nice, but rather useless
realtor there has been no action on what is a splendid property in a
busy market.  I may be remote, but that is what some people are
looking for in a second, third or fourth home.



I finished up a three month temporary job on the 3rd of November. 
I had been looking for more work the whole while. But nothing.  On
the 1st of Nov. I received two phone calls of promise.  After that
I have had 5 more job offers.  Two of which I am expecting word
back from this coming week.  The others are a right off.  I
have also applied to 10 agencies--involving myself in endless forms and
details of my job history (hey, that's what I thought resume's were
for. . . ) and have only had replies from two.



What is it about today's society?  If I send someone a letter, or
an email, or a job application then I expect an answer of some
kind.  Is this wrong thinking?  I try to answer each call,
email, and letter for what ever reason.

No one is doing that it seems to me.  Jobs I have interviewed for,
and then responded back to in order to thank them, etc. I never receive
even a "Feck Off Looser" from.  It's getting desperate.

Yes I don't have a ton of experience in Management. I have no MBA. I
have been CEO of my own corporation.  I have worked in numerous
high end jobs and difficult fields.  What will it take to get a
job? 



If I knew my employees were acting towards candidates the way I am
being treated, they wouldn't last long.  It's a matter of basic
respect.



For the last four years I have altered between working for myself and
working other jobs when I needed a certain skill or asset. Before that
I had worked for the same company for over 7 years in one industry for
10 years.  I was on the verge of doubling my salary when the
accident happened.



More of that later.  The grey, stillness of the morning has lifted
and the chores are beckoning.  I need to get out of the house to
add creedence to my excuse for not answeing the phone all
morning.  The realtor has been trying to call.  I pointed out
to him that his contract had expired and he should stop advertising the
place.  I think he knew this fact and is trying to pressure us
into signing for another period.  I think out next step is to
auction the place, or just take it off the market until we can find
someone who will put the information in the correct hands to get the
place sold without any more bullshit.



Until anon.

by: ChefNeal at 16:03 | link | comments