Funny. I never thought I'd be sad about a job interview.
I went to an interview for a web developer job at South Essex College. The job title was actually "Informations Service Analyst", but you read the job spec. and it was HTML, ASP, JavaScript, VBScript, etc. and Oracle. None of these skills I have in abundance, other than a bit of Oracle I did many years ago when I was a contractor. How I managed to get an interview I don't know, but the money was a bit low (£20k) for anybody experienced.
So if I got the interview, why was it sad? There was another candidate for the job, a chap called Frank. He was about late forties, early fifties, a bit dishevelled, hadn't shaved properly, so nervous his hands were shaking and was generally a bit of a mess. As we talked throughout the day (the interview process lasted about three hours) it turned out that he'd been made redundant from some firm that specialised in pharmaceutical software about two years ago and hadn't had an interview since November.
It's the first time I'd been interviewed like this, at least as far as I can remember. Mostly, you are interviewed on your own and, although you are aware that you are not the only candidate, you don't normally see the others face-to-face.
We were both shown around the place, although the job was in Thurrock, not Southend, and given a technical test. Most of the SQL was straight forward enough, although there was some Oracle I just guessed at. There wasn't really much web stuff, no HTML for example, and there was some basic object-oriented design questions I could do in my sleep, but obviously no Delphi or Java. We were sent to lunch while they marked the test and then afterwards they told Frank that they wouldn't be interviewing him. Why they couldn't have done so, I don't know: it wouldn't have cost them anything other than time, and he may have shined in the interview.
My interview went OK, but was over in about twenty minutes. They asked me a few stock questions, actually written out in front of them. Although it was all very professional, it did seem like they were going through the motions: I clearly wasn't the guy they wanted, but I was the only to survive the technical test.
The punchline is, I didn't get the job. It did strike me that Frank was me in two years time, assuming that I don't find anything. He'd worked faithfully for a firm for twenty years and here he was scrabbling around for a job. A sobering thought.
On a different tack, I re-applied to the FTSE, but instead of doing it through the job site, I did it through the company web site. This gives me a bit of feedback.
Showing posts with label South Essex College. Show all posts
Showing posts with label South Essex College. Show all posts
Sunday, 15 August 2010
Friday, 6 August 2010
Friday: Jobs
Since being made redundant from City Financials (the web site still exists, I noticed, even if the company doesn't), I've been casting around for a job.
I've been interviewed by JHC, a big firm up near London Bridge who were looking for an experienced Delphi developer. After three interviews over four or five weeks, they withdrew the job vacancy. Although this was a bit disappointing, I get the feeling that the job would have been quite a tough one and I'd have been on a learning curve for the next few years, although it would have been quite a rewarding role. Their attitude toward software development is very professional, plus I would have been doing Java as well as Delphi, which is the direction I want to go in. So mixed feelings about that one.
However, two other roles have sprung up at the same time. The first is another (Senior) Delphi role at the FTSE. This is for the unbelievable amount of £65k. So, obviously, I applied for it and just for good measure, I applied for the team leader role as well.
The other role my sister found me. It's a Senior DotNet Developer role at the NHS hospital where she works (she called it "DotNot", which was unintentionally funny. Or maybe dotnot), right in Basildon. I might not suitable for it: there was lots of web stuff, which I've avoided these past years, but there's enough connectivity stuff which is my speciality, so you never know. Plus it's local. Even if it was in Chelmsford or Southend, it would be a reasonable journey. I filled in the online application form and I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Finally, I got an interview at South Essex College for a Information Service Analyst, a sort of support/programmer job, at Thurrock (cheers, Pete). A good mix of different technologies and answering the phone. It doesn't pay much, but it might be just the thing.
I've been interviewed by JHC, a big firm up near London Bridge who were looking for an experienced Delphi developer. After three interviews over four or five weeks, they withdrew the job vacancy. Although this was a bit disappointing, I get the feeling that the job would have been quite a tough one and I'd have been on a learning curve for the next few years, although it would have been quite a rewarding role. Their attitude toward software development is very professional, plus I would have been doing Java as well as Delphi, which is the direction I want to go in. So mixed feelings about that one.
However, two other roles have sprung up at the same time. The first is another (Senior) Delphi role at the FTSE. This is for the unbelievable amount of £65k. So, obviously, I applied for it and just for good measure, I applied for the team leader role as well.
The other role my sister found me. It's a Senior DotNet Developer role at the NHS hospital where she works (she called it "DotNot", which was unintentionally funny. Or maybe dotnot), right in Basildon. I might not suitable for it: there was lots of web stuff, which I've avoided these past years, but there's enough connectivity stuff which is my speciality, so you never know. Plus it's local. Even if it was in Chelmsford or Southend, it would be a reasonable journey. I filled in the online application form and I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Finally, I got an interview at South Essex College for a Information Service Analyst, a sort of support/programmer job, at Thurrock (cheers, Pete). A good mix of different technologies and answering the phone. It doesn't pay much, but it might be just the thing.
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