10th Time Lucky!

Good news for me - Mosaic Software offered me a job! Here's the final "job search" table...

Company	Role	Status
Hutchison 3G	Customer Service Advisor	REJECTED
Barclays	Customer Service Advisor	REJECTED
Lumley Letsure	Customer Service Advisor	REJECTED
RBS	Customer Service Advisor	NO RESPONSE
Golds (Solicitors)	Customer Service Advisor	ABANDONED
Abbey	Customer Service Advisor	REJECTED
Barclays	IT Helpdesk (1st Line Support)	REJECTED
Dell	IT Helpdesk (1st Line Support)	RECRUITMENT POSTPONED
Graham Technology	Software Engineer (Deployment)	REJECTED
Visimetrics	Software Engineer	RECRUITMENT POSTPONED
ZEDA	Junior Programmer	INFORMED OF VACANCIES
SAIC	Service Desk Analyst	NO RESPONSE
O2	Customer Service Advisor	TEMP CONTRACT
Mosiac	Software Developer	OFFERED

Actually, given that nearly all these applications were solely through the S1Jobs website, my track record isn't that bad.

I'm delighted and still trying to come to terms with it; this is the first ever successful offer I've had through the formal CV/interview process. From what I gather so far, the role will involve developing systems in C#, a programming language I don't even know! I guess I'll have to read up on it then! I can start a.s.a.p. which is ideal as the TSC contract is only temporary. It seems a bit of a shame to leave my current job after only just completing the training, but needs must, and it's about time I started putting my brain and degree to good use, and reap the rewards. I'm tired of being either unemployed or acting as a relay of information between the corporation and the consumer (i.e. as it is in a call centre).

Upon saying that, I don't completely hate call centres - in fact there are positives to be had. You get to meet an interesting range of people of different ages and backgrounds, and if you perform well and treat customers well, you get treated very well in return and the job can be satisfying. In fact, the often irregular shift patterns suit some people down to the ground. The pay is not bad (i.e. better than minimum wage). They are generally easy jobs to get into, as the staff turnover is so high. The downsides (for me) are that you can get to know new people, but you could come in one day and they'd be gone for good (e.g. sacked, quit, found another job). It can be frustrating because you know you could solve someone's problem but are not qualified to do anything about it, and have to explain to the customer there's nothing you can do, when you feel you should be able to do something. Another thing that annoys me is that no matter how absurd you personally feel about a company policy, for example, you are still expected to explain to the customer that is is righteous and is there for good reason. I often found myself disillusioned in this way.

Also, I hate the "battery farm" aspect, where you are expected to get off one call and onto another as quickly as possible. If there was more focus on customer care rather than throughput and call volumes, the world would be a much better place. Finally, the irregular shifts didn't suit me much either, especially the 12-hour shifts at Goldfish. For the moment, I certainly feel as if need regular shifts (e.g. plain old 9-5), to force me into a normal routine. This problem of reverse sleep patterns has haunted me for years and I want rid of it! So long as I have something to get up for, it's fine.

Anyway, rant over, back to my job offer (I can't stop going on about this!). Having a job already made such a huge difference to my confidence in the interview. This time I didn't feel so under pressure and desperate, and I think that must've come across. What helped me a lot was that I used humour as well - because I felt relaxed, I was able to throw in a few witty comments, much to the interviewers' amusement. I think despite lack of work experience, I was able to come across as enthusiastic and committed, and it paid off.

There is of course the salary; to put things into perspective, with the new salary I could comfortably live in the penthouse and have the equivalent of my entire current wage just to spend on what I want. The downside is that I'd probably have to spend a lot of time commuting - I think, by bus, it would be all-in-all 1.5 hours one way, from door-to-door (3 hours a day in total). I might be able to get my own transport eventually, but it's too early to say yet. My main focus over the coming months will be to pay off my debt. The main perk from all this is that I'll have the opportunity to immerse myself in the cultural melting pot of East Kilbride on a daily basis. Ah, those fag-ends on the ground, the marker pen on the walls and bus shelters. The broken glass, the blank bus shelter timetables, which presumably have been carefully removed by the locals - all in the name of art, I'm sure. Those endless traffic roundabouts - I'm sure they look great from the air, aligned in their beautiful patterns.

Today was the first time I've heard the words "we'd like to offer you a job", in a genuine (e.g. non-agency) context, and it was sure worth the wait!