Just do it Drogba…

According to the Sun newspaper today, Manchester City are targeting Chelsea’s unsettled £15m-rated striker Didier Drogba and that could trigger a transfer swap deal which would take Robinho to Stamford Bridge.Great. To me, a Chelsea fan, this is a no-brainer, just do it!

If you are unsettled in your work, like Mr Drogba, and offered bucket loads of money to go Manchester would you do it?

I am not familiar with the City but, I have, in my time come across those desperately unhappy in the workplace. If given the choice will they accept voluntary redundancy or transfer if offered? Or will they stay put, because the current job climate is so volatile? Sadly, at the moment, choice doesn’t come into it, and unemployment figures are increasing daily. While we get on with job searching in order to feed the family and pay the mortgage, It would appear that football players are on another planet, planet fantasy football.

Not just another CV

Done it. Yep thanks to Katie, and the princely sum agreed my CV has been completely rewritten, tweaked by me and is ready for distribution. I am now in the process of sending it to some of the very few Recruitment Consultants who actually made efforts on my half last year, and to some new ones. I will ditch the time wasters

It’s highly likely that everyone, including your mum, gold fish and that funny looking bloke who stands at the bus stop with his ipod, will have their view on what makes a good CV, its content, arrangement, it’s length and appearance – but how do we judge who’s right? How do I judge whether Katie did a good job? How do I know whether my money was well spent? I have a few answers…

Firstly, I am happy with my CV now, it’s more direct, more targeted, and less chatty. Secondly, and importantly I have CONFIDENCE in it, knowing it better represents me. Thirdly, if the CV gets me interviews and ultimately work,  then it will be viewed as successful. Simple really. SO if you’re wondering whether it’s the right time to get your current CV overhauled, consider how many interviews it’s presently bringing you. Ask yourself whether it is working, even while you’re not. So to speak… Here endeth todays lesson.

The Special One has left… (21 Sept 2007)

On September 20th 2007, Chelsea FC and Jose Mourinho parted company, I don’t know why, but I was shocked all the same. To Chelsea fans and media alike he was the special one, to his former employers he was the dispensible one.

Not to be outdone by Jose, September 21 2007 would be my last day employed by a giant in the publishing world. After eighteen years service in the Creative Department, and having completed my three month notice period, I was the Redundant One.

It was the right step for me to take. All in all the ‘consultation process’ took one week, and many fervent prayers, phone calls and more prayers. The decision to leave work seemed to have Gods blessing too.

I had a good send off in a local bar, many colleagues and suppliers were there to wish me well and it was a touching time. I was probably a tad nervous, yet excited about what stood before me. A 1960s Chelsea Shirt and a personalised card, would both become prized possessions. After a few drinks, sharing of some stories, best wishes, handshakes and hugs it was time for me to walk down the high street towards home. My routine daily workout of twenty minutes walk to work and home each day was over. Let’s be clear, there had been no grand layoffs, nor had factories or industries closed their gates to workers for the last time, no communities had been left distraught. My leaving was different, it was self inflicted – I had taken voluntary redundancy. I knew in my heart that exciting times lay ahead.

Going, going…

June 12 2007 – A Special Offer

Only one out of the four of us could take what was on offer, they call it ‘voluntary redundancy’, and we had seven days in which to make our decisions. After leaving the HR department the four of us stood talking to one another, pretty much in disbelief, before, reluctantly returning to our computers in the studio. Later on our Director would publish an email to staff, outlining the situation. I think we all felt sick and angry. I phoned home.

I had given my employers over eighteen years of my work life, and initially I was very angry at being put in this position and told my line manager so. Not sure how the other candidates felt. It was only a few days later, after talking this over with my wife, a few close friends and praying for Gods Wisdom and Guidance, that I realised that before me was indeed a golden opportunity to make a change – so this was seriously worth considering, and wrestling with.

After one working week given for ‘consultation’ would come D-Day.