Things are A'Changing

Things are definitely changing.

After a miserly one positive response from my first 35 job applications, I have now had five positive responses in the following 18. 

That's gone from 2.9% to 27.8%. 

That's MAD.

The positive responses from the last five are all possible avenues of interest.

1. Marketing Officer at Nottinghamshire County Council - the recruiter has put me forward for consideration
2. Assistant Brand Manager at a hitherto unnamed Derbyshire FMGC company - I've got through the initial recruiter phone conversation, meeting the head recruiter on Wednesday next week
3. Assistant Marketing Brand Manager at the company that owns Bicester Village - the recruiter has put me forward for consideration
4. Marketing Executive at Liverpool Football Club (yep, really) - the recruiter has put me forward for consideration by the HR department at the club
5. Marketing Executive at a procurement software company in Oxford - this is the one I mentioned in the last blog about the recruiter being dead keen then disappearing off the face of the planet. Seems there might be some legs in this one yet after going direct to the company

What's strange is I'm applying to the same sort of jobs with basically the same CV. I've added that I am enrolled on the Squared Online Digital Marketing course, but surely that doesn't make that much difference one month in to the course? 

Maybe it does.

Maybe it's just a coincidence that the responses are steadily more positive of late.

I also had a call from a local events company yesterday who found my CV online and were interested enough to ask me over for a chat to see where I am with my thinking for my next move.

It makes a nice change from getting emails from companies or recruiters where the word 'unfortunately' stands out like a flashing red light. 

You needn't read much else after that. It's a no.

This recent flurry of more positive responses is important for my state of mind I think. When you get one positive response from 35 job applications it isn't much fun. The ideal of making sure I take the right next step and not jumping in to the first job that gets offered was becoming clouded. 

It's important I don't let that ideal slip.

I'm streetwise enough to know that even though I haven't had the dreaded unfortunately... from the above so-far-positive-responses yet, that doesn't mean I'm down to the last four or five applicants. There will be a huge number of applicants for the Liverpool gig especially, and I'll be staggered if I get to an interview stage. The same may well be applicable to the other possibilities (on a relatively smaller scale), but it's nice to know that the CV seems to be attracting a level of interest now. 

In other news... I have made an introductory video for my course. It's a compulsory project, not just me being super vain. 

It's a remarkably hard thing to do. You have no idea. My main aims were not come across as a complete tit, or struggle too much with 'th..' words. 

Hopefully it works ok.

We're now only four sleeps away from the Reading Half... and I am as ready as I'm going to be! I'm pretty sure I'm a step up in terms of preparation compared to last time after running 12 miles in around 1hr 40 on both of the last two weekends. 

I have two aims:

1. Beat my PB of 1hr 56 from the Robin Hood last year
2. Go sub 1hr 50

On recent pace, the second aim is very much on. So hopefully no dramas between now and then and I can give that a good go. 

If I manage it, I'm going to spend the afternoon on the Hooch and wearing my LION medal. 

In terms of the 600 mile challenge I'm on 182 miles so far, a monumental 30%! Progress will definitely slow once I get Sunday's 13.1 miles out the way, that I can absolutely assure you. 

I have manged to finish Book #7 which was 'The Quiet Game' - I really enjoyed it. The story follows a prosecutor turned novelist returning to his hometown after the death of his wife to solve a race murder conspiracy that dated all the way back to 1968. 

It's so good I ordered the three other books in the series and I am flying through Book #8 'Turning Angel' at the moment. 

All this reading makes me want to write a book. What about I have no idea, and I don't know whether I could deal with the book bombing after spending so much time on it. I feel sorry for authors who that happens to. Pour their life and soul in to something and then the critics say 'rubbbbbbbish!' and give it two stars. Must be bleak. 

As we approach flight booking time in May/June, I'm keeping my eye on the cost of flights to SA... anyone fancy paying a tick over £500 to fly with Ethiopia Airlines? A solid half price cheaper than other airlines... No? 

Suit yourself. 

That'll do for this lunch time. See you in 13.1 miles...