Expectations vs. Reality

There is a constant toing and froing between expectations and reality.

It could be a normal Wednesday at work, a much anticipated film, a first date with a girl you like, a game of football. It could be anything.

How often are expectations and reality aligned? Rarely, I would argue. 

But still, as humans, we continue to frame our expectations about a certain situation as a form of subconscious preparation. 

How often does reality meet or exceed expectations? Rarely, I would argue.

I had a whole bunch of expectations when I decided the time was right to get a new job. I knew it would be hard, but I thought with three years experience in a marketing role backed up with good grades and good interpersonal skills, that I would be pretty employable. 

The reality is that I've applied for nearly 70 jobs, met with four recruiters (spoke to many, many more), and had one face-to-face interview with an actual company with the bottom line being: I am absolutely nowhere. 

Well, not absolutely nowhere, that's overly dramatic (who, me?). Throughout these interviews and conversations I have been fortunate in that I've been able to fine tune, in my own mind at least, the kind of job I want to go in to, the kind of organisation I'd like to work for and how much money my experience and knowledge should be paying.

Before an interview I had with a creative agency a couple of weeks ago, my expectation was that I would work pretty much anywhere and in any form of marketing. The reality is that I don't see myself in a small agency-type setting (little progression opportunities and minimal learning opportunities from a marketing manager, for example) and I don't want to work somewhere which is an absolute nightmare to get to (A roads, A roads, A roads).

I guess this knowledge will help to form my expectations for future roles I go for. So it isn't all bad. 

I had a great conversation with a recruiter last week about what would pretty much be the dream job for me. My expectation was that I had to get an interview, surely? Everything added up, I was perfect for the job. I had the experience, I had the industry knowledge, the passion, blah, blah, blah. But the reality is, we're nearly two weeks down the line and I don't have an interview.

Now that might change (I really, really hope it does), but it goes to show how big a chasm there is between expectations and reality.

So what should you do? Adopt a far more stringent self-preserving attitude? If you never expect anything then you'll never be disappointed.

Maybe.

But on the flip side, if you do that, surely you lose the passion and drive that, in a process of tiny margins, might just set you apart from everybody else.

In other, more exciting news... The Derby 10k happened last weekend and the records tumbled! Last year, I came in in 49.53. This year, borderline world record pace of 46.05! 

Whaaaaaat?

Before Sunday I had never dipped below 48 minutes, let alone a tick over 46 minutes. So I was dead happy. Also, quite worried. That's an average pace of 7.29 min/mile which is FORTY-THREE seconds quicker than my Reading Half pace. I know it is only over 10k, but that is pace I didn't think I had. I'm worried because I am going to be bloody knackered if I do a Half in, say, 8 min/miles which seemingly is not that unrealistic.

Gulp.

Big congrats to Rob who was preparing to invoke the 'I won't run for over an hour' clause and then smashed a 53.07, the increasingly lean and mean Dan who PB'd it with a 53.26 and Shaun, who a year ago swore blind he would never ever run, came in miles under the hour with a 56.43. Top work chaps! And Julie, I'll have you next year!

In terms of the Project running target, I'm at 262 miles currently. Approaching 50% well ahead of schedule so that's good. We're just about entering the tricky mid-year period where I have no more races to aim for until September's double whammy. Which might prove to be a problem as my motivation levels to push on are massively higher when I have something relatively soon to aim for.

Oh, and as an aside, RunKeeper told me I have ticked past 1000 miles in total since I started just under two years ago. 

I finished Book #9, 'The Devil's Punchbowl', a few weeks ago. Part three of the Penn Cage series and much like the first two it was great. The longer the series goes, the more underlying stories are being weaved in and around the individual books which adds another layer of intrigue.  Book #10 is the absolute monster fourth installment, 'Natchez Burning' which is 850 pages long. I'm about half way and it is the best of the four so far. I'm pretty sure it's the last one to read (that's published anyway), so who knows what Book #11 will be!

The clock is tick-tocking its way towards May and flight booking time which is exciting. The English over in the West Indies at the moment look to be having a fantastic time on the current Test tour so I'm excited to start the countdown to getting on the plane.

That's that for another week, here's to keeping expectations inline with reality and applying to jobs. 

It's great fun.

Pigs to Market

So, lets talk about recruiters.

They're a strange bunch.

I've probably spoke to ten recruiters now, give or take a few, and my overriding feeling is one of disappointment. 

For an industry that is fundamentally based on human beings I find it bizarrely impersonal. Rather, you are treated as a piece of paper. A piece of paper with lots of little square boxes and lots of little ticks. 

During that initial discussion you are taken through line after line of boxes to tick, and judged immediately against other pieces of paper with ticked boxes. 

You are told how the company is there to help get you a job and to help you progress. But in reality, the process is no different to farmers taking pigs to market. 

The absolute bottom line is the cut of money the recruitment company are entitled to when they have filled a position. The spiel about "caring" about the people they represent is lip service at the very best and complete rubbish at one's cynical worst. 

And to be honest, I get it. It's business. It's all about the money. Just don't pretend to be something that you are not.

In my experience of recruitment so far I have been told I was "too professional" (yep, really.) because I didn't slip in to the brusque and colloquial manner that was so wonderfully showcased on the other side of the table to me. 

I've been talked up like the candidate-elect, only to never hear from the recruiter again.

I've been talked down to with a definite tinge of you-really-should-do-what-I'm-saying-here-no-matter-what-you-think.

I've been flat out lied to. (Remember the Oxford gig, yeh that.) 

And so I've been left with a bitter taste and a reproachful dose of distrust.

Not great for two reasons.

1. A good 95% of jobs advertised online are done so through... yep, recruiters
2. I still don't have anything approaching a new job

Now, as a disclaimer, I'm sure not every recruiter is a knobhead. It's surely scientifically impossible. 

I have had conversations with recruiters who come across better but I'm finding it impossible to shake the impression that has already been formed by those who have been before.

So what do I do?

Suck it up, ride it out and hope it'll ultimately be my turn to be the lucky pig sold at market.

Or do I take the significantly harder road and try and circumvent recruiters entirely. 

I don't know.

FYI, this shouldn't be seen as an all-guns-out attack on recruiters because it isn't. It is merely an honest opinion. So if you're a recruiter reading this, don't feel the need to blacklist me. Surprise me, and actually be better than what I've experienced so far. 

Cheers.

In other news, the running thing is going well.

In a wave of positivity after the Reading Half Marathon I decided to sign up for the Nottingham Half Marathon in September again. Yay. So this means I will be running the Great North Run on 13th September and then the Robin Hood on 27th September. With about eight million people running the GNR, it'll be hard to beat the world record pace of Reading, so I'm eyeing up Nottingham to go low.

As the Reading run sheered my feet to pieces I rewarded myself with some shiny new Nike's. The green Nike's have joined the Hall of Fame and will live a lovely quiet life in the bottom of my cupboard until I think of a better way to celebrate their lives. 

As an aside, if anyone ever wants any new trainers or any new gear then I massively recommend SportsShoes.com - it is the only place to go. 

With having two half marathons in the space of 14 days in September I will be doing some fundraising for them as a pair... Possibly for Macmillan but I welcome any suggestions.

Signing off on the running update, I am now THIRTY-SEVEN PER CENT of the way to 600 miles. This is dead good and a big motivator.

Oh, and the Derby 10k is in a couple of weeks so currently pushing hard to speed up. Managed five miles at 7.33 min/miles the other day which was hard as hell but encouragingly shows what is in the tank. 

Book #8, and part two in the Penn Cage series, 'Turning Angel' has been ticked off the big 25 list and it was very good, I flew through it. A current day murder/drug/conspiracy shebang set five or six years after 'The Quiet Game' and nice prelude to Book #9 'The Devil's Punchbowl' which I will finish in the next day or two.

Nine books in less than three and a half months. Pretty sure before the back end of last year I hadn't read nine books in the previous nine years.

All things are moving nicely with regards to South Africa - I will be booking flights in May which is exciting.

And finally, with the cricket season starting this month, I have decided to stop playing. Which is probably good news for the continued success of Project 9626 if I'm honest.

After five A&E trips in two years, two broken fingers, one dislocated finger and a tooth knocked clean out I am done. Through a combination of perhaps bottling it, confidence being shot and life simply being too short to still be troubled by these things 9+ months later, it just isn't worth it anymore. 

So good luck to the mighty Etwall CC, I will no doubt be down the ground a lot for more sedate games like boundary bowls and drinking loads of beer in the sun. 

Until next time.