Time flies in the Big Smoke

Hello everyone!

I can't believe how long I haven't written anything about what I am doing at the moment. Time flies here... Unbelievable.

For the last two weeks, I've been exploring London and been a little bit of a tourist for some days, I should enjoy my free-time as long as I have it :) Then of course I started seriously applying for jobs that seemed to fit my CV and my experience. But as it turned out I have been a little bit too 'German' when I approached the whole job situation.

Let me tell you why exactly: German as I am I only applied for jobs which specifically required what I have done so far in my life. Internships, part-time jobs etc. Every ad that told I needed 1-2 years of experience in sales, as a Personal Assistant etc scared me off and I just skipped it because I thought they would never take me into consideration. HUGE mistake as I was told rather clearly by an English friend.

Germans just don't know how to sell themselves and we are we too conservative for the English job market. The CV is everything, you need different versions for different sorts of employers obviously. That is what I need to change from now on I guess.

Although I got some interviews last week and have seen some of the famous recruitment agencies the last few days it hasn't yet sorted the job situation.

Actually I had a rough start into this week... Monday I was invited for the second round interview for the position of a Junior Marketing Assistant... (sounded good to me..what do you think?) The way to the offices should have taken me about 25 minutes with the tube and so I started an hour early because there are all the commuters, some metres to walk etc.

So I arrive at Balham station at 8.30 exactly an hour before I should have been at Old Street and guess what? Faulty train at Clapham North... Now for those of you who aren't familiar with the tube map of London (shame on you ;) ) that is just three stations away from me... So me and about 20000000 people had to change to the trains upstairs and now I know what World War III could look like! People pushing other people off the train, everybody was too late already and so I called the offices to let them know I wouldn't make it on time. 'Oh yes, no problem dear'... Yeah exactly you twat... At Victoria station I needed to figure out the quickest way around the whole suspended area of the Northern line... Nightmare, absolute nightmare I can tell you. At 9.45 I finally arrived at Old Street, already running 15 min late. Embarrassing for a person like me who is always on time and always claims to be on time everywhere in each and every interview.

So I come into the office, with my high heels on, I can already fee two to three blisters (ouch) and one of the 'managers' tells me I can go home because all their 'top trainee managers' (seems everyone there is a manager) have already left the offices and I can't join them anymore. Wow, that was definitely a bummer :( While I walked back to the tube station (meanwhile my feet were just bleeding I assume) I called another company back who had offered me an interview, but the nice lady on the other end of the line let me know that I could only come in the next day because their interview stage would be over by Wednesday. AND another bummer. So went to a friend, ate lots of white chocolate cookies, which make you fat by only looking at them and lay in bed for few hours and felt sorry for myself cursing the tfl!!! (tfl is the public transport here in London, like VRR)

Tuesday morning, woke up, called the tfl website every 5 min to check the Northern Line was working properly. Left the house half an hour earlier and with a bandaged left food. (Originally I was planning to put up a picture... but 'unfortunately': 'Image uploads will be disabled for two hours due to maintenance at 5:00 PM PDT Wednesday, Oct. 20th.)

The E-Mail I got from UNIK told me about a day with one of their top managers, so I expected meetings with clients in offices, dressed in a blazer, skirt, nice shoes... well turns out I was following a 23-year-old girl who sold make-up. We went through East London and entered every shop, even the local fish shop owner was a possible 'client' for Victoria Jackson's latest make-up set worth 200 pounds just that day for only 20! YAY! 9 hours, heavy rain, one bleeding toe and literally 10 years older my day ended back in the office where they proudly offered the job to me... Thanks guys. I think I'll pass that one.

Well , I guess you live and learn. Even the poorest girl in a shabby pub in London gets more money with less effort. Tough job, congratulations to all those people working at UNIK, supposedly all proud owners of marketing and business degrees. Guys, I can't get worse :D

And if anyone wants to know more about them, jut google UNIK Corporations... I think you will be connected to wix.com or something like that... Very respectable company.

Lesson of the day... google the company again and again. The website might just disappear after a few days....

Miss you all

xxxx