Moving on Up/Out

[Mrs Danvers]

May I join you all? I need to start looking properly for a job up here now but its quite slim pickings. I had a telephone chat a few months ago with someone at Edinburgh Uni but as I don't really want to commute through there every day, it was a bit of a non-starter. I was quite excited about the potential at Glasgow Uni particularly as the woman that I met with for coffee last summer was promoted to Development Director so ostensibly her role as VP for International Development (great salary, lots of travel) would be vacant. However, I met her for a drink just before Xmas and she said that she is having to restructure the team and that the role won't exist in the same form now. I think, reading between the lines and from a few things she said, she doesn't want to hand over all her big prospects and the juicer travel to someone else and would rather keep doing it herself so that's that.

I did speak to a recruiter yesterday about a new Head of Philanthropy role for a cancer support charity here in Glasgow and it seemed to go pretty well. She wants me to have a coffee with the new CEO, so that might be interesting. I am not 100% committed to leaving HE as I really enjoy it but I need to be realistic about my prospects up here.

Smal, that's great about S's new job. Cultural fit is such a hard one and difficult to oversome, so well done him. Duo, I am sorry to hear that your job news isn't better.

[Leap]

Oh good luck Mrs D. What a disappointment about the Glasgow Uni role, seems like a cake having and eating situation from the Development Director's POV

I am also gutted for you Duo, especially having to wait so long for it. It's a lot of effort and hope to go through only to hear this, so do take your time before throwing yourself back in for feedback.

Smal, excellent news for S as the flipside to Duo's experience - it must be such a relief to hear that after all the hoop jumping and vague seeming requests.

[Mrs Danvers]

Yes, I think it is too Leap and I think she will end up biting off more than she can chew in the long run. I get wanting to keep a hold of some key relationships you've developed but that's part of moving into management, IME. Oh well, it is what it is.

[smalex]

I can't imagine how you go about finding a job like yours really Mrs D! I hope something comes up soon, the commuting must be getting tiresome.

It was quite exciting, Leap, after all this time. I'd 99% written it off and we'd just had a conversation about having to call them for the 'why didn't I get it' feedback and how crap that is.

[Duophonic]

Thanks all,

I sat on the email as I knew I was a bit too battered and bruised to send it straightaway. Went home, ran and woke this morning in a better frame of mind.

I replied to the email (just a few lines nothing heavy) saying that I'd be in contact for feedback, asked for my congratulations to be passed onto the successful candidate (even though I hope they crash and burn ) and asked them to keep me in mind for anything in the future.

Something will come up.

[Mrs Danvers]

I think that's a sensible approach Duo, you just never know what else they may have.

Smal, it's very word of mouth in my line of work as Fundraising is such a small world. I heard about the HoP role through a friend who was having a chat with a recruiter I had never even heard of. My friend is based in London and the recruiter said she only had something in Glasgow right now so she put me in touch with her. The HE fundraising world is really small as well and I ended up meeting both the DDs for Glasgow and Strathclyde through another friend who knows people I know in Oxford. It definitely gets harder the further up the ladder you go though and I am trying to hold on salary-wise for at least what I am earning now which is also challenging. The travel is certainly quite tiresome but hopefully this year will be easier as last year was an anniversary and so we had a lot of extra events that I needed to be in Oxford for, which won't be repeated this year.

[Mrs Danvers]

So I have a meeting next week for coffee with the new CEO. Hilariously, he said 'If you are driving, let's meet at X cafe in the West End' There is no way on earth I am driving across Glasgow to somewhere I have never been (which always involves getting on an off the motorway which goes right through the city- thanks town planners of yesteryear ) with every chance to getting lost, having to find somewhere to park then arriving an anxious, sweaty mess. Happily, it will take 10 extra minutes to get public transport.

I really do need to get to grips with my driving fear though. At this rate, I drive so little I may has well have not bothered getting my license If I get this job, I would probably have to do a lot more driving which will probably help.

[sally maclennane]

I wouldn't drive over the west end either and I've been driving for 20 years! It's a massive hassle over there.

Good luck with it, is the B.eatson? They have a very good rep around here, as unfortunately many people have had experience as patients or relatives of patients. My dad had his radiotherapy there and they were ace.

[Mrs Danvers]

That makes me feel like less of a wuss, thanks Sal ! I want to arrive unflustered and calm. I may even get an Uber there and a train back.

Yes it is. It sounds really interesting and is a new role. I had never heard of the place but the more I mention it to people the more they come back to me with stories like yours and saying how great it is.

The other good thing is that I emailed the Chair of Trustees for the charity where Mr D works. He works in finance as did this new CEO so I thought he might know him. He doesn't but does know the Chair and has said he will put in a good word for me if I want him to. I did some freelance fundraising stuff for Mr D's work and he was really happy with what I'd done, so that's good to have up my sleeve.

[sally maclennane]

I think they are relatively new as a charity, or they've just rebranded, but they now have a higher profile than before. I honestly couldn't speak highly enough of them, they were so good.

[Mrs Danvers]

That's good to know. Apparently, they joined with another org a few years ago and rebranded.

[Teasel]

Good luck Mrs D!

I am starting to look at things in the area I'm moving too. There's an interesting looking opportunity at a local hospice (fundraising coordinator) and a friend of my sister-in-law's who owns a business has told her that I'm to go in for a chat once I'm settled as she's got some opportunities coming up.

I need to look into the local FE college and see if there are any refresher courses for Word, Windows etc as things will have changed a bit. I'm also going to email my old NHS manager and ask if we can have a chat to update my knowledge of organisational stuff.

[Shoe]

I really do need to get to grips with my driving fear though.

S and I never drive to the West End, even if he's the one doing the driving as it's just too much hassle. I'd use public transport all the way or drive the Shield's Road Underground and get the tube from there. Sal is right, the WE is just a nightmare to drive in.

I am also, sadly, aware of the work the charity you've mentioned do; I don't have enough good things to say about them, they seem to be a really amazing resource for people during a very difficult time so I bet it would be a good place to work for as you'd know you were really making a difference.

I took a proper look at my job application spreadsheets the other day; I have applied for 59 jobs and had no interviews. I've met with a couple of recruiters but they were both fairly rubbish and despite me chasing them haven't sent me anything. I think I am going to need to have a re-think about how I go about this. I don't know whether my CV is too general and needs to be tailored for every application or if I am being discounted for a lot of stuff because I am 'over qualified' or on too high a wage. So far my solution has been to buy a lottery ticket.

[Mrs Danvers]

That's good to know, thanks Shoe.

Might it be useful to ask Derek to take a look at your CV? It's so soul-destroying though, I hope something turns up very soon.

[Ella77]

That’s shit, Shoe. I would tailor your CV, I think.

[Glint]

Shoe, that’s shite - I hope things pick up soon.

Mrs D, if it helps, the centre is widely known down here.

[Derek Nimmo]

Unfortunately I am not the go-to on CVs (I'm just looking for a very particular type of experience when I look at someone's details, and don't really care if it's written in 18 point comic sans - there are turtles much better at it than me!) but as and when you do land interviews please feel free to give me a shout.

That sounds promising Mrs D - hope it's a good meeting

[Mrs Danvers]

My recruitment experience is old Shoebles, but it was more generic so I am happy to take a look if it helps? I have helped a few friends recently with their CVs.

That's good to know Glint, thank you!

[Princess Morripov]

I would tailor your CV too, Shoe. I would check it each time for whatever role you are applying for to make sure you've got the main keywords/skills listed in the job description covered in your CV. I think most people only very briefly glance at CVs when they are initially shortlisting so they main bits they are looking for, for that role needs to jump out at them.

[Shoe]

That makes sense, Pov.

Lovely Thora helped me with my CV a while back and did a really good job. I think the issue is that because I have done several vague admin / support / reception / office manager / facilities type jobs I don't sound like I am specifically suitable for one role, the annoying thing is I know I am capable of doing any or indeed all of them so I don't know why nobody else seems to see that? Or maybe I have totally priced myself out of a lot of the jobs by having too much experience / being too old. I'll look into having more tailored CVs to send but the issue with that is time, I'm already short of time to apply for things unless I spend every evening at it and if I need to change and update my CV for every role it's going to be even more time consuming. It is probably getting to the time when I need to pull my finger out though.

I might sling you over a copy of my CV if you don't mind Mrs D, it's always good to let fresh eyes have a look. I may also call on you again for interviews if I ever get any, Del, you were very helpful last time.