Friday, November 30, 2007

Thursday and my trip up to Town.

...or two interviews, one meeting with the agent, a job offer and a little light shopping.

An early start, smartly dressed this time, to meet the CTO of the digital agency. This is the first time I've gone to an interview and had to apologise for being too smart!

It was quite a tricky meeting with him asking lots of questions about Agile and Scrum and how I think things should be done in an IT department. So we talked and I've done this so many times in the last couple of weeks I'm trying to make all the answered sound like I've just made them up rather than said the same thing before. Also I'm trying to watch my body language so I send all the right signals with mirroring and stuff like that.

We ended with him saying good luck in the interview that afternoon and then he changes it to good luck making the right decision. I wasn't sure how it went and so I headed off to do some shopping while I killed 2 hours until the next interview.

The Seventh interview was with a small company with an amazing TV studio setup. They film and then broadcast company TV across satellites and the web. It was a good interview except for the interviewer asking me the same question several different way. I guess it was to see if the answers where all the same. I had a tour around the offices and got to see the huge TV mixing desk and the studio they do some green screen stuff.

OK by this stage its about 3pm and I'm trashed. but it's off the Agent for a debrief on the day's interviews. It's right across town and I'm wandering around Bank and Monument for a while trying to find the office, despite having been there before with a desperate need to go to the loo.

When I finally get there the Agent is as chipper as ever and was just getting down to grilling me on how the interviews went when he was called away to the phone.

He comes back in with a slightly bemused, stunned look on his face. 'That was [the digital media agency] on the phone, they really like you and want to offer you a job...for [the same amount as the other offer], which is er... 3 grand more than they were willing to pay!'

Hurrah ! I'll take it! I said and my job searching is over. They print me all the package details and send me on my way. I travelled home in a slight daze (well until I got my PSP out to play WipeOut) and broke the news to my Dad when I got home.

So I'm starting on Monday and I'm slightly scared at trying to match up to the person I come across as when I'm being interviewed. But at least I won't have to wear my suit again for a while.

Sixth Interview and a Decision

Otherwise known as what I did on Wednesday

So I've had overnight to think about the offer and still don't know. Anyway the sixth interview is at 11 am and I said I would make a decision after that.

The interview is at a digital media agency based north of oxford street. basically they make online adverts and viral marketing like the Sony and Lynx themed game sites. It's a very different prospect from the other interviews so much so I've been told to go in casual clothes. It seems to be a lively place and according to Mel (who runs the IT department) who interviewed me its got a lively social. Also she said that they get all sorts of perks like drinks evening and yoga classes! So I'm pretty impressed and I think that it went well as the technical guy I met was saying some pretty positive stuff as I left.

Well I got about 200 metres outside the office and into a nearby shop before the Agent rang to say they wanted me back for a second interview. Blimey that was quick it could have only taken 20 minutes. So I'm due back on Thursday (11am) to see the CTO. although next time I will be dressed smart as I'm off to interview number seven in the afternoon.

So the rest of the day is mine to do a little Xmas shopping and wonder what I going to do about the job offer. Actually by this stage I had decided, I didn't fancy it and the work place didn't compare at all well with the place I had just visited. So I found a nice quiet place to ring the agent and give him the bad news, it was in the stairwell in Liberty's.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Two phone interviews and a job offer

At this rate I'm going to need a job just so my life quietens down a bit.

Today started with me heading off to the first meeting with my new Physio in the NHS, Nipun. Interesting differences with my last physio. Apparently I'm still favouring my left leg and limping a bit so we are going to work on that. Its a case to stretching out the hamstrings and learning to use both legs the same.

In the afternoon it was phone time first the second part of yesterdays interview and then a HR interview with a streaming media company based in St Martin's lane.

The results of which were from the latter an invite to a second interview on Thursday and a Job offer from the first phone call. Well from the agent late after he'd spoken to the company.

It's a standard package health care, pension, 10% bonus and 22% increase in pay from my old job. pretty good

I've got over night to think about it and with it being a scary job I don't know if I'm going to say yes or not!!!

Fifth Interview and the Arrival of Edith May

Friday evening and I'm sorting myself out for a weekend away and all of a sudden the agents go crazy and all start ringing at the same time. One of the agents who contacted me thought LinkedIn had a position with a financial opinion news service. They must be a bit desperate to fill their position because from first phone call to me it took about 40 minutes to get my CV to them and fix up an interview.

So Monday morning I went down to Liverpool St (not to Guildhall where Google maps had located them) to a small company hidden down a side street. The interview was fine but the job sounds a little scary, basically I would be the only developer/architect in the company surrounded by business users. A huge opportunity to shape a whole department but only I would be needed to IT support an entire company! According to the agent it went OK and I had the second part a fairly simple technical phone call with their current third party IT supplier on the phone on Tuesday afternoon. One of the questions he asked was 'What upcoming technology in the near future really excites you' to which I guess I was supposed to say something related to IT but I said the new Virgin One spaceship!

Also on the Monday as well as going to see one of the agents and doing a very odd multiple choice technical screening test, we had some good news...

I'm an uncle again.

Edith May Golding (7lb 7oz) arrived early in the morning and is doing very well.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Fourth Interview part deux

Well it went well enough for them to ask me back for a second interview. So yesterday I went back to see them. This time it was in Angel.

This time is was a full technical test, which was alot like a written exam. Fortunately we were late as the person who was seeing me was double booked in another meeting across town. So I didn't have to do it all just have a good go at it for half an hour. There were questions on asp.net controls c# sql queries and creating tables, state management and requirements capture.

It was quite hard as these things test more your ability to remember stuff than whether you are any good at coding. But I got a chance at the end to talk around some of the topics to show I a little of what I know.

The last question they asked was 'How would you work out how many hairdressers were there in London'. It's quite common in my experience that interviewers ask something a little left field in an interview just to see how a person would react. I normally, when interviewing someone would ask 'tell me something interesting about yourself', a question I picked up from my old boss, Julian. Well this time I answered it a couple of different ways including using a phone book and making a worm hole out of a couple of stars to freeze time and going around counting by hand! At least I will be remembered!

So still fingers crossed.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Fourth interview

I thought this one went OK too, er like I did the last three.

This time is it was at the end of the day so I went in a little early and went for a wander around the British Museum. I visited the money section, since I was going to an interview at an investment bank, and the Painting and Drawing section. Most people don't even know the Drawings are there, hidden away at the back of the building, but you can see some wonderful things in there, like sketches by Michelangelo.

So the interview, that was a little different again from the others as I was interviewed by two people this time, for a bit and then asked some technical questions by one of them in a different room. Also I got chaperoned to the interview by the Agent, which was a little strange.

The reason for the slightly odd way of doing things was that they were holding a sort of 'open evening' and meeting a couple of candidates, so we will see what becomes of that.

One draw-back of my amazing cheap suit is that is quite thin and as the temperature dropped today (6C with wind) it got a bit chilly on the way home.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Third Interview

From two guys at an investment bank by phone.

Didn't go too well as they asked me loads of how web pages work type of stuff which you never need to know when you are actually writing them.

Also doing it by phone is never as good as face to face.

So I'm not expecting anything more...

Friday, November 02, 2007

Second Interview

Well the suit has now paid for itself.

This one too seems to go OK and nice place in Angel.
but I've had no reply back from the agent so I figure that one has gone to someone else too.

Still early days yet. It's only the end of the second week of looking.

(the agent rang on the Sunday evening (the interview was Friday morning) to say the guy that got the job was someone who had worked with them before and so knew their systems, you can't really compete with that!)