Good times

Last week was one of those good weeks, where everything just seemed to go right (apart from Chelsea beating Liverpool on Wednesday - but it was an absolute belter of a match so that made up for it...) and I seemed to be on top of things.

Relaxed by the long weekend and buoyed by the success of the ministryofsound.com relaunch, I got into the office on Tuesday fired up and ready to go.  Those who really know me know that I'm what in football circles is called a confidence player - when I'm feeling good about myself I operate so much better, so I was ready for a good week, and so it turned out.

Rudy was on holiday, so I hot-desked in his chair for the week with the rest of the eCommerce team - much more fun than the new desk that I moved to a couple of weeks ago.  The banter was flowing all week.  

I had one main thing I needed to achieve, and that was to produce a requirements document to give to the agency that we've appointed to design a new Hed Kandi site: the strangely-named but very impressive (so far) Code Computer Love from Manchester.  Team meetings, wireframes and mind maps all came together by Friday afternoon and I managed to do what I set out to do.  Box ticked.

Over the Easter weekend I had sent out an update to many of the recruiters and headhunters I've been in contact with - taking the opportunity to bring them up to speed with what I'm doing at Ministry of Sound.  I had a really good response with a number of them contacting me during the week and a couple of potential opportunities coming my way for consideration, so that's encouraging.  Having said that, if the right permanent opportunity came along here at Ministry (and I know exactly what that is) I'd definitely be interested.

To the weekend: always good to see the sun, and I took advantage of it on Saturday when Wenge and I had a walk in Hampstead Heath followed by lunch at Carluccios; later we went for a Thai at The John Baird and then saw "In the Loop" at the Odeon.  Some very funny moments and world class swearing, but still more suited to TV than film for me.

Yesterday I watched Rangers beat Hibs, a game that featured two of the best goals anyone will score this season (watch them - they're in the link).   There was even a minor bonus when I found out that Razorlight at the O2 is on Thursday 7th May and not Wednesday 6th when Chelsea are playing the second leg  of their Champions League tie against Barcelona. 

It's the end of Monday as I write, and the new week has started off reasonably well, so let's see if I can stay on the roll...

Back to earth

I'm feeling a bit strange at the moment. I'm not complaining; I had a great weekend skiing in Italy with some mates from football, of which more later. But since I've come back I've been feeling strangely low. You always feel a bit that way coming back to work after a break, but this time my confidence seems to be shot, and while not exactly having panic attacks I'm worrying about stuff for no real reason.

As I said, there's no reason for it. Things are going pretty well, all things considered. Work here at Ministry of Sound is good, and I'm about to sign a contract to keep me here until August. So I don't have to worry about no money coming in while I look for a permanent job. I'm still being contacted by recruiters and I've had a few roles put to me over the last couple of weeks. So that hasn't dried up, although I know that I need to do more if I'm to be serious about it. The trouble is that I'm so focused on what I'm doing at Ministry that I'm really not giving enough thought to it. I think that's what's bothering me.

I suppose Rangers losing to Celtic in the CIS Cup Final didn't help my mood - a pretty shocking performance that didn't deserve any more.

To the skiing. Two and a half days in glorious sunshine, in Pila, Courmayeur and La Thuile, including a ski to La Rosiere in France on Saturday. A snow walk on Thursday night, walking over a mile on snow shoes to a restaurant half way up the mountain; exhausting but a breathtaking, star-filled sky that made it worth the effort. Lunch looking across a valley to Mont Blanc. The hospitality of local establishments that kept bringing out snacks and plates of cold meats to accompany our beers.

And of course the banter that comes with a weekend spent with good friends. Unfortunately I can't publish the joke of the weekend on the grounds of political correctness, but contact me privately if you want to hear it.

On Saturday I lost my glasses somewhere on the slopes, which was annoying. I've brought some some old ones back into use but I'll be glad to get replacements as my eyes are feeing the strain - thankfully Direct Line will pay for like-for-like replacement so that's good. As it happens, I'd been thinking that I needed some new glasses so maybe it's actually a good thing.

Hurrah! The glass is half full after all...

Getting my Hed round things

So I started at Ministry of Sound today, working with ex-zavvi colleague and good friend Rudy.

I'm there to manage the redesign and relaunch of the Hedkandi website, as well as managing improvements to the Ministry of sound site. Lots of requirements gathering, defining what they really want, and then managing the development team to deliver the various projects.

They gave me a Hedkandi pack of CDs and a canvas of one of their trademark illustrations - so plenty of opportunities to immerse myself in the brand. And they seem like a good bunch of people, so I think I'm going to enjoy my time here. Even though my brain feels a bit full up right now.

I'm excited to be working on such a great brand, and of course I'm relieved to be getting some money in. My challenge, apart from doing a brilliant job and delivering all that's expected of me, is to manage my jobhunting activities while I'm working. After working my way back into a proper job at zavvi, I don't want to slip back into consultancy. But sorting that out can wait till tomorrow. Right now the glass has just been topped up.

7 mantras for successful job seeking

There was an excellent article in Saturday's Guardian, looking at the differences between successful jobseekers ("Aces") and the rest ("Chasers"). The whole article is here, but since this situation applies to many of us I thought it would be worth summarising the key points.

The seven mantras that the Guardian's researchers found make the difference are:

1. I will think more positively
Throw the self-pity, bitterness and cynicism overboard. They discovered that Aces were over 60% more likely than the Chasers to have been very optimistic about finding the role they wanted.

2. I will be more pro-active
Looking for a job is a job in itself. Aces were more likely than the Chasers to register for job alerts and upload their CVs on job sites. Aces were 25% more likely than Chasers to use five or more sources to find a job. And they also used recruitment consultancies to a greater degree.

3. I will milk my friends and family for contacts
Get over your embarrassment and put that "friend in need is a friend indeed" saying to the test. More than two thirds of Aces rated friends, family, word of mouth and networking as useful, compared to just under half of Chasers. As the Aces are generally more optimistic and motivated than the rest, it's possible networking may well also have been used to better effect by this group.

4. I will speculate
He or she who dares wins when it comes to off-piste job-hunting. Aces are over 50% more likely to send speculative applications to prospective employers. And this method is obviously working for them. Almost half of Aces found speculative applications useful, compared to only a quarter of Chasers.

5. I will be decisive
How will you convince employers of your decisiveness if you can't even make up your own mind what you want? Another differentiating characteristic of Aces is their decisiveness in determining exactly which organisations to consider. They were more likely to be specific about potential employers and have more of an understanding of what they would be like to work for.

6. I will do more
Improve the odds on finding a job by cranking up your output. When the researchers first spoke to them, Aces applied for more jobs than the Chasers. One month on, they'd applied for an additional eight, again more than the Chasers. Aces had an average of two interviews when they first completed the survey and another two, one month on. Almost two thirds had applied for their job directly to the employer, and a third via a recruitment consultancy.

7. I will embrace the digital age
The web is the jobhunter's best friend. Aces are twice as likely as Chasers to use social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Myspace. Aces are also more likely than Chasers to read blogs written by current employees of potential employers, and to see if their employer of choice has a presence on their favourite networking site.

We're all different so the same approach isn't necessarily going to work for everyone, but I think this is good advice and worth taking on board.

Read full article

This just in: while registering with jobsites is good, registering with Monster might not be quite so good, now that hackers have stolen the personal details of 4.5 million UK users. Watch out for those dodgy emails!

A bit of a week

Last week was the third week of jobhunting; the week when the adrenaline started to run out. The week when the brave new world of updating my LinkedIn profile, sending out my cv and selling myself over the phone was starting to become tedious.

It wasn't a particularly bad week, and a couple of very interesting new opportunities have come on the scene. But like I've said before, you start to measure your progress in short periods, and a few hours without activity can start to get you down. And the lack of people around you; on Thursday I didn't have any contact with the outside world for the entire morning.

So imagine my delight to receive a call at 6.00 on Friday evening asking if I could start a project next week. I don't want to say who it is until I've had my first meeting with the team I'll be working with, but it sounds like a really interesting project, with a fantastic brand, and I'm really looking forward to getting back on the horse again, even if it's only temporary and part time.

In the meantime, the search for a proper job continues. I'm meeting a recruiter on Monday to talk about one very interesting opportunity. And in the 'what a small world' category, it turns out that old mate and ex-colleague Russell is working at a company that I've been talking to about a position. So maybe a word from him to the MD might move things along a little...

I'm delighted also for Suzanne, who has secured a job for an agency working with a large broadcaster. As soon as they said they wanted to meet her in a bar for one of her interviews it was a foregone conclusion. It's just fortunate that they didn't suggest The Distillers at lunchtime a few days before Christmas - now that could have been a very different story...

I'm aware that there are people reading this who haven't been as fortunate, and are still waiting for a breakthrough. To them I say we're all in this together, and we'll continue to support each other. All of us who worked at zavvi have an extraordinary story to tell, so keep on telling it, keep strong, keep positive and and things will happen.

A mug's game

I'm whispering, because I don't want the administrators to hear; before I left zavvi I 'liberated' one of the mugs from the kitchen. I figure it might become a collectors, piece one day. I imagine turning on Antiques' Roadshow to see some expert on ceramics saying:

"This is a remarkable find. zavvi was an entertainment retailer around 2007-2008 but they were only around for about 18 months. There were only a small number of zavvi mugs produced, and - I do believe you've struck gold here - I think this is from the kitchen on the south side, so it's even more of a collector's piece since it would have been used by the eCommerce team. It's probably worth around £10,000 today."

Anyway, the thing is that I've found myself unable to drink from it. Bad karma. It reminds me too much of the painful last few weeks at zavvi. So I've decided that when I find my next job I'm going to make that coffee and use that mug. Until then, I'll keep it under wraps just in case I get a call from a bbc producer.

And while I'm on the subject of coffee, has there ever been a better smell than that of freshly ground coffee? I went to Martyns in Muswell Hill yesterday to pick up my favourite mix of colombian and java, and the aroma from my bag on the way home was just fantastic.

The ups and downs of jobhunting

When you're at home jobhunting, time is measured by hours, not days, weeks or months. A few quiet hours and it feels like nothing's happening, and a few hours later you can be back to feeling good about things. I started yesterday reviewing opportunities, sending out the odd cv to agencies, and thinking that things were slowing down.

Then I got a call from a headhunter about an opportunity for a retail brand that is, shall we say, a bit racy. The boys would like that one if it came off. Actually, the girls would probably like it more...

Off to Fulham for a meeting with my mate Simon to talk about mobile marketing, then met at the Ship Tavern in Holborn with old friend and ex-zavvi colleague John Crawford for some excellent Theakston's and a really good chat. If ever there was someone to boost your confidence, it's John.

While I was on my way to meet John, another headhunter has contacted me about an eCommerce position with a major electronics manufacturer - I had an introductory chat with her today and it could be interesting. Another ex-colleague, Allison, sent me another opportunity that could also be worth pursuing.

So stuff is happening, although if I'm honest I have to say it feels a little slow and I'm feeling a little weary today. That's the ups and downs of jobhunting. I have a call with someone from New Zealand this evening although I doubt if I'd be prepared to arrange my working life around evening conference calls every day.

In the meantime, we're all rooting for Suzanne who is on a fourth interview for what sounds like a really exciting role - you go girl!

A long week

So, in the last 24 hours I've had a couple of knock backs, but there's still a lot going on. I met with Ana this morning - her passive approach to jobhunting seems to be working wonders - and had a very enjoyable chat and catchup. Then I signed on, taking all of 30 seconds with barely a word spoken. Sent my cv out again and then frankly, after the first really intensive week of jobhunting and two interviews, I'm done. So I'm taking the rest of the afternoon off. Please, nobody tell on me...

Have a great weekend melvtopians.

Need a fix, man

It's been two days without a post, and just as in my new favourite thing The Wire, two days is too long to go without a hit. Last night I finished Series 1 so looking forward to starting Series 2, which Ana is very kindly letting me borrow. We live no more than a couple of miles from each other so we're catching up at Starbucks in Crouch End tomorrow morning.

Today was the big interview day, not just for me but, it seems, for half of zavvi. I had a decent interview with the large US retailer I mentioned (OK, you all know it's Best Buy, who are building an eCommerce team from scratch), caught up with Marc (who's already there) for a coffee and then bumped into Lee, Suzanne and Glenville in reception - and we're not the only zavs (I just coined a new term) speaking with Best Buy. So, interesting times - it would be fun to get the old team together for another go...

So what else has been happening since Tuesday? More of the same; phone conversations and meetings, but with more research and specific preparation needed now. Yesterday I met with a startup digital entertainment company - I'd worked with the people while at zavvi - that may be an opportunity, and a recruitment agency specialising in the digital entertainment space. I met Stevo briefly at Chancery Lane afterwards.

I also had a call from an old colleague about some possible project management work, which could be fun. And I've been trying to schedule a call with someone from New Zealand about a possible opportunity, but the time difference has proved challenging to date. So the quality of conversations seems good although I suspect I may need to up the quantity to keep the momentum going.

In the meantime, I'm grateful to all the friends and colleagues who have been in touch, recommended me or passed on opportunities and contacts.

I'm pleased to say that there have been a few new additions to the melvtopia family this week - good to see The Arch, Allison ( now there's a blast from the proverbial past...) and Ana on board. For anyone who has just joined, here's what this is all about.

Job Centre tomorrow - damn, I forgot to check the Muswell Hill Journal for senior management posts in eCommerce or internet related businesses... how will I explain that to my 'employment consultant'?

When is a chat an interview?

Out of the blue this morning, I was contacted by the Head of Resourcing for a very large American retailer preparing a move into the UK. He asked me to send my details so we could have a chat.

I'd met with a recruitment agency about a possible role there before Christmas, but it had all gone a bit quiet so I was surprised and delighted to be contacted. Since I'm meeting with two people there I'm going to claim it as my first proper interview. Wish me luck.

Monday, Monday

Today has been a good day. For those who know me well, the words 'good day' used in the context of a Monday is an unusual combination so that's got to be a positive start to the week...

I met The Arch at Cafe Apogee in Leicester Place for lunch (a rather dodgy full English breakfast) and had a good chat with a good friend. As I was walking to the tube who should I bump into but thick-as-thieves ex-zavvi colleagues Bernadette and David, probably up to no good as usual.

Then it was off to Chiswick for a meeting with the Head of eCommerce for a major book retailer. A really good meeting that was useful and interesting whether anything comes out of it or not.

Back home for a call with a recruiter, which went well I thought, and I reckon that should about do it for today.

As for tonight - well, Jack's back. What more can I say?