How I want to work

The past couple of weeks have been quite eventful in terms of employment.

Having decided that I not only don't want to be a corporate wage slave living out my days in an office, but that I also don't want any serious commitments this year as I'm planning on doing my Master's next year, a compromise had to be found. If I did take up full time employment, I'd have to give it up in exactly one year's time anyway. There's also the lengthy Master's and Scholarship application processes that I need to dedicate time to, so, all in all, the task was to find both something I wanted to do and something that I could do part-time.

Would you believe, I found it?

Well, them to be precise. I've managed to scramble together 3 different job title that not only pay the bills, but are also right up my street. Who knew that hard work actually paid off eh? The titles are as follows:

• Freelance writer and researcher 
• Senior Editor
• Private Tutor

How, I don't know, but those are some pretty impressive looking titles. The tutoring as you can imagine is for primary and early secondary school children with pushy parents, who want their children to 'catch up' (read: get ahead). Who knew that imparting knowledge and explaining things could be so easy.

My inflated editor title has been bestowed upon me by a start-up graduate recruitment company. We're essentially collaborating to make the best blog since sliced bread, and I couldn't be more excited. As you've probably guessed by now, I really like blogging, and one of my aims in life is to become a writer. One of the many few aims I should add. A step in the right direction methinks.

My freelance work is actually about China too - how crazy is that? A Chinese focused company that specialises in attracting Chinese customers for luxury travel and retail companies needs freelancers. One of them is me.

#winning.

http://www.chinasmack.com/2014/stories/pakistan-terrorist-attack-on-chinese-tourists-reactions.html

Unemployment becomes her

It feels as if I've been unemployed for months, but actually it's only been a couple of weeks.

I find that I'm just as - if not more - busy now as I was when I had a full time job. As ever, looking for a new job, writing applications, taking tests (one's never done with tests) and going to interviews are all time consuming, then there are my 'side' projects - networking, going to startup events, scheduling meetings, maintaining my website, trying to fulfill my ambitions to become a writer, keeping up with my Chinese, seeing friends, sleeping, etc etc. I prefer this kind of busy though.

Taking steps towards becoming a writer is both fun and difficult. It's hard to know where to start and who to speak to on the subject, though people with connections have been more than helpful. I've got a few things out there on the web - to help towards creating a 'portfolio' I guess - but it's hard to tell whether or not it's getting me anywhere. I'm falling behind on emails and should probably keep writing to people for advice.

I don't really want a job though. Well, not a 'real' job anyway. Most of the things I've applied for are either part-time or 'remote' based working that will further my ambitions of becoming a writer, because at the moment, that's what I want to focus on. I'm planning many other projects at the moment (besides the few I've got going on), so we'll see if I'll be able to keep up with it all! Also planning on improving my Chinese and learning the piano at some point, all whilst taking driving lessons!

That's it for my quick update - hope everyone has a great weekend.

How to lose your employees

I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on my motivations on quitting my current job.

As the day continues as normal around me, and no one even seems to acknowledge that it's my last day (expect for the office manager, who asked for the key to the door back), it dawns upon my that I really do not matter in this place. And that's probably a problem.

Not for me of course - I don't care, I'm leaving - but for the company.

Because I'm cool, I read a lot of LinkedIn articles, many of them on employment, often from the perspective of employers and, less often, employees. A trend that has struck me is the discussion over companies' inability to retain top talent. Now, I wouldn't exactly say that I fall into this category, but the contrast between people staying and keeping people is so stark it's almost oppressive at this company.

The turnover is high for sure, unsurprising in an establishment with only 40 employees, but it's the type of people who are going (and coming) that strikes me the most. Many people leave after a year or more yes, but that's after sticking around for a year or more in a job that:

• develops no discernible skills
• does not reward based on merit, but rather on tenure
• has no training scheme or advancement plan
• runs on the business model 'all things being equal'

The people who stay for more than a year are comfortable and - no disrespect to my colleagues at all - are probably not going to be the future innovators and leaders of the business world anywhere other than here. Sure, it may be worth staying for the automatic promotion everyone seems to receive after 11 months, but is working 10+ hours a day in a job where you're micromanaged to the point where you're barely trusted to show up really worth it? Not for many people, some of whom have left after just under 3 months.

It seems to me, then, that this company runs on the theory that "there will always be someone looking for a job", rather than "who really wants this job, will be good at it, and will be of benefit of the company in years to come". I've always had the feeling that a monkey could do my job, but the people who are running this company seem to believe in this idea.

My manager didn't even blink when I handed in my notice, and I remember at my final interview being asked by the MD "You got a first in your degree and probably have a lot of opportunities lined up. What can we do to make you stay here for a good period of time?"

But they never acted upon my suggestions. I've even made suggestions for little improvements during my time here, all of which have been smiled at, probably patronisingly now that I look back at it. They don't want my input, they want me to do as I'm told, without question. It would have been nice if they'd told me that in the first place.

As I write this post, I haven't done any work for over 2 hours. What my manager wanted me to do, I've done, and that's that (including writing a guideline report for the person replacing me in a couple of weeks). No questions, no suggestions, no change.

Just the indifferent silence of an employer waiting for the next monkey to walk through the door.

I quit (again)!

And so another job bites the dust as I quit my second role in my one year since graduating. People who see the graduate job market as a dark and dismal land that is about as cheerful as Westeros may think I've gone slightly off the rails as my huge ego threatens to crush my sensibilities into oblivion. I, however, see jobland as a land of opportunity. It may have something to do with the fact that I'll be so happy to leave this job.

Yes the work hours were ridiculous as well as long, but that was not the main problem here. It's the unceasing, unnecessary, and frankly unbearable pressure from those on high. I understand that they have a job to do - and in order for them to do their job, they need me to do mine - but that's just no excuse for the amount of pressure that's laid on our shoulders day in and day out.

                               WHEN I TELL MY CHINESE COLLEAGUE I'M LEAVING

Everyone's friendly, there are nice little perks here and there, but increasing someone's target by 40-50%, whilst also increasingly extra tasks and other "workload" by 30%, unannounced and within a few days is just not cool. Ever. Keep your free wine, this job has turned me into an alcoholic anyway. And keep your passive-aggressive behaviour to yourself.

To be honest, my boss didn't seem very surprised that I'm leaving. Apparently, I never seemed really 'into' the job, and wasn't ever very 'enthusiastic'. I didn't point out that that's just my personality, and I fight back sarcasm every minute of everyday to avoid being fired.

But I don't have another job to go to, and I can't bring myself to care - again, probably because I have such disdain for my current position. Call me a millennial (call me that and I'll kill you), I'm confident in my future prospects, if not so confident in my current abilities.

I'm not just taking it easy though. Come on, you guys know me better than that.

You know how I love helping people when it comes to job hunting and general wisom, and after many a suggestion that I be a life coach (yes, people did actually suggest this), I have taken my first steps...by creating a website and, yes, you guessed it, another blog. My ten thousandth blog. Another. Blog. you love it.

website: http://www.lifebeyondschool.net/ 

blog: http://lifebeyondschoolblog.wordpress.com/ 

I also networked! By reaching out to fellow education and job market enthusiasts, I have landed a co-branding and writing position with a graduate website. They may even be hiring.

Things are looking up guys.

WHEN MY MANAGER ASKS IF I CAN EXTEND MY NOTICE FOR A WEEK