Though the pubs are certainly nice.

[reddragdiva]

To Oxford for the job interview. Three hours' journey. At least public transport in the south-east of England is fairly well worked out, and you can in fact get from A to B eventually.

The job itself is Unix administration as it was ten to fifteen years ago: a couple of spods in the far corner of the building, running the IT infrastructure on several weird proprietary Unix boxes that don't talk to each other or the outside world. Back before the Interweb got its tentacles into everything. I think I charmed the interviewer by having actually used and programmed on an example of the ancient Fujitsu boxes they have there - with a hideous Japanified System V Unix, as I recall, with amputated Engrish man pages and a pre-ANSI C compiler (in 1993). They're shifting the lot to Solaris, thank fuck. Probably on Fujitsu boxes. I think they have Internet now too.

It's with a large non-profit, hence the crap pay. Though the benefits are really pretty good, and probably worth £2-3k on top. (Certainly the way I drink.) That takes the pay up to about £20k, which is still, uh, crap.

If it were any one of the factors 'crap pay', 'not London' or 'the IT department appear to wear ties' (I didn't mention that one, did I), I'd probably be much keener. OTOH, the dole really does suck passionately. OTOOH, I don't want to start a job to quit it a few weeks later when any damn thing better comes along. OTOOOH, the dole really does suck passionately.

(Not that Oxford isn't really very nice. But London is just close yet far enough that I'd be able to hear it taunting me.)

Two of the four candidates will get a second interview on Friday, and my chances apparently look good. (Another £14 for bus and train, ka-ching!) The pimp is remarkably keen, having called me twice today to update me on what's going on (nothing, as the head of IT is on holiday in France).

(Keenness is all the go in pimp land this week as last week. Two calls yesterday while I was actually on the way to the interview, and one today from a pimp calling to let me know that a company hadn't accepted my CV. This being the first call of such a nature in the five months I've been looking - that is, taking any notice whatsoever of those failing the cull. Has a slight market uptick left the pimps scrabbling to make quota or something? Ideas welcomed.)

Damn I wish the interview time for the nepotism call would come through. Apparently someone is on holiday. That too is a tie-wearing job, but the pay is decent and it's in London.

sushidog and diffrentcolours took me to a nice pub (the Gloucester Arms) to get me liquored up afterwards (I forget what, but it was sufficiently nice bitter and precisely what I needed), then diffrentcolours took me to an Indian restaurant I forget. Damn fine. Then only two and a half hours back to Romford. No, I really don't think commuting is an option.

Comments

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

Jobhunting blows.

Cambridge's IT market is really bottoming out at the moment. I know far too many talented, lovely people who are out of work at the moment.

[girfan.livejournal.com]

Oxford is not a bad place to be.

It has the added benefit of the Oxford Tube bus that runs 24 hours between London and Oxford...one can easily do Slimelight, or any other London thing for not much money.

I suppose you would have to share a place to make the living costs viable, but you would have to do that in London as well.

Besides...it's not as if you don't know anyone in that neck of the woods.

[narnee.livejournal.com]

(Another £14 for bus and train, ka-ching!)

You do know that the dole will reimburse you for interview travel expenses, yes?

and one today from a pimp calling to let me know that a company hadn't accepted my CV. This being the first call of such a nature in the five months I've been looking - that is, taking any notice whatsoever of those failing the cull. Has a slight market uptick left the pimps scrabbling to make quota or something? Ideas welcomed.

When aidan_skinner was still looking for a job, some recruiters would call to let him know when a CV wasn't accepted, some wouldn't. As far as I can see it, the ones who call you when you aren't going to feasibly add to their commission are the good ones who will best advocate for you when an employer does want you to work for them.

[reddragdiva]

ou do know that the dole will reimburse you for interview travel expenses, yes?

No, I didn't. I have the tickets still, of course. This will be investigated.