Prosperity - search for work

Well the unbelievable has happened my last contract finished on 7 october 2005 and the same agency found an interview for a permanent position I was offered the position at the interview which I went to at 7-00am. I had before the last three month contract being out of work for 18 months and coming up to 50 which I am now it appeared I would never work again. There was nothing out there that I could get.

FSS Financials has sent me to a new contract after nearly 18 months out of work. It is at Greenwich Council as a Systems Accountant and initially the contract was for 4 weeks they have kept me on and it looks like it could go on for some time.

We will now have have some money for our holiday to Thailand in july. Our debts will take years maybe decades to clear. I am on £18 ph including holiday pay on PAYE not self employed. I did not have to go to an interview. The last three jobs I have had have been through FSS Financials and there has been no interview. Great when needed then needed and no hassles.

It is now mid March, I have now been unemployed for almost 16 months. This year I have had 6 interviews with actual employers and 4 agency interviews. Had quite a number of agencies phone and mention that they are "putting me forward", but then no further word.

The last interview was absolutely crazy. A person had been doing interviews for a week for a temp role of no more than a month. They couldn't remember what agency I had come from. I had the impression that I was not in the circle of possibles before I had even arrived at the interview and that the agency was pushing hard or the person was just filling in time or both.

The statistics show that only 2 in 10 people out of work over 50 years old got into work again and most of these are women so the odds are heavily against me. There are in excess of 8 million people in the UK who would work if they were sure of getting a regular job.

I now have my database up and running and will, no matter what, keep pestering everyone until I get work.

Need to pursue my studies especially languages.

I have had serveral interviews and I know that I have done well and would of been very suitable for the positions. There were a number of other contenders. It makes it impossible.

I think I will have to revert to my previous strategy of refusing to get involved if it is a beauty parade.Try for short term and urgent contracts where someone is needed to start immediately and the first person available gets the job.

Set up my Access/excel mailing database

A couple of agencies phoned today. Masdon & Lawson. One with an opportunity and the other to update records. No real prospect. Need a vacancy that has an urgent element and areas of work that the general person could not do easily. Or location nobody wants.

Will re set up Access employment database so I can email all agencies and contact reguarly to pester them into giving me a job.

Have been searching for work now since November 2003. Too many people searching for too few jobs does not help. Went in for an agency today for IT front desk helpline. No processing until mid February and the consultant looked at me strangly as I am almost 50 and assumed I knew nothing. Age discrimmination! Wish we were judged as an individual on our own merits.

What to now I don't know. I keep clicking jobs adverts. Tried a fictitious CV then worried about getting any references.

Back to study on programming and languages and more clicking on jobsites.