Nerves and References

I blogged back in October about my decision to apply for some part-time work. Since then I've filled out reams of application forms and, for the most part, heard nothing. Last week I had a surprise phone call - I had an interview at part of the technical college next to the school where my son will be in January. Great!

Then came the stressful bits. The next day was filled with calls from someone in the recruitment office - I hadn't put my maiden name on the application form: there was no space or request for it BUT I had submitted my CV in the initial round (before the recruitment company would send out the application form). Then they left a garbled message for one of my referees and I had to get them to contact her again. Then, what really shocked me, BECAUSE I WAS CURRENTLY SELF-EMPLOYED I had to supply a character reference - not just any character reference, this had to be from a 'professional' who had known me for more than 5 years. (I have since upset many friends and relatives when recounting this - because I didn't ask them!) Of course this was needed immediately so I wasted a day trying to get them to agree to various 'professionals' who knew me - some hadn't known me for long enough, others weren't 'professional enough', then I had to get hold of the potential referee to check they could do it, now!

Today I had the interview - they were running 10 minutes late and then I was left with 3 of the panel whilst the remaining panel member stepped out to talk to the previous applicant again. I didn't get the job.

Throughout the whole process I was struck with how things have changed. My last interview was over 10 years ago and then you were advised to keep your CV to a single page and expand on it in the interview. The applications I have made over the last couple of months require a lot of work and crafting - personal statements and examples in answer to specific points in the person specification. In the interest of fairness all candidates that were interviewed were asked the same 6 questions and there was little room for expansion on that.

So in all I felt a little disadvantaged that I was self-employed - my experience of running my own business wasn't really touched on and in the need for a character reference gave the impression that it was disregarded in my career history. The nerves didn't help either.

At least, if I apply for another, I won't be as nervous about my first interview in 10 years.

This Freelance Life

I started writing this over a week ago but got interrupted and never completed it:

I've been pondering a lot over what being freelance means to me lately.

I think it came to a head when, over the weekend, my husband and my mother were going through the job 'page' in our local paper and reading out advertisements for me. I came up with many, many excuses for not applying.

A lot of them were based in schools - examinations coordinators, admin managers and similar. Although these had the plus of being term-time they were all 30 mins drive from home and the hours were 8.30am till 3.30pm.

1. This would mean that I wouldn't be able to take OR collect my son from school - the school gate isn't opened until 8.30am and children should be collected at 3pm.
2. My mother's assertion that she would retire from work and do the drop of and collection duty sounds great but it's a big commitment - she'd have to be at our house for 7.30am every morning and her day would be tied up with the need to be back at school for 3pm. Plus we sometimes have a volatile relationship and I'd hate for my son to be left stranded because she's suddenly decided I'm ungrateful.
3. Quite frankly I don't want to return to a full time office job.

I love being freelance. I love doing what I do.

One of my Twitter followers tweeted the other day 'Are there any other freelancers out there and what do you do?' a few hours later she tweeted again 'I know at least 3 other freelancers follow me on here but no reply - what if I was looking to place some work?'. She was quite right of course and had it not been for the time difference (about 9 hours) I would usually have answered pretty promptly - except I didn't have much work on and it was Sunday.

Sunday?! Well as most freelancers will tell you - I do often work Sundays. I have been known to work late into the night as well. It's a small price to pay for the freedom to be able to look after my son during the week and get all those little jobs that running a house and volunteering for charity entail. Family and friends help out with childcare at the weekend (and in the week) so I can do this.

So I'm digging my heels in over the job front as long as I can ...

Well it hasn't turned out to be so long as this weeks' paper had the perfect job for me - working with books, term-time, school hours - keep your fingers crossed for me!

I won't be giving up the freelancing though - as long as the work is out there!

Feast or Famine?

I'm lucky as I'm just about staving off hunger - the project I was waiting for that was going to take the whole of August has arrived and one of my clients who doesn't pay very much but who pays quickly answered my last plea for work. But some colleagues are not so lucky and I seem to be hearing daily of publishing houses making their staff (my contacts) redundant and others tell me they're 'not sending any work out at the moment'.



Then I hear of more Internet sites starting up where editors bid for work, which works for some but I'm not sure it's for me, and some where they project manage the production of a book for a percentage of the royalties (eek!).



Others are reporting that they are too busy and are having trouble deciding between projects to take on - naturally I'm taking account of the areas they work in ;-) I'm also looking at the part-time jobs section in the local paper, keeping my secretarial skills honed and returning to my crafty side.

As many freelancers know - it is usually feast or famine and I'm still hoping for the 'Back to School' rush to kick in.