Job hunting

Since I have lost my jobs many people have advised me on the best way to find a job.

• Recruitment agents - some good, some bad
• Recruitment websites - lots of repetitive positions being advertised
  
• Approaching companies directly - targeted, but be prepared for a knock back
• Word of mouth - takes more time to find a job, but more chance of appointment
• Networking - again, more chance of being appointed

I search more than 10 websites every day, I call three specific recruitment agents twice a week to keep myself in their thoughts and I am constantly networking to try and find a job. However, I am now going to up the ante and have set up a Linkedin account, and am going to approach more companies as opposed to waiting for them to come to me.

This is something that I have struggled to do in the past, as approaching people to ask for things doesn't come easy to many people, but to secure a position, you need to learn new skills - this will be my new skill to master.

It is a tough job to do, as there are so many other people hunting for a job at the same time, I have to put myself above them to secure a position.

It is true what they say, finding a job is a full time job!

Where has the time gone

Just where has the time dissapeared too?

Here is a run down of what has happened - Wedding, honeymoon, baby.

Now after all the planning for the wedding, we are busy planning for a baby.

Life is nothing if not busy!

Dancing round the garden with our photographer

Last Sunday was a glorious evening so we decided to meet our photographer at ours in the garden.

I had spent Saturday getting the furniture ready for a busy summer of parties and BBQ's so it was our first time using them this year.

All was going really well, until Floss showed us some of the poses she would get us doing. These included twirling round each other, thrusting, draping over one another and sitting on each other.

Now, you'd normally expect this to be ok for a couple in love with each other. But I was watching Kate's face grow steadily concerned and embarrassed at the same time as I was enacting the poses with Floss, the photographer.

I'm not sure whether her concern was what the neighbours might think as we danced around the garden, or whether she thought she should be draping herself over me and not the photographer!

On another note, Kate has now chosen and paid for her wedding dress - which is another major thing decided on.

We had a funny night on Tuesday night as I could see she was desperate to tell me about it, but I was having none of it! It is now safely in a wardrobe at her parents house until the big day.

You have to give these arty types some leway

Wedding plans have gone very slowly recenly as w are trying to organise a photographer for the big day.

We have approached a really good one in Yeovil, but she forgot to turn up for our last meeting.

Now, working with the arts, I know we have to be patient, even though this is the last of the most important pieces in the jigsaw - apart from the dress, rings, suits, stationery... - it would be good for both of our sanity's to get it all sorted out and arranged.

We are also looking for a honeymoon. We've both got a month off from work in September 2009, so now we've just got to fill it!

But, and here is a big but, each time we start to look for a honeymoon we end up looking for a holiday this year. If that happened we wouldn't have a wedding!

And now the hard work starts

We've done it, we've booked a venue and date, 30 August 2009. I know it is a long way off, but now we have start the hard work:

Guest lists, photographers, stationery, dresses, rings, managing the step families...

I am looking forward to the cake tasting sessions though!

Both our families were over the moon when we told them the dates, especially the Grand parents.

I have even chosen my best man, he kept on asking if I was joking and seemed genuinely excited!

We have decided to keep to a tight budget, that will allow us to put as much money into travelling for the honeymoon. Although, how many people can say they will be married by a film star!

We have a meeting with a photographer that we liked the look of at the Haynes Motor Museum Wedding Fayre a couple of months ago - she even hand delivered her portfolio to us on CD!

I'll let you know how it goes later...

Getting started

This is the first post of a - hopefully - long blogging future.

Yippee!

I'll give you a potted history of me, I was born in the South East of England, and went to Uni in Glamorgan, Wales, to study Humanities. I then went travelling around the world on the QE2, hence the picture, going to many wonderful places and many wonderful parties!

I have now settled in leafy Somerset and, following stints at South Somerset District Council and Watershed PR, started wirking in the Marketing team at Somerset College in Taunton.

I am engaged to a wonderful Somerset lass and we plan to get married in 2010, we picked the year as it would be easy to remember the anniversaries...


So there it is, you know all about me. I will keep you updated on the wedding plans, and any other thoughts that randomly pop into my head. But I do ask for your patience as I am fairly new to this blogging malarky!