Billy Young's Blog - Posts Tagged "jobhunting"
11th December 2009
The hunt for a job has come to a standstill as Christmas approaches. Not really a surprise as the job market is very quiet at this time year and it won’t improve until after the New Year. In fact it will be the end of January before I’m likely to see it pick up again. Of course I still have to continue the search even though I know there isn’t much of a chance of finding anything.
I have now made my books available in E-book format through Smashwords.com. I have thought about it for a while since being told about the site but only now decided that it would be a good idea. For one it gives readers the choice of formats and it also opens up another market for my books. It was a lot of work to reformat it to Smashwords standards so they would be able to get the premium distribution, opening up the possibility of it getting onto Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, as well as other online sites. In the end it all comes to giving the customer the right to choose how they wish to view my books and that can only be a good thing, right?
I’ve also been spending a little too much time playing Spellforce 2. It’s not as good as the first one. Three times I hit bugs that have caused me problems. On one occasion it completely crash and the other two times it just froze graphically. For a game to be still so unfinished even after it has been released as an Ultimate pack or Gold edition is at the very least annoying. Still it is playable enough for me to waste many hours fighting my through each map with more still to do.
I have now made my books available in E-book format through Smashwords.com. I have thought about it for a while since being told about the site but only now decided that it would be a good idea. For one it gives readers the choice of formats and it also opens up another market for my books. It was a lot of work to reformat it to Smashwords standards so they would be able to get the premium distribution, opening up the possibility of it getting onto Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, as well as other online sites. In the end it all comes to giving the customer the right to choose how they wish to view my books and that can only be a good thing, right?
I’ve also been spending a little too much time playing Spellforce 2. It’s not as good as the first one. Three times I hit bugs that have caused me problems. On one occasion it completely crash and the other two times it just froze graphically. For a game to be still so unfinished even after it has been released as an Ultimate pack or Gold edition is at the very least annoying. Still it is playable enough for me to waste many hours fighting my through each map with more still to do.
19th March 2010
I forgot to mention the great review that I got from LLBookReview.com for Bublos. I meant to mention it in my last past but it slipped my mind when writing it. It is always a good feeling when someone seems to have enjoyed what you have written. I remember the first review I got for Teddy the Bear, it wasn’t very good to say the least, which was a real knock. Though without the bad ones how would we appreciate the good ones?
Banshee 2 is coming along nicely. I’m moving onto chapter 11 and fully enjoying creating my new tale of the vengeful spirit. Mandy has met up with her deepest and worst nightmare. As you may imagine it didn’t go to well for her. Also another character, Frannie has had a not to friendly confrontation with the evil that has already cost her the father of her unborn child. Alice, Mandy’s sister had her meeting with the banshee earlier in the story but I’m saying too much. Best be careful or I may give you the whole story, hehehe, and I don’t want to do that. Especially as it still will need a lot of work once I have got the first rough draft down. There are lots of things that need adding as well as smoothing out so the flow is just the way it should be.
Since my interview a few weeks back things have been slow in the job market. The news is that the recession is supposedly over but I think someone forgot to tell employers as I haven’t seen much in the way of vacancies. It reminds me of the mid eighties, when I left school. There was a real shortage of jobs then too and being fresh from school seemed a deterrent to finding work. I was full of energy yet it took a very long time before I actually got my first job. In fact it wasn’t until I had kids that I got work, by which time I had almost given up all hope that I would ever find a job. I just hope that I don’t go through that again, I don’t think I will as now I do have a work history. That is important as it does show employers that you aren’t averse to putting the effort in.
Banshee 2 is coming along nicely. I’m moving onto chapter 11 and fully enjoying creating my new tale of the vengeful spirit. Mandy has met up with her deepest and worst nightmare. As you may imagine it didn’t go to well for her. Also another character, Frannie has had a not to friendly confrontation with the evil that has already cost her the father of her unborn child. Alice, Mandy’s sister had her meeting with the banshee earlier in the story but I’m saying too much. Best be careful or I may give you the whole story, hehehe, and I don’t want to do that. Especially as it still will need a lot of work once I have got the first rough draft down. There are lots of things that need adding as well as smoothing out so the flow is just the way it should be.
Since my interview a few weeks back things have been slow in the job market. The news is that the recession is supposedly over but I think someone forgot to tell employers as I haven’t seen much in the way of vacancies. It reminds me of the mid eighties, when I left school. There was a real shortage of jobs then too and being fresh from school seemed a deterrent to finding work. I was full of energy yet it took a very long time before I actually got my first job. In fact it wasn’t until I had kids that I got work, by which time I had almost given up all hope that I would ever find a job. I just hope that I don’t go through that again, I don’t think I will as now I do have a work history. That is important as it does show employers that you aren’t averse to putting the effort in.
16th July 2010
My little lemon tree continues to struggle. Even after repotting it seems to be stressed, and losing leaves. It’s stressed, I’m stressed try to figure out how to save it. Researching on the net has just thrown up the same advice of letting the soil dry out before giving it a good soaking. All of this I am doing, yet no sign that it is recovering, and the soil is still damp from watering earlier in the week. What to do? Hopefully it will recover, only time will tell. How long I have little idea, though I wish it was soon.
I have been editing my new story, Banshee 2. Good progress is being made in this first real full edit. I already did a partial edit when I got a bit of writers block a few months ago. Yet it would amaze you how much still needed more work, and probably need more after this edit. It times it can be a chore. At others it is exciting because you can see it improving as you add some background to the characters that you hadn’t put in on the first write.
My job searching is the same depressing reality, checking the government website daily. Each day the same things are offered that have been on the site for over a month. When there is something new it is for skills I don’t have. I have taken the number of a couple of jobs, and sent away my CV. I also got an application form for another by phoning Jobseekers Direct. Though all of the ones I am chasing I have no experience in, but there is no jobs in the sector that I am used to. Factory work seems to have dried up completely. Not much to do, but keep on looking.
I have also set up an offer on my book, or should I say e-book Banshee angel of Judgement on Smashwords. I have set up another discount code that will mean that you can get the book for nothing until the 21st of July. Here’s where to go http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/... and the code to use is CS93L. So if you are looking for something to read why not check it out. Hope you take up the offer, and enjoy the read.
I have been editing my new story, Banshee 2. Good progress is being made in this first real full edit. I already did a partial edit when I got a bit of writers block a few months ago. Yet it would amaze you how much still needed more work, and probably need more after this edit. It times it can be a chore. At others it is exciting because you can see it improving as you add some background to the characters that you hadn’t put in on the first write.
My job searching is the same depressing reality, checking the government website daily. Each day the same things are offered that have been on the site for over a month. When there is something new it is for skills I don’t have. I have taken the number of a couple of jobs, and sent away my CV. I also got an application form for another by phoning Jobseekers Direct. Though all of the ones I am chasing I have no experience in, but there is no jobs in the sector that I am used to. Factory work seems to have dried up completely. Not much to do, but keep on looking.
I have also set up an offer on my book, or should I say e-book Banshee angel of Judgement on Smashwords. I have set up another discount code that will mean that you can get the book for nothing until the 21st of July. Here’s where to go http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/... and the code to use is CS93L. So if you are looking for something to read why not check it out. Hope you take up the offer, and enjoy the read.
30th July 2010
Another long week of job searching. I dropped into a place on Monday to see about training. I thought if I can open up options by getting my SIA badge for security work. Well it can’t hurt can it? They took my name, address and phone number then dismissed me like a child, or at least that is how it felt. I still haven’t heard back from them though. How long it will I have no idea, let’s hope not too long.
My little lemon tree continues to fight for life. Almost all the mature leaves have fallen off now. There is only two or three still clinging on. Though new branches are now producing new leaves but they are still small. Yesterday it got a lot of sun, though today it is dull and overcast, which is no help to it. Still at least it is still recovering.
Banshee 2 is still being edited. I didn’t get a lot done this week, just the one chapter. Though the week dragged by I found it filled with one thing after another, but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. You know all those smelly, rotting jobs like cleaning the toilet, or sorting out that cupboard that everything gets tossed into. This was me this week, yet after doing it nothing looked any better, just another, more organised mess.
Remember that my offer to get my book Bublos as a free ebook is still on till the 21st August when you get it from Smashwords.com Just use the code NV44Z when purchasing it and it cost you nothing. Join the many other readers that have already got it for nothing and see what you think. :~)
My little lemon tree continues to fight for life. Almost all the mature leaves have fallen off now. There is only two or three still clinging on. Though new branches are now producing new leaves but they are still small. Yesterday it got a lot of sun, though today it is dull and overcast, which is no help to it. Still at least it is still recovering.
Banshee 2 is still being edited. I didn’t get a lot done this week, just the one chapter. Though the week dragged by I found it filled with one thing after another, but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. You know all those smelly, rotting jobs like cleaning the toilet, or sorting out that cupboard that everything gets tossed into. This was me this week, yet after doing it nothing looked any better, just another, more organised mess.
Remember that my offer to get my book Bublos as a free ebook is still on till the 21st August when you get it from Smashwords.com Just use the code NV44Z when purchasing it and it cost you nothing. Join the many other readers that have already got it for nothing and see what you think. :~)
8th October 2010
Had my interview to resign on this week even though it is a rapid reclaim as I haven’t been in work for more than twelve weeks. You would think that it would be just a matter of turning up and showing proof of who you are well no. I was luck though, the lady I had wasn’t too bad so everything went without any real problems. Unfortunately she couldn’t stamp a form for funding to go on a training course to get my security badge. I have to wait till I have conformation that I am getting my benefits. In the mean time I’ve begun the great search for another job and glad to say that I have already applied online for several. Sadly they are only Christmas jobs, still it is better than the nothing I have at the moment. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
I have been playing and learning Civ V all week. Well at least at night anyways. My wife isn’t in any rush to complete the editing and as I haven’t the money to publish that is fair enough, maybe I might make the book better as she will have been more thorough. Not that she hasn’t been great in the past but I tended to try and rush her more in the past than I have this time round. It is one of the things I would warn new authors about is rushing to get your work in print. Take the time to edit and rework it till it is perfect. It is so easy to think your work is ready and then find errors you had missed and if you self publish as I do that would cost you more in proof copies. Slow down, take your time and get it right, even if that means setting the book to the side for a few weeks so you can look at it with fresher eyes.
I have been playing and learning Civ V all week. Well at least at night anyways. My wife isn’t in any rush to complete the editing and as I haven’t the money to publish that is fair enough, maybe I might make the book better as she will have been more thorough. Not that she hasn’t been great in the past but I tended to try and rush her more in the past than I have this time round. It is one of the things I would warn new authors about is rushing to get your work in print. Take the time to edit and rework it till it is perfect. It is so easy to think your work is ready and then find errors you had missed and if you self publish as I do that would cost you more in proof copies. Slow down, take your time and get it right, even if that means setting the book to the side for a few weeks so you can look at it with fresher eyes.
22nd October 2010
What a day I have had. My sister told me something that shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Apparently my mother has disowned my two kids as she doesn’t reckon that they are mine. Well she might need a blood test to tell that they are mine but I don’t. I do feel a bit hurt buy it but then again she has never had anything to do with them. Now I know why she has never wanted to be a part of their lives. Mind she was never really part of mine either. Well it is her choice as she is the one missing out not me. I just wish things were different for the kids sake, me I’m used to her not really wanting to be a part of my life. But now she saying this, it makes me angry.
My wife finished reading through my new book and I have started re-editing. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I haven’t made too many errors. There is one or two things that need a little expanding, like when Mandy is telling Alice (her sister) and Frannie (the late Mickey’s girlfriend) what she knows of the cottage in the woods. I thought I might need to do that when I was first writing the scene but took the lazy way, serves me right them that I now need to go back and rework it. Luckily there isn’t a lot of areas like that though I’m still not sure of the end, something to look at and maybe change or not. As I said it need some thinking about.
Job hunting is going poorly. I’m searching the internet daily during the week but there isn’t a lot out there. I did get a couple of applications for part time work, which is now off in the post. Well it is better than sitting about on my rear. Mind Magz wants me to get started stripping the kitchen so we can redecorate and I really will need to get it done. So maybe next week, I know I should just get stuck in and no excuses.
My wife finished reading through my new book and I have started re-editing. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I haven’t made too many errors. There is one or two things that need a little expanding, like when Mandy is telling Alice (her sister) and Frannie (the late Mickey’s girlfriend) what she knows of the cottage in the woods. I thought I might need to do that when I was first writing the scene but took the lazy way, serves me right them that I now need to go back and rework it. Luckily there isn’t a lot of areas like that though I’m still not sure of the end, something to look at and maybe change or not. As I said it need some thinking about.
Job hunting is going poorly. I’m searching the internet daily during the week but there isn’t a lot out there. I did get a couple of applications for part time work, which is now off in the post. Well it is better than sitting about on my rear. Mind Magz wants me to get started stripping the kitchen so we can redecorate and I really will need to get it done. So maybe next week, I know I should just get stuck in and no excuses.
