IT'S A NUMBERS GAME, INSHALLAH

Time - Your friend or enemy?
Time is going so fast. Without the demands of a daily job and the ensuing routine, you would think time may appear to go slower. But it doesn’t. The pursuit of a new job, especially in this depressed market requires persistence, dedication and a fair amount of self motivation. The maintenance of a positive mental attitude helps too. A sense of humour and the ability to stay relaxed and make sure there is a sense of fun is also imperative. That is why I have spent so much time in previous blogs talking about my exersise regime in the mornings and walking in the evenings.

Left: Spotted at the you-know-which corniche. If you like motorbikes or unusual paint jobs, this one is fairly snappy. The paint job was so impressive, I couldn't even tell you what sort of bike it was. I have some great video of Bahraini boys break-dancing on the corniche, but blogger is having some problems uploading video today. So will have to get it to you later. Also, I have found another very funny ad. Not so much a good ad, but a funny video that is an ad. I'll try and share that with you next time.

Not just blogging myself to a new job
We are fast approaching the end of Summer and this should bring added opportunities on the job front. So even though a lot of people are away, it has been important to be getting out and about. After hearing a whisper that the loveable Jim Lawless was back at Jim's Restaurant Adliya, I couldn’t resist popping in for a quick bite of dinner and a wander around the Adliya café belt on Saturday night. Jim's is a homely and secluded spot for an end of weekend meal in a nice casual and relaxed atmosphere. Right: Jim Lawless & Greg Millard. I'm busy most days reviewing the multitude of on-line job sites which I am registered on. Some applications show the hiring company, and if they are a recruitment company, I have started phoning them, advising that I have just applied for a particular position. This starts to establish a relationship with the recruitment company and hopefully get them on my side. Many of these sites are just portals used to package jobs from other places. Often the jobs are duplicated from other sites. Here is a list of the one’s I am using:
Bayt.com
Monster.com
Al Jazeera.com (you have to pay a 12 month subscription for this. I think it was BD.25)
Gulf Talent
Naukri
A new word - non-offer / NON-OFFER - Opposite to: of·fer (ôf′ər, äf′-) transitive verb - to present for approval or acceptance; proffer; tender to offer services
Unfortunately, I had a ‘non offer’ (do you like that word – I just made it up) from one of the recent Bahrain interviews. It seems as if their meaning of bi-lingual is different to mine. I can make it down in an elevator from the 12th floor to the ground floor, speaking Arabic, with only a few pauses and maybe one too many ‘inshallahs’ This was very disappointing as the recruitment company were surprised they didn’t make me the offer. Oh well…not to be. The Qatar position is still on the boil, but the client is focusing their recruitment drive in other areas and the marketing roles are now a non-urgent priority. I had an excellent list of warm prospects sent to me from one of my blog readers and this will formulate my tact this week; direct contact with selected organizations who may benefit from the Greg M> touch. We’ll see how that goes and you know I will be keeping you updated.

Number crunching

Over the last week I have installed a much more sophisticated tool that provides instantaneous data on site activity. I can see which IP address is on and when; from which country; for how long they stay on and which pages they view . Although my audience is specifically in Bahrain and the greater GCC, so far I have had visits from Bahrain, UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, England, Canada, USA, Portugal, Egypt, Switzerland and good old Australia. Visitors to the site have doubled over the last two weeks and an additional 5 followers have joined. Now I have had between 320 and 365 visitors depending on which counter I use (there has been a migration issue) and currently 24 Followers. This week the targeting becomes a little more refined, And whilst still wanting to get my message to as many people in Bahrain and GCC that I am looking, I will now start becoming selective and directly approach prospective companies as well as trying to grow my blog audience.

Above: Tired and it's getting late. Reviewing job apps, preparing the blog and reviewing the stats.

Sorry things are a little unexciting again this week, but I can see much excitement and action not too far away. Please continue to forward the link to anyone you think may appreciate it or who may be needing some serious marketing assistance.

And remember, become a Follower and give me feedback or comments.

Regards,
Greg Millard
+973 3946 4123