ENJOY THE VIEW - LOOKING FOR A JOB IN BAHRAIN

LET''S SQUASH THE RUMOURS NOW - There is a rumour going around that I have secretly taken a position as marketing manager for the Bussatein Corniche. This is not true - however, if the post is available, I'll put my hands up for it. As far as attractive locations in Bahrain go, this really does have to win. There are walking tracks, water views, Manama views, it has cleaners, security guards, lighting, trash cans and an incredible mix of people enjoying it every night. You can by food and drinks and last night I was stopped by a Bahraini gentleman who gave me an oyster shell with a pearl in it and said, "give to madam." I mean wow, how can you beat that......and there is no charge to get in.

AND LET'S LOOK BELOW AT SOME TALENTED BAHRAINI BREAK DANCERS AT BUSSATEIN - Have a look at the short video. It shows some talented local boys really working the moves. Not on a soft mat or shiny floor, but Bahrain's not-so-forgiving tundra - spinning on their head as well. Have a look at the little guy in the front who keeps coming into frame somersaulting and trying to emulate his bigger brothers.

AND THIS IS WHAT I DID LAST WEEK - Yes, my modeling career is finally starting to take off. No not Milan, but a studio in Adliya requested my services. Tastylemon is a soon to be launched funky, royalty-free, internet photo stock community. Browse, buy and sell photos, vector illustrations and video that will captivate your audience and instantly take your projects from big, bored yawns to board room tables. More info on this exciting creative community soon. Photographers, designers and models look out for this, or contact me for more information.

AND BEFORE I GET ONTO THE JOB FRONT.....you must watch this short humorous video below - It is very funny, but as an ad for a chocolate bar, I don't think the chocolate bar really ends up the hero. What are your thoughts? Good ad or Bad?

AND ON THE ALL IMPORTANT JOB FRONT - The online job sites are providing minimal joy. There are two opportunities in Saudi which I am waiting to see how interviews will be arranged as my Saudi visa has expired. One has come from a contact in Saudi who put me forward for an excellent position in a large Saudi conglomerate and this is sounding good. It is based in Jeddah, so will require some logistical strategizing. The role in Qatar is still on hold. I caught up with some Greg Millard Followers (GMF) today and they provided some great leads. One of those roles is quite warm and would be an excellent Bahrain organisation to be working for. Forgive me for not mentioning names, I am trying to protect the innocent...I'm sure you understand. But when the job happens, I will tell all...and those that helped will be rewarded. Each of these opportunities keep my spirits alive during this obvious quiet time. I believe I am generating interest in a variety of companies, but patience has to prevail.

AND ONE OTHER THING……
Burglars have reportedly raided the Italian hotel suite of a Saudi Arabian Princess and escaped with over EUR 10 million in cash and jewelry. The thieves used a master key to gain entry to the hotel room before removing the safe from a wall to which it had only been fixed with silicon. The robbery apparently only took ten minutes. So make sure your safe is safe.

I can see that some of you have been eagerly logging on to see this weeks update. I do apologize that it’s late coming. Thanks for reading and remember to spread the word that the best man for the job is but a blog away.

Regards,
Greg Millard
+973 3946 4123

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

IS 8 HOURS TOO LONG A DAY FOR THE UNEMPLOYED?

FILLING IN THE DAYS
The photo to the left shows me entertaining my old work mates at our sales gallery in Seef last week . The property market is still slow, so a chance for a coffee and a tune with Greg was well received. Oh yeah, I had to finally hand my lap top back.

I bought a new lap top during the week. It is so amazing how quickly you can arrive home with a computer these days and be on-line so quickly; 15 minutes I think it took.

JOB HOAXES
If your are applying for jobs on-line, beware of the hoaxes. After receiving an on-line interview questionairre from one of the sites about 10 days ago. I answered the questions with great clarity, confidence and professionalism. Last weekend I received a job offer letter. The company had a web site, I spoke with the HR guy when I rang their office in Abu Dhabi, the offer was very good...start date, travel arrangements..............HOAX

MOTIVATION
After the high of a lucrative job offer, the let down when you confirm that it was all a hoax is quite immense. So last week, the early morning squash and swimming seemed to get later and less regular. I also started getting into the habit of staying up later, watching movies, checking emails etc. I plan on bringing this back into a more regimented structure this week.


MY BLOG
The blogging experience is full of learning, frustration and love. I have sent out about 75 invitations to view the blog via email and yesterday placed it on my facebook page. I now have 12 followers, 4 comments and 44 people have viewed it. I think a few of those views might be me) I have had one early notification of a new Bahrain job opening (thanks P). Some people think it is unprofessional, some are in 2 minds and others think it is sensational. It is like a micro web site, and reviewing the stats is always an exciting task and part of the appeal to new media vehicles.

This week I plan on sending it to numerous other contacts from my social and business network. I believe those that have become 'followers' will get an automated notification once I post the new blog. Please let me know if this is the case.

JOB PROPSPECTS

QATAR & ABU DHABI
Most of the jobs that are coming up to apply for on-line seem to be in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. So if you are looking for work in the region, these two places seem to be fairly active. I have some friends that have already moved over with better job prospects. It would be ashame to leave Bahrain though.


BAHRAIN
Unfortunately, not a lot of openings in Bahrain and sadly will diminish further over the next 2 months of summer. As mentioned previously, one early alert has been kindly sent to me about a future opening. I am hoping this blog will continue to unearth these early and as yet unadvertised jobs...so come on, there has to be more out there you can be telling me about - this blog is a two way street.

I am meeting Daniel from Talent Partners tomorrow morning for a chat and see what they have on the books that might be needing the Greg M> touch.

I am in talks with the most lovely of Bahrain business families about a part time partnership with a new business venture. This is very exciting and will hopefully lead to revenue and profits some time down the track. At the moment it is still at refinement of the business plan stage.

SOCIAL
I had a great afternoon yesterday with some freinds. He a photographer, she is a modelling, talent and events director who studied fashion in London. I mention this because it has aroused in me, one of my grand plan ideas to re-invent the male dress code. That's another story, but I think males are so limited with what they can wear compared to women. So I would love to instigate an exciting collection of male fashion concepts. Anybody interested in working with me on this? Yes I know I currently have too much time on my hands - but from little things, big things grow.

Jane and I watched the moon shimmer on Bahrain's calming waters while having dinner on a beach in Bahrain on Friday night. If anyone can guess which beach, they win a dinner for two with Greg and Jane. POST A COMMENT OR RING ME TO WIN. (RAYNER, you cannot enter this competition, you already get enough free meals)

So keep the word out, that Greg Millard is looking, become a 'follower' by clicking the 'follow blog' button and post comments if you have got something to say.

Thanks and bye for now
Greg M>
+ 973 3946 4123

PS = Just had a call from Clarendon Parker for an interview tomorrow. So more on that next time.