Employability After Christian Retail 'Experience'?

I honestly thought (naively I now realize) that ten years with Wesley Owen would have made me more employable than I am... I guess they were just too small (in the big world of retail) to give me any 'real' experience... (according to every single employer that I've applied to for jobs anyway). Apparently managing a £250,000 annual turnover shop is worth absolute zero to employers... Which means I wasted ten years of my life!! (in terms of job experience anyway). 

Today I was told that I wasn't 'suitable' for the role I was applying for (A DEPUTY Manager), but that they would keep my name on their books in case any Senior Sales/Supervisor roles came up 'in the future'.

I realise Wesley Owen (as was) and even STL was a small fish in the big pond of retailers, but I honestly thought my experience with them would have counted for something. Literally every single management role I've applied for has turned me down because the shop I was in and the staff team I managed was too small. 

I understand the reasoning, that I was in a 'niche' market, but what happened to the 'speculate to accumulate' method of recruitment? Surely there must be some Employers out there who can see past mere numbers and look at breadth of experience??

I'm very, very frustrated by employers seeming lack of vision at the moment in terms of recruitment. I know it's a hard economic climate, I know sales are hard to come by, but surely this obsession with quantifiable numbers won't get them the staff they ultimately need? Staff who are loyal and hardworking, and committed?

I find it funny the number of companies who have in their profile things like 'work/life balance' and 'our staff matter', etc, but who prove by their decisions that all they're concerned about ultimately is the bottom line. I understand in retail that that's very, very important, crucial even, but surely you want good staff, not just people who can make a buck?

I'm a bit dissalusioned at the moment, after over 600 jobs that I've applied for since July with no success. I just don't understand why no-one will even consider me. I never thought that I would be at Wesley Owen until I was an old man, but I never realised in terms of employability how much time I was wasting when I should have been applying for other posts during all that time that would have given me the 'right' experience, in terms of other employers anyway.

It's very frustrating and soul destroying.

The Weather Man

Just watched this and thought I'd do a review.

Definitely post-modern in it's thinking, this depressing film goes for realism in a big way, by looking at the life of David Spritz, (Nicholas Cage), a Chicago weatherman separated from his wife and kids who negotiates his misery and tries to reconcile the disparate parts of his life. With the help of his father Robert, (Michael Caine), whose approval and affection he constantly seeks, he tries to be a better person and miserably fails, whilst trying to support his father through diagnosis of a terminal disease. His father is a prize-winning author and journalist now retired who's shadow David tries to live up to.

The film's narrative is understandably slow as it follows the minutiae of David's life, from hope to hope as he tries different tactics to be a better father to his two kids and reconcile with his wife, grabbing the new opportunity of a job offer with a major network to try and solve his problem of absence.

Basically, all these attempts fail and the film ends depressingly with a 'there you go then, that's life' kind of conclusion.

I don't dent that sometimes life is like that, (after all I'm living that at the moment in some ways!) but I found it depressing that there seemed to be no redemption for the main character in anything, and he resignedly admits there's nothing he can do. It was a depressing take on how empty life can become if your life is your work I guess, and a pointing to what sometimes is an embarrassingly male phenomenon of 'lack of presence' or 'lack of attention'.

In the film every other character is seen to lack interaction with David, real meaningful interaction, as David tries too hard, and tries to force intimacy with his children, wife and father that obviously died a long time ago. An interesting part of the plot is that strangers randomly throw fast food at him in the street from time to time, and he eventually realises that people do that, because he appears to be a shallow, unconnected person on their screens. Eventually, he realises that this is the truth about himself, and towards the end of the film he resigns himself to taking the big salary job in new York. Personal success and professional success are mutually exclusive, and he realises that he has nothing left personally to keep him where he is.

I found this film really depressing, and whilst this sad story might be a reality for some people, I think the writers maybe were trying to make a point about the way we view our work, and how important human interaction is. I found it strange though, that they didn't give any chance for David to change, it seemed his fate was inevitable, even though he tried to change it. Filmed very well, but not really one I'd like to watch again!

This got me thinking, and made me feel relieved!

I've always wondered why I struggled so much over the last year with academic study... This may be be part of the reason. It may also be why my wife (who was home-schooled) always seems to engage with things more easily than I do...

Watch this.

Thoughts?

Skyline... My Thoughts!

Well, I liked it.

I liked it purely on a no-holds barred, entertaining aliens movie with lot's of effects and action basis.

In terms of plot, there is hardly any in the film, it's just one minute of tense atmosphere with a very small amount of poor dialogue in between, for the whole film basically. It's amazing to think that virtually the whole film was shot in/outside the Directors apartment, which is why the costs of the film were $500,000, and the effects were $10,000,000!

I think the weakness of the film is the dialogue, which is very stuttered at times, action sequence upon action sequence means that the film doesn't give the actors little time to develop their characters, as basically they're running from one thing to the next!

In some ways it reminded me of War Of The Worlds, (the remake) which a few other people have commented on I think, but it has even less character development than that. This I find strange, as the quality of people they got, is actually quite good. Eric Balfour, (of '24' no less!) and David Zayas, (of Dexter) should be expected to produce some good work, but the scripts they were given are very limited.

One thing that is slightly frustrating is that no questions that could be raised by the viewer are ever answered. Questions such as 'why the lights?', and 'where is the rest of the world?', and 'what are the invading species planning?', etc. Also it bugged me a bit that certain biological things happen to you if you stand in 'the light', but no clue was given as to what precisely that was. there was a lot to 'guess at' in the film, which from one point of view is good, as people can have endless discussions afterwards, and if you like that, then great! If, however you like your films to be clear and self-explanatory, then you might want to give this a miss! There is nothing in the film from the invaders perspective, it is all from the humans trying to survive, and perhaps this might be another weakness in the plot? Mind you, that seemed to work for Cloverfield? *shrugs*

About the ending of the film...

I won't spoil it if you haven't seen it, but a lot of people who have seen it reportedly don't like it. I have to say I thought it was really clever, and because it wasn't your usual 'happy ever after' ending, I liked it even more. Some film endings where the story neatly resolves, I do like that occasionally in film, but I thought in this case the fact that it doesn't, is really a strength. It made me want to watch the sequel, (if there is one!) to see what happens next. I think the ending can work either way; as a clever ending, or as preparation for a sequel. I think I would prefer a clever ending, but then the story of the invasion isn't resolved at all, which I personally don't have a problem with, but I think a lot of viewers would.

Overall, despite the weaknesses I've briefly outlined, if you're looking for an entertaining 'action alien invasion' film, this would be the one for you to go to. If you like your films to make you think, or if you enjoy exploring characterization in a film, this isn't the film for you.

I'd like to be sexist at this point and say I think it's more of a 'boys film' than a 'girls one'...

I thoroughly enjoyed it as a nice bit of escapism on a Saturday afternoon!

Thoughts?

Skyline.

I will post on this tomorrow after I've thought about it a bit more...

X Factor 2010...

Katie NEEDS to go...

Nuff' said.

X Factor 2010... I'm thinking of doing the unthinkable...

In the spirit of true musicianship, I'm seriously considering voting for Wagner in the X factor final if he gets there...

I think Matt and Rebecca are outstanding, but am really fed up of the nonsense that the panel of judges come out with each week. Is it just me or is it blindingly obvious that they're playing off each other in their comments and don't mean a word of what they say most of the time?

I'm not naive, I realise it's a show and it's all about ratings, but... seriously?

I think it would be fantastic if Wagner won and Simon had to give him a record deal... 

I'm REALLY tempted!