Current Opportunities

I know what you are thinking...In the summer  us recruiters spend our time either at major sporting events or ‘posing ‘on beaches in just a thong whilst you are hard at work?

Well, much to the relief of everyone where I live, the latter certainly isn’t true as I am busier than ever working  this summer!  Due to this, rather than ranting about the wilting Leeds United or delighting you with amusing anecdotes (ahem) I thought I would instead let you know about four of the roles I am actively trying to fill at this time.

By the way, do you know someone who could be interested in a new position at this time?  If so, please do ask them to call me on 07789 633926 or email me at: David@appointments-uk.co.uk  and I will happily show my appreciation by transferring  £500 to your account if the person you recommend is successful in securing a position.

Without further waffle, below are the top four items on my ‘to do’ list:

1, Project Manager Electronic Disclosure Computer Forensics – no sector experience needed
London.  To £60k + package

The demand for Electronic Disclosure Project Managers outstrips supply at this time.  However, this is a rare opportunity for someone with NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE in the sector – so it is all about Project Management ability.

2, Electronic Disclosure / Computer Forensics Senior Manager

Birmingham.  To £70k + package

All the best paying roles are in London right?  Wrong!!

Are you currently working in London but want to move back to The Midlands?  Call me today (in the strictest confidence) on 07789 633926 to discuss this role.

3, Computer Forensics Technical Specialist

London.  To £55k + package

No sales skills or ED needed here as this role is all about technical computer forensics ability.  This company want the very best – interested?

4, Electronic Disclosure Consultant

London.  To £75k + package

Do you work for Big 4 and hate the culture?  Maybe you work for another Consultancy and just want to work for another organisation where you can actually take the lead on major assignments without having to hand the juicy pieces of work to others?   Please call me to discuss.

Musings on events

Like you, I have been glued to the coverage of the riots here in the UK these last few days.  Also, no doubt like you, I have been appalled by the plight of the innocent people who have either suffered physical injury or who have had their homes and/or livelihoods destroyed.  I can't offer any amazing social analysis (no surprises there, huh) but I do increasingly worry about the implications for the future when we have a society seemingly split between those who have opportunity and those who are seemingly left behind without the same opportunities.

Like everyone I know I am alarmed by what is proposed for policing in the UK.  I personally know lots of police workers through my work in the computer forensics industry.  Almost without exception they have a real passion for their work but over the last few years I genuinely don't recall one who is happy with the way the police force is progressing at this time.  I appreciate the necessity of public sector cuts but surely recent events have once again demonstrated the folly in cutting police numbers further?

Where I live in the sleepy coastal town of Brightlingsea in Essex (pictured) we actually have an unmanned police station and I genuinely don't think I have ever seen a police(wo)man in the town.  As someone who grew up with the local bobby being a regular face in the community and at my school I find this quite hard to accept - I like to see a police presence on the streets, even here in Brightlingsea.

From a recruitment point of view recent events haven't really affected our work (so far, anyway).  I am, however, reminded of the terrible events in July 2005 when terrorists bombed the London Underground.  That day, we had an ex-policeman on interview for a forensics role at Control Risks Group who were based very close to where the bomb on the bus was detonated.  He arrived maybe twenty minutes after the explosion and although unable to access the offices where the interview was due to take place he spent the rest of the day helping the Met police maintain order around the scene.  I have come to expect this hands-on attitude from people I know who work for the police service.   Incidentally, he returned a week later and was offered the job.

Moving to less important matters, sadly, my pessimism about the prospects of the Mighty Leeds United is proving well-founded after we were humiliated at Southampton on day one of the new season (thank you to the 4,000 people who texted me about the game - I appreciate it).   Still, as the song goes (if you don't know, trust me on this one), we have our 'ups and downs' but as every true Leeds supporter knows we only enjoy the ups so much as we spend most of our time 'enjoying' the downs....

One Small Step

Finally, after years of moaning about something that really annoys me I have taken positive action!  Avid readers of this blog (Hi Mum) will no doubt recall verbatim my post about F3 (https://www.f3.org.uk) in November last year:

http://appointments-uk.blogspot.com/2010/11/not-welcome.html

For those who can't be bothered to read the link (understandably - I struggle to read my turgid prose too) I essentially moaned how F3 is happy to take my money for advertising in their brochure every year and yet I am not allowed to attend the conference as I am just a pesky recruiter and not a practitioner.   Ok, maybe I sweat the small stuff too much but I have bored colleagues for years about this as I think that in the eight years or so I have worked in this sector I should be seen as a part of the community.  Oh dear, do I sound like the guy who was neglected by his father aged five and has inclusiveness issues?

Anyway, no more!  This year I thought it was time to stick to my principles and not advertise in the brochure for a conference where I am not welcome!  Finally, I have made a stand!

Gosh, I feel so proud - whatever next?  Finally become vegetarian?  Refuse to spend thousands a year watching the Mighty Leeds United live due to the lack of ambition on the pitch displayed by Chairman Bates?  Tell my friend 'pretentious Steve' to stick his kind offer of his house inThailand for Christmas?

Hmmmm, I think one small step at a time....

Actions & Consequences

Poker players nearly always lie: it is the essence of the game.   

At the Bellagio late one night I was playing at a table with a wise old Vegas local I know well and who is a preacher at his local church.  I asked him how he could justify the lies, even in a game.  He looked at me, sighed deeply and said slowly with a mischievous glint in his eye, ‘Always tell the truth son, even if you have to make it up’....

Away from the poker table we all lie sometimes, don’t we?  However insignificant the lie may appear and however noble the reasons for doing so, is it always wrong ?

Just this week I got caught out telling a small fib: well,  in reality it wasn’t even telling a lie, it was just not clarifying a situation which then gave the perception that I was not telling the truth.   Friends and business colleagues know that the very essence of my work is integrity and without it I have no credibility, especially in my sectors.   However, perception is reality - especially for people who don’t know you well – and due to my omission it looks like I am going to lose a potentially important friendship.

For jobseekers the parallels are obvious as numerous studies have shown that the primary job seeking tool – the CV - usually fails to reflect the whole truth.  When I am specifically asked about lying on CV’s my advice is always to exaggerate the positives but never lie.  In an area such as Computer Forensics you usually will be checked out fully by potential employers (even if the role doesn’t require SC vetting or similar) and if there are any discrepancies the job offer will be withdrawn.  

If you think that in reality this never happens then think again.  I have personally seen this occur maybe twenty times in the last ten years and the situation is exacerbated further by the offer usually being withdrawn after the jobseeker has already resigned from their current role.  Three of the most recent examples of offers being withdrawn are as follows:

• The CV stated that the jobseeker had obtained A’level grades (eight years ago) of BBB.  The reality was BCB.  The A’level grades weren’t necessary for the role but it was just the lie that lead to the offer being withdrawn.
• The jobseeker altered dates to show that they had worked for an employer for an extra three months when in reality they had resigned and been unemployed.  Like the previous  example, the period in question was a few years ago and would have had no effect on them being offered a position.
• The most recent case was a little more extreme.  The jobseeker had been sacked from a position and when asked for a reference contact actually supplied the details of a friend who had never worked at the company.   Unsurprisingly in such a tight sector as forensics, this did not prove to be a successful strategy!

In summary  the situation is exactly the same for jobseekers as in the rest of life.  If you do choose to lie (or omit key information) go ahead....but be very aware of the consequences of following this course of action.

The System Is Broken

There are some great blogs written by forensics professionals out there at the moment.  Two of my favourites are the amusing accounts of forensic life written by two law enforcement forensic guys here in the UK:

http://faintingchicken.wordpress.com
http://happyasamonkey.wordpress.com

I  love their often irreverent and always interesting twitter posts too so do follow them at: @happyasamonkey and @faintingchicken.

The Chicken, in his recent eggscelent (sorry) post, really lays (oops) out in clear terms the ridiculous position he is currently facing with the A19 procedure.  I don't know chicken personally -  or even his name so I have no personal axe to grind - but it seems but he effectively has to re-apply for his job.  However, due to 'the system' he is way down the pecking order (no more, I promise).  How ludicrous!  All the training, development and experience he has gained is just let go and the money then needs to be spent on training somebody else.

I often advise people new to forensics to work in law enforcement for a couple of years to gain experience before moving on as 'the system' makes it almost impossible to be promoted to Manager level.  However, many when they get there stay in law enforcement as they love the work, enjoy working closely with like-minded, talented colleagues and have a genuine commitment to public service.  I especially find this at the Met.  However, many others who are ambitious for career progression just walk away with incredible experience and skills to another employer as 'the system' means they have no other option.

Surely the system is broken?

English summer

There is nothing much worse that being stuck in the UK whilst the annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) continues in Vegas.  I have been at the WSOP for the last two years and it is amazing.  Every day sees somebody else land a huge payday - life changing in many cases.  When not in Vegas I follow the action via twitter, live-streaming, reporting and via friends who are in town but it just isn't the same.

A trip to the WSOP usually keeps me alive in the gap between the football and rugby seasons. Mind you, with the inactivity at the Mighty Leeds United this summer and the bewildering departure of three of our top players (hmmm, is all relative) I am not sure that this coming season will be any less than a disaster.

In terms of summer sport here in the UK, Wimbledon isn't really my thing and the cricket series agains Sri Lanka was less than inspiring.  I am, however, going to pop along for a few days of the India Test Matches as I love the atmosphere generated by the absolutely fanatical Indian supporters - they are amazing!  If you are going to any of the games do let me know and I will kindly let you buy me a beer or three....

Recruiter Briefing Hell

After a few days in France it is always a relief to revert to good old British hand-shaking rather than the endless stream of kissing.  However, my joy at this was short-lived as I knew I had been roped in to attend my least favourite thing in the entire world: a recruiter briefing.  Trust me, these events make major root canal work look appealing...

I usually avoid these things like the plague.  It starts at reception when you notice the other recruiters all milling around with bundles of files (why: what is in the files?), Ipads and laptops. We are then herded like sheep into a room to be briefed on the organisation and their recruitment needs.  Straight away this makes you feel very special as you are one of thirty or so all working on the same roles.  I mean, which Clients do you think recruiters will really spend the most time with – those who make an effort to see them on a one to one basis or those where you are one of many?

At this stage I give myself a little pep talk about how I must try to concentrate.  Then  it starts with a surprisingly brief HR summary before the introduction of one of the Hiring Managers.

After about three minutes I am reminded of the Oscar Wilde quote, ‘I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a word I am saying.’   After a while the will to live has left me and I drift off into an almost hypnotic state punctuated with nodding randomly as the stream of clichés drift over me.  Maybe I should have stabbed myself with a pen to gain his attention?   Rather than taking notes it seems I had sketched voodoo dolls and a noose...

Finally, just as I am taking the laces out of my shoes and looking for beams the monologue was over and questions were invited. 

At this stage I do wake up as it is the best part of the proceedings!  So many recruiters love to talk and ask irrelevant questions – maybe they have a list of stupid questions in their files?  You know that course you attended that had run over and when the instructor asked for questions you all kept quiet as you just wanted to leave - but one person didn’t get it and kept raising inane points?  Well, a recruiter briefing is like this but much, much worse.

At first the Hiring Manager and HR happily answer all questions but after twenty minutes or so even they are looking bored by the tedium and pure irrelevance of the questions.  They exchange bemused glances on more than one occasion.  I actually cringe for one recruiter who asks eight questions very loudly and appears to laugh at the end of each sentence for no apparent reason.  Finally, after an hour of questions we are invited to drink warm white wine and sample a few dodgy sandwiches as we ‘network informally’ with other members of the Team.  The recruiters surge forward to ingratiate themselves and ask more questions.

I slink out of the side door in search of real people living on the same planet as me.....

Weekend in France

I am writing this blog in the departure lounge awaiting my flight to Paris.  Some exciting work followed by a long weekend in France celebrating the 40^th of one of my oldest and best friends - can't wait!

I have spent some great times in France, especially sailing in Brittany.  When me and JP were actively campaigning our Laser 5000 (pictured) on the European Circuit a few years ago our trips to La Baule and Lorient (both wonderful sailing locations in Brittany) were incredible.  Big waves, great sailing, amazing food, superb parties and fun people...

However, the last time I was in Paris was twenty years ago as part of my 14 months travelling before University.   Me and my pal Bupa had hitch-hiked to Paris from Amsterdam - including spending a very unpleasant, damp night in a shop doorway in Belgium – before arriving in Paris.  We were on such a shoestring budget we actually slept in Charles de Gaulle airport every night for a week before heading into Paris during the day until one evening the local police suggested we leave.   We ended up spending a very uncomfortable night in sleeping bags within the Gare du Nord before heading off for Munich the next day.  I had planned to spend the winter in the ski resorts of Germany until the Berlin Wall came down a month or two later and I headed straight to Berlin to spend a superb couple of weeks celebrating the incredible events unfolding before our eyes.

On this occasion I am in Paris as part of a major search assignment for one of our best Clients who is looking for senior eDisclosure professionals.  In this pretty tough market nearly all my personal recruiting seems to be in the eDisclosure area at this time, with particular demand for experienced Project Managers and Senior Consultants. 

In fact, it has been a few months since I was asked to recruit for a pure forensics role.   Is this going to be the case in the future I wonder?  On twitter this week, one experienced HTCU forensics professional was shocked that we are so quiet on the forensics side as he thought that people from the public sector would be in the market seeking opportunities.  My response was to ask where these people would go?  Big Four or similar in an eDisclosure role?  Bank or other major corporate as part of their IR, security or investigation Teams?  Are there realistically many positions available for people with these skills at this time?

Forensic 4Cast Awards

By now most of you will have heard who has won these awards.  I was especially pleased to hear that Eric Huber won the best blog prize for his excellent blog ‘A Fist full of Dongles.’  If you aren’t a regular reader I suggest you take a look as it is always an entertaining read from a guy who really knows his material:

http://www.ericjhuber.com