NORMAL LIFE: Jobseeker's frustration

Just got round to reading last Sunday's papers, stacked with the usual load of companies apparently offering fantastic, unmissable opportunities! Who really DOES want to travel to and from work in -10C for half of the year, sit down sending email all day long under the premise of a fantastic, unmissable opportunity? Come on, such opportunities don't even exist! But there's money to be made, of course, and that's what I want!

I am tired today. Tired and depressed, after yesterday's epsiode of contacting potential future employers offering these so-called fantastic, unmissable opportunities. One job really caught my eye - a company was looking for a Sales Trainee, but the role sounded quite senior so I gave them a call to ask them a few questions and to hear their opinion with regards to my suitability for the role. This kind of pre-contact is the way it is done in Finland.

Basically, they are looking for someone to progress into a Sales Manager role within two years time. I said that I didn't have much experience in the industry the organisation was in, but my environmental knowledge from my last few roles would be transferable so I asked if there would be any training or an opportunity for some coaching. When he replied in a firm no, I stated that they're offering a Sales Trainee position so, in English, that implies that there will be at least some form of initial guidance.

He went all quiet, and then said that they are looking for someone with oil-based work experience. Why doesn't the advert state that requirement?, I asked, before explaining that, since you've advertised for a trainee, normally you would expect applications from people with very little work experience who, hello!, were to be trained and groomed into the role and industry!

He then kind of insulted me, albeit not deliberately, by asking if I was German so I asked him if my name sounded like a German name?! Having established that I wasn't German, I explained to him that, as a native English-speaker, the advert (which was published in English) are completely diffferent to what he was telling me. He simply said I was welcome to submit my application for consideration, trying desperately to end the conversation. I had called him to find out more and was actually more confused than ever.

It didn't end there! Another company had a half-page spread, seeking people to consult in different industries. The advert was in English and the clients were international so I logged onto the internet, accessed the specified website, read the introduction (which was in English) then clicked on APPLY. Wham! Everything converted to Finnish! Nil points for consistency, incompetent pricks!

It tells you alot about companies when a) it's clear that they don't know what they want, b) expect someone to travel all over the world, visiting customers in the capacity of Sales Trainee and, in the case of the company with the half-page spread c) can't even keep their advertising and webpages consistent!

Tired and depressed, but I want the money!