In a nutshell, a portfolio career is when you have several different jobs or projects going on at the same time, instead of just one full-time role. It’s like having a “portfolio” of skills and interests, and you get to use all of them. Think of it less as a ladder and more as a collection of different ventures that all add up to a fulfilling work life.

For me, Phase One of this new plan is all about technology. I’m starting a new venture as an in-home and small business technology consultant, and you can learn more about it at https://adio.technology. From helping with your home Wi-Fi and smart devices to setting up robust radio communications, I’ll be your go-to tech person. I’m excited to put my IT and communication skills to work in a new way, helping people solve their everyday tech challenges.

Phase Two is still a work in progress, but that’s the beauty of a portfolio career?it’s flexible and always evolving. I’m sure there will be other phases and new projects popping up along the way. This new path feels like the perfect way to combine my skills and passions, and I’m really looking forward to the journey!

The Waiting Room Saga

First, the atmosphere. The woman next to me in the waiting area appeared to be mid-come-down from a serious session. Not exactly the inspiring start you hope for when trying to restart your career.

Then, the “opportunities.” A huge, glossy poster proudly advertised jobs at the new “Cotswolds Designer Outlet.” My heart sank as I read the fine print ? almost exclusively retail, minimum wage roles. Honestly, I’d rather contemplate selling a kidney than spend my days pushing designer handbags for peanuts. There’s a limit to how much “any job is a good job” one can stomach.

The “New” Agency Frontier (or lack thereof)

My DWP rep, bless his cotton socks, suggested a site I hadn’t heard of: “Agency Central.” “It lists smaller, local agencies that might specialise in your field,” he chirped. Intriguing, I thought. Perhaps a glimmer of hope beyond the usual Reed/Monster/LinkedIn behemoths.

Oh, how quickly that hope faded. Of the 15 or so “specialist” agencies it directed me to:

• One still used a fax machine. Yes, in 2025.
• Three had expired SSL certificates. Cybersecurity, anyone?
• One’s “Contact Us” page was a delightful 404. Excellent client service, right there.
• Another was inexplicably behind an Azure authentication login. Clearly, they’re not looking for just anyone to apply.
• And my personal favourite: One seemed to specialise in staff for “posh houses” ? butlers, housekeepers, that sort of thing. While my skills do involve managing complex environments, I’m pretty sure “valeting the Rolls-Royce” isn’t on my CV.

The Looming Minimum Wage Question

As my “interview” with the DWP wrapped up, the rep delivered the classic line: “Hopefully, you won’t need your next appointment.” A polite way of saying, “Get a job, or we’ll make you.” It left me wondering how many more weeks until I’m told to seriously consider one of those minimum wage retail roles, regardless of my experience and qualifications.

It’s a stark reminder that while the economy’s statistics might paint a rosy picture, the lived reality of job hunting remains a chaotic, often soul-crushing experience. The barriers aren’t just about skills or experience anymore; they’re about outdated tech, questionable digital hygiene, and a system that sometimes feels designed to trip you up.

Here’s to hoping the next appointment truly is unnecessary. And that I find a role that doesn’t involve polishing silver or arguing with a dodgy website.

#JobHunting #DWP #UKJobs #CareerFrustrations #Recruitment #RealityCheck #MinimumWage

The Art of the Plywood & the Genius of Man Math

First up, the domestic front. My primary mission has been transforming my campervan into a veritable palace on wheels. In just over two months, I’ve managed to refine my woodwork skills to an almost professional level (if I do say so myself). The van now boasts custom storage, fancy new panels, and a general air of bespoke luxury. And the best part? Thanks to the infallible principles of Man Math, all the tools I’ve acquired for this grand endeavour have officially paid for themselves and are therefore free. Not only that, but my next project is fully expected to turn a profit. Move over, Dragons’ Den, there’s a new entrepreneur in town, and he’s wielding a Makita.

The Job Hunt: A Fierce Battlefield (with Missing Pieces)

While my inner artisan has been flourishing, my outer professional has been navigating what my outplacement coach eloquently describes as a “fierce battlefield”: the job market. In nine weeks, I’ve thrown my hat into the ring for a grand total of 49 jobs. However, the landscape seems to be dominated by repeats, like a bad dream on LinkedIn. And don’t even get me started on the temping market ? there’s a gaping chasm between minimum wage roles (which, let’s be honest, aren’t quite my speed) and highly skilled positions in fields where my experience is, shall we say, “developing.”

My coach wisely reminded me that nepotism (or “networking,” as the professionals prefer to call it) is often far more effective than simply hitting ‘apply.’ Note to self: must remember to make more friends in high places, preferably ones who need bespoke van interiors.

Scottish Sojourns & Van Ventures

Amidst the job applications and sawdust, I managed to escape the madness for 16 glorious days traveling around Scotland, tackling most of the legendary NC500. The van, my faithful companion, covered 2450 miles since leaving home and performed admirably, even managing to recover from a battle with a very expensive Scottish rock and a stubbornly leaky tap. When it’s back from its Silverstone F1 adventures (a different kind of high-speed challenge for Sophie!), it’s due for some serious TLC before its next grand escapade.

Underpinning Experience: The Eternal Project

Finally, there’s the small matter of updating my personal projects. Just because I haven’t held a day job in electronics for a while doesn’t mean I’m out of practice. I still need to write up some of my personal projects to underpin my otherwise aging experience. It’s a bit like showing off your holiday snaps, but instead, it’s circuit diagrams and code snippets ? equally thrilling, I assure you.

So, that’s the update from the P45 frontline. More van upgrades, more job applications, and hopefully, more free tools. Stay tuned for the next instalment of this thrilling saga!

The AI Gatekeepers: A Double-Edged Sword

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are the digital bouncers of the recruitment world, sifting through resumes to identify promising candidates. In theory, they’re meant to make the process more efficient. In reality, they can be anything but helpful.

• The Keyword Conundrum: Many ATS are notoriously rigid. They’re programmed to look for exact keyword matches, often penalizing candidates who use perfectly acceptable synonyms. For example, if a job description asks for “project management experience,” and your resume says “program leadership,” the ATS might overlook you, despite the clear overlap in skills. It’s a frustrating reality that often forces job seekers to contort their language to appease the algorithm, rather than accurately reflect their abilities.
• PDF Predicament: You’ve meticulously crafted a professional PDF resume, only to find that some ATS don’t play nice. The “mild compression” used in many PDF documents can cause these systems to extract incorrect information, jumbling your experience, contact details, or even misinterpreting dates. It’s a minor technical glitch with major consequences for your application.

The “No CV, Just Data Entry” Trap

You’ve spent hours perfecting your CV, only for some employers to completely ignore it. Instead, they direct you to an online form, demanding you re-enter every detail of your employment history, education, and skills. This isn’t just redundant; it’s a significant time sink. It signals a lack of respect for the applicant’s time and raises questions about the employer’s own efficiency. If they can’t integrate a simple CV upload, what does that say about their internal processes?

The Sound of Silence: Where Did Common Decency Go?

Perhaps one of the most demoralizing aspects of modern job hunting is the widespread lack of communication from employers. You invest time and effort into tailoring your application, sometimes even undergoing multiple interview rounds, only to be met with complete silence. A simple “thank you for your application, but we are looking at other candidates” email, while not the news you want, is a fundamental courtesy. The absence of any response leaves job seekers in limbo, wondering if their application was even received, let alone considered. It’s a disheartening trend that chips away at morale and fosters a sense of disrespect.

Navigating the Minefield

So, what’s a job seeker to do in this complex landscape?

• Tailor with Keywords (Carefully): While it’s frustrating, try to incorporate keywords directly from the job description into your resume and cover letter. Use them naturally, but be aware of the ATS’s limitations.
• Test Your PDF: If possible, try submitting a test application or ask a connection if they’ve encountered issues with a particular company’s ATS and PDF resumes.
• Be Patient (But Not Passive): Understand that responses may be slow or non-existent. Don’t let it deter you. Continue applying for other roles and keep your job search active.
• Network: Sometimes, the best way around the digital gatekeepers is through human connection. Networking can provide direct access to hiring managers and bypass some of the ATS hurdles.

The job hunting process is undoubtedly a minefield, but understanding its complexities can help you navigate it more effectively. While we can hope for improvements in employer etiquette and AI sophistication, for now, resilience and a strategic approach remain your best allies.

I’m participating in an outplacement mentoring program, which I’m finding very beneficial. The webinars on personal values and career achievements are helping me to focus on what’s most important as I transition to the next phase of my professional life.

In addition to my job search activities, I’ve been productive in other areas:

I’ve been developing my woodworking skills, gaining proficiency with various tools and techniques.

I’ve performed maintenance on my camper van, ensuring it’s in good working order for future trips.

I’ve taken on a personal project of rebuilding a vintage PC, which allows me to apply my hardware and software knowledge.

I recently took a weekend trip to Cornwall to attend a motorsport event, combining my personal interests with a change of scenery.

My immediate plans include:

Job-related:

Expanding my technical skillset by learning Rust, TypeScript, and Docker. These are in-demand technologies, and learning them will make me a more competitive job candidate.

Documenting and publishing some of my personal projects, specifically my Nixie Clock, Safety Light Bar, and various IoT designs. This will showcase my abilities and provide tangible examples of my work to potential employers.

Tailoring my CV for different types of roles: software development, data-focused positions, electronics engineering, and general technology roles. This targeted approach will increase the relevance of my applications.

Non-job-related:

Continuing to work on the interior of my camper van by making more panels.

Contributing to the planning of the Hills Ford Stages rally event by creating schedule proposals and working on setup plans. This highlights my organizational and event management skills, and my involvement in a community activity.

Planning a visit to The Crystal Maze Experience, an interactive team-based challenge.

Supporting the Wildlife Stages Rally, specifically with safety radio communications.

Supporting the Abingdon CAR-nival weekend, specifically with Sprint Timing and stage rally safety radio communications..

1. Retrain Completely? The idea of a totally fresh start is appealing ? a new challenge! But is it daunting to begin again after so long accumulating specific expertise? And a fresh start in what exactly?

2. The Satisfaction Route? Joining a smaller company could be highly satisfying, offering varied work where my broad skills are truly valued day-to-day. The likely trade-off? More limited financial rewards compared to larger firms.

3. The Familiar Path (Corporate)? Returning to a large corporate setting offers stability and structure ? things I know well. However, it risks putting me back into a siloed role, potentially underusing my breadth and feeling less stimulating.

4. Other Doors? Beyond these, what else?

Consulting/Freelancing? Leverage my wide experience project by project.

Entrepreneurship? Maybe pursue my own venture around IoT or radio interests?

Teaching/Mentoring? Share decades of knowledge.

Bridging Roles? Seek out positions like Solutions Architect that demand cross-disciplinary skills.

Each option pulls differently ? weighing challenge, satisfaction, security, and reward. It?s a complex decision with no easy answer. What path would you lean towards?

The Generalist’s Paradox

And yet, herein lies a paradox I often contemplate. Despite this extensive experience and a proven ability to lead projects, integrate complex systems, and deliver innovative solutions, I’ve noticed that translating this breadth into the very top-tier, highest-paying roles can be a unique challenge. Why is that?

I believe the market often places a premium on deep, vertical specialisation. While I’m proficient across many domains ? from SQL Server and Linux systems to data analysis and web platforms ? my CV reflects “intermediate” experience in some specific, cutting-edge areas. My career path itself shows this breadth, moving through roles like Infrastructure Manager, Web Services Lead, Automation Architect, Big Data Lead, and Data Scientist. While each role built valuable expertise, it wasn’t the single-minded, decade-long focus in one niche that highly specialised, top-paying jobs often seem to demand.

Finding Value in Versatility

Please don’t misunderstand me ? I firmly believe my broad skillset is a significant strength. It allows me to be an effective integrator, a versatile problem-solver, and someone who can bridge the gaps between different technical disciplines. I can architect a solution involving hardware, software, networking, and data because I have hands-on experience across those fields. Leading projects and developing diagnostic technologies requires exactly this kind of cross-domain understanding.

The challenge, I find, is mapping this holistic capability onto job descriptions that often seek profound depth in a very narrow field. It’s tough to demonstrate world-class expertise in ten different areas simultaneously.

Where Broad Experience Shines

So, where does that leave someone like me? I believe my value shines brightest in roles that require that bigger-picture thinking ? systems architecture, technical leadership, consulting, or perhaps in dynamic startup environments where versatility is prized above all else. It’s about finding the places that recognise the power of connecting the dots, even if it means I’m not the deepest specialist in any single node.

It’s an ongoing reflection, this generalist-versus-specialist dynamic. My career has been fascinating and rewarding precisely because of its breadth. But navigating the job market sometimes feels like trying to fit a very wide key into a very narrow lock, even when you know the key is capable of opening many different doors.

So here is a summary (in no particular order) of signifiacnt things that have happened (from my view point) , or I things I have learnt that I feel I must share

My list of Notable Deaths (No family this year)

1. 26th Dec, Gerry Anderson, 83, British producer, writer and director (Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons), Alzheimer’s disease
2. 9th Dec, Sir Patrick Moore, 89, British astronomer and broadcaster (The Sky at Night), infection
3. 6th Nov, Clive Dunn, 92, British actor (Dad’s Army) and singer (“Grandad“), complications following operation
4. Oct (no day recorded) CAT
5. Oct (no day recorded) Chicken
6. Sept (no day recorded) Chicken
7. 10th October, Chris Owen, Friend, ex work collegue, took his own life.
8. 10t Sept, Lance LeGault, 77, American actor (The A-Team, Magnum, P.I.).^[110]?(Colonel Decker)
9. 19th Aug, Tony Scott, 68, British film director (Top Gun, Unstoppable) and producer (Numb3rs), suicide by jumping
10. 25th Aug, Neil Armstrong, 82, American astronaut, first person to walk on the Moon, complications from coronary artery bypass surgery
11. 31st Aug, Max Bygraves, 89, British singer, variety performer, and TV game show host (Family Fortunes), complications from Alzheimer’s disease
12. 3rd june, Roy Salvadori, 90, British Formula One race car driver
13. 5th June, Caroline John, 71, British actress (Doctor Who).^[
14. 10th May, Carroll Shelby, 89, American automobile racer and designer.^[134]
15. 20th May, Robin Gibb, 62, British singer and songwriter (Bee Gees), liver and kidney failure
16. 16th April, Graham Simpson, 68, British musician (Roxy Music).^[
17. 1st Feb, Joe Ekins, 88, British World War II soldier
18. 22nd Feb, Frank Carson, 85, Northern Irish comedian
19. 2nd Jan. David W. Barron, 76, British computer scientist

Non Techie books Books I have read in 2012:-

1. Hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy, Douglas adams (Dont panic)
2. The God Delusion , Richard Dawkins
3. Overcoming Depression: A Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques , Paukl Gilbert
4. Overcoming Low Self-Esteem, Melanie Fennell
5. What is Good?: The Search for the Best Way to Live, A.C. Graying
6. Running Out of Tears, Esther Rantzen

Things I have learnt through experiance in 2012:

1. There is life after Citalopram
2. Lee Whitehead in chester (not me) does not know his email address
3. Lee Whitehead in Newcastle (not me) does not know his email address
4. A few computer experts (not me) ?need to realise their knowledge is not complete, and they need to re test their assumptions
5. When it comes to my day jobs , i am just a number
6. I am however a a number in demand
7. Having spent a few momths with a “3 Pint of stella” view of the world, i discovered i need glasses due to ASTIG issues
8. The General public are influenced too much by what they here in the press.
9. The Media has too much control over the public by publishing complete and utter bollocks
10. There are some poeple who really do care, but it is difficult to spot them through those who pretend to care.

Things I have learnt through watching the world go by in 2012:

1. The Legal system is seriously flawed
2. Trust virtually no one, and anything that say, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_memory_syndrome
3. Windows does a LOAD of messed up stuff without telling you. (Revisiting Windows thumbnail databases)
4. Some people get REALLY upset when the superfast broadband does not arrive in their street, (see the bit about some computer experts above)

Other noteable events? in 2012:

1. My son turned 16
2. The pain of looking for secondary schools for my daughter
3. I learnt to use a sewing machine
4. I remade my self a NASTY shirt for a christmas party
5. I discovered LOW walls while towing my caravan
6. My wife discovered LOW walls while driving her car around a car park
7. My sony VIAO laptop, was not a suitable subject for am Issac Newton experiment
8. Sorry there is NO Dad’s dance video this year
9. I had a Spray tan (guinea pig for somone’s training)
10. I had my back waxed (guinea pig for somone’s training)
11. I had a proper Barber shop wet shave (NOT as guinea pig for somone’s training)
12. Getting a nipple pierced is an odd sensation !

I am sure there is more and i will add to it over the next few weeks

Returning to work on the 16th April, with a somewhat blase attittude, “lets just see just how good my personal brand really is”.

I have always been sceptical about “Personal Brand”. Yeh Richard Branson, Alan Sugar and Steve Jobs are all household Names / Brands, but after being pushed into the Transition Centre I was convinced I was just a number, in fact, a nine digit number starting 7011……

For years I had been trying to do all the right things with the right people, demonstrating business benefit in most of what I have delivered. YES… Some things I could have done better, some things I could of pushed harder, but I had never seen much in the way of evidence that I had a personal brand to speak of, let alone a good one. NO promotions, NO decent pay rises etc etc

To my amazement, on the 11th April, (2nd day as a re-deployee) I get a message from an old colleague and friend, “Did I want a post in his team?” After some discussion it transpired that senior managers in his part of the business were determined not to let me go, to the point there created a post for me. They had heard I have been moved to the Transition Centre, and they were seriously concerned about the impact that would have on parts of the business. My first re action was , “How can one man (number) be so important??”, but I accepted the offer of a new role.

So Two weeks with same desk, same Pay, same responsibilities, different Manager, different dept, different line of business later, here we are. I am a member of a new team, which is a very eclectic mix of people, from Geneva, Exeter, Edinburgh, Ipswich, and now Gloucester. So far (two weeks in) it has been thoroughly enjoyable working in a well-managed, well-motivated and knowledgeable team.

Now all I need to do is shake the “anger”, “frustration” and “confusion” that the four week journey, towards, through and out of the other side of the transition centre has left me with??.