It’s been a while – almost two weeks … What have I been up to?

Still looking for a job. I’ve had 15 meetings and conference calls in the past two weeks. Some scary vibes out there – everyone I am talking to says that trading has shrunk by somewhere between 40 and 70%. Every bank in the business been cutting staff and nobody is hiring. Oh my gawd ... and with Christmas coming!

Are there any bright sparks out there? When we get to January 1 2009 traders are going to realise that 2008 is over and they have to brush it off and get on with 2009. It’s about staying focussed on where you are going, not where you have been.

I’m feeling a little uncomfortable about next week as I only have meetings on Thursday, although my two sessions on Thursday are quite interesting. I will be spending most of the day with a firm of consultants to see whether the breadth and scope of their business would be a good fit for my experience. In the afternoon, I am getting together with a publisher who has suggested that one of their projects might benefit from having me on board.

I’m setting up my own company to do some consulting work. I am going to take a few days this week to work on three different whitepapers that I can use to push my new business.

I didn’t expect things to be easy, but it’s getting more difficult by the day as the economy slides further down the shitter.

It’s OK though, on Monday we have the Pre-Budget Speech from Alastair Darling the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The strategy for the government at the moment is to Borrow and Spend. What they don’t make quite so public is that the borrowed money has to be paid back and with interest. And when the opposition Conservative Party pointed this out, it caused a media backlash. What? People aren’t allowed to point out the true cost of the mismanagement of the economy? It’s bad form? Are you kidding me – when I get a job again – what are my taxes going to be like? Until then, the government is going to be giving money away. Where do I sign up?

On a happier note, this past Thursday night I went to Rosie Brown’s album launch in London. The music is great and we had a fantastic time. Rosie’s music is hard to describe – is it jazz, county and western, what is it? I’m not really sure, but one of her reviews describes it best: “As fresh and enveloping as morning mist – and as disquietingly opaque – the music of Rosie Brown weaves a wondrous spell.” A really great night and welcome change to days hunting for work.