Where to find a new job? please advise!

[Marrus]

Hello Re-Forum!

I would really appreciate if you could give me some advice as to where to find a position in refrigeration sales support/purchasing.

I've worked for more then 7 years for wholesalers of industrial refrigeration equipment in Russia, mainly purchasing equipment and organizing its transportation to Russia from verious countries in Europe.
A month ago I moved to London and now am absolutely at a loss where to go.. I'd really love to stay in refrigeration.

I tried the agencies advertized on this web-site, no luck so far.

I'd be really grateful if you let me know your ideas!!!

Many thanks!
M

[US Iceman]

Hi Marrus,

Welcome to the RE forums.



...and now am absolutely at a loss where to go


Try to capitalize on the experience you have so far. Large contractors would be a good start to start as they usually need someone with the skills you have.

Or,



...organizing its transportation to Russia from various countries in Europe


If you already understand the shipping restrictions and know where to buy the products needed in Russia, perhaps you could act as an agent for consolidating shipments or purchasing the products and sending them back to Russia.

Instead of doing it for someone else, do it for yourself!;)

[The Viking]

Hmm,
I don't want to dishearten you so soon but...

(bear in mind that I moved to UK about 12 years ago)

Englishmen are not very broad minded, they do not like changes and they have a built in resistance against things they do not know. A lot of them still see the eastern block in general and Russia in particular as the enemy.

When you come to UK as a foreigner looking for a job, presumptive employers will not rate your foreign experience as they would "English" experience.
In fact, they are likely to look at all the differences between your experiences and "their" experiences and see them as negatives instead of positives.

Especially in sales, they are likely to look for people with "a good old fashioned English background", preferable someone who looks exactly like their own mirrored image.

The best thing you can do is to contact the main suppliers and see what jobs they got going, even if it's as a cleaner you would be able to show them that all the differences amount to something positive.

The likes of:
HRP
Dean and Woods
Climate Center

(in no particular order but they all got branches in or near London)


Good Luck...


(I will just go and get my flame/bullet proof coat)

[Marrus]

Dear Iceman and Viking,

Thank You very much for the warm welcome and your thoughts!

I realize that my experience is very different from the “English” one. But I’m very willing to learn. But it never occurred to me that this “Russia and Soviet Union” issue is still open… I thought nobody cares anymore. Interesting! Thanks for mentioning this!

I already contacted Dean&Woods (a friendly colleague from Finland, also a member of BeijerRef, sent them my resume), but they said they had no vacancies and if they did, it would be too unpractical for me to spend so much time going to work each day. Well …
Climate center is a new name for me, thanks; I will search their site carefully today.

Many thanks again and have a great day!
M

[SUBCONTRACTOR]

I can't believe it ,that finally someone dared to say the truth.It is not just that i can add also my point of viEw during my 10 years stay in London

1.Lots of smiles
2.Lots of sorry,excuse me,do you mind...
3.Lots of "where do you come from"-After my reply ....they pretend they know where this country is but obviously they have not got a clue.
4.Lots of hypocrisy.You just turn your back and they whisper : F***ING foreigner.


Unfortunately this is the naked truth and it hurts a lot.:o

[paul_h]

^ You only got the truth because neither of the posters were from the UK. :)
I personally was impressed buy (edit: damn, I meant "by", looks like he is better in english than me ;) )the OP, very good english, plus he knows another language/culture/business.
Thats australians* for you. Where are you from Subbie, unless you rather not say...

*to subcontractor:
Well, in the UK you have people wanting to protect the nations traditional identity, much like france is doing these days, and a lot of europe with the africans and turkish etc. So they're protecting an identity and it can get rough.
I went to primary school with greeks, italians and various people from the former yugoslavia. Then I moved and went to school with the english and south africans. Then I moved and went to school with the iranians, iraqis, polish and all the rest, then uni with koreans, vietnamese, singaporean etc. Australia opened the doors majorly up in the 1960s, (though we did take small numbers of immigrants before hand, a policy was in place. The last government tightened it again), as we were an immigrant nation to begin with, and we're better for it. But traditional european countries have a lot of history and culture they don't want to give up.
My brother is married to an iranian refugee, her father is my electrician :)

[Karl Hofmann]

It's funny but there seems to be more hostility towards foreigners now then there was just after the 2nd world war when my dad came here, which would have been expected since he is German. I'm at a loss to understand why this is, perhaps it is the stress of modern life, the struggle to pay the mortgage and credit cards, especially in the Southern regions. I too find Londoners to be less friendly.

Perhaps there is a strong feeling that the native Brit is being pushed aside whilst our authorities spend resources on welcoming people from other countries in ways that other European countries would not welcome them... Just a thought

[Chunk]

I prefer the foreigners,the majority of foreign fridge blokes i have worked with over the years(S.Africans Australians and one Welsh bloke)have been very hardworking and taught me a lot.

I did find going through my apprenticeship and the first few years out on my own that some english guys dont like to pass on their knowledge,and like to keep it to themselves because it made them feel superior.

I`ve never had this problem with people from overseas and i respect them more for it.They come to the uk for better prospects and they are also filling the gaps in our business that desperately need filling.

In my opinion,getting rid of deadwood and filling their positions with Hardworking and talented people would make me a happy person.

Good luck to you Marrus.

[Karl Hofmann]

I am broadly in agreement with Chunk, however I would question just how long these Talented hard workers will remain so once in the workings of a large company where just fitting in and taking the paycheque is easier and more productive than banging your head against the wall and trying to raise the standard...

[SUBCONTRACTOR]

^ You only got the truth because neither of the posters were from the UK. :)
I personally was impressed buy (edit: damn, I meant "by", looks like he is better in english than me ;) )the OP, very good english, plus he knows another language/culture/business.
Thats australians* for you. Where are you from Subbie, unless you rather not say...

*to subcontractor:
Well, in the UK you have people wanting to protect the nations traditional identity, much like france is doing these days, and a lot of europe with the africans and turkish etc. So they're protecting an identity and it can get rough.
I went to primary school with greeks, italians and various people from the former yugoslavia. Then I moved and went to school with the english and south africans. Then I moved and went to school with the iranians, iraqis, polish and all the rest, then uni with koreans, vietnamese, singaporean etc. Australia opened the doors majorly up in the 1960s, (though we did take small numbers of immigrants before hand, a policy was in place. The last government tightened it again), as we were an immigrant nation to begin with, and we're better for it. But traditional european countries have a lot of history and culture they don't want to give up.
My brother is married to an iranian refugee, her father is my electrician :)

I come from a country with 1300 years of hystory never mind that some people have no clue where it is.We share a border with Greece and are 27 seventh european union country.When our predecessor were riding the horses and conquering land they have had a right to choose the best location and they made a good choice.Beautiful country but heaps of curruption.

LONG LIVE UK :D:D:D

[SUBCONTRACTOR]

^ You only got the truth because neither of the posters were from the UK. :)
I personally was impressed buy (edit: damn, I meant "by", looks like he is better in english than me ;) )the OP, very good english, plus he knows another language/culture/business.
Thats australians* for you. Where are you from Subbie, unless you rather not say...

*to subcontractor:
Well, in the UK you have people wanting to protect the nations traditional identity, much like france is doing these days, and a lot of europe with the africans and turkish etc. So they're protecting an identity and it can get rough.
I went to primary school with greeks, italians and various people from the former yugoslavia. Then I moved and went to school with the english and south africans. Then I moved and went to school with the iranians, iraqis, polish and all the rest, then uni with koreans, vietnamese, singaporean etc. Australia opened the doors majorly up in the 1960s, (though we did take small numbers of immigrants before hand, a policy was in place. The last government tightened it again), as we were an immigrant nation to begin with, and we're better for it. But traditional european countries have a lot of history and culture they don't want to give up.
My brother is married to an iranian refugee, her father is my electrician :)


Paul,basically we are the substitute engneers of those who left UK.Check this out BBC on line
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6958220.stm