Let's start with a confession: this week, I'm feeling pretty negative and deeply frustrated with my ongoing job hunt here in Sweden. It all feels very difficult, and at the moment I'm struggling to see how I can catch a break. I also have a fear that I'm going to end up working in a mcJob waiting tables, washing up, or that sort of thing. Quite a dent to the ego really.

My last visit with the Jobcoach was a big struggle for me, I felt I was biting my tongue for most of the session. Pretty much all of the advice that I was given seemed pretty facile and betrayed how little I feel my coach actually knows about the industry I work in. At least she picked up how irritated and frustrated I felt in the session. Then again I have always been terrible at hiding my body language and emotions.

Yes, I said, I know being frustrated and negative isn't helpful, but it is a fairly common part of the unemployment experience. It's easy to give advice like that from the comfort of a full time position. Had she ever been through being out of work?

Her next great plan for me to find work is to fire my CV at 'international' companies in Malmö / Lund and in Copenhagen. I struggled not to groan at the suggestion (see I had already adopted a positive attitude!) straight out of a 'how to find a job in ten easy steps' book.

Yes, it could work, but frankly it's highly unlikely as the labour market just doesn't, sadly, work that way any more. Surely working for a recruitment agency, those despicable middlemen and labour market pimps, she'd know that? But how do I know this, well I used to hire staff and have worked in quite a few companies over the years. Companies by and large hire based on having a vacancy. At that point they'll advertise (normally on job websites) and / or use a recruitment company to produce a short-list of suitable candidates. That short list (including internal candidates) is then passed on the person who has a vacancy in their team. The other problem is that most large 'international' companies also allow you to log your CV on an HR database. At what point a search for matches against suitable positions is done (if at all) is anyone's guess. The days of being able to make sure your CV lands on the desk of Mr. John Smith (or perhaps in this case Jan Johansson) are long gone.

So it seems like an exercise in utter futility to me. But wait, you may counter, surely there's nothing to be lost? Well, yes, if you're an optimist, but then again I'm a pessimist and regrettably a cynic too. At least a rejection from an actual job is some indication that you were at least considered.

In other news I've applied for a SAS (Svenska som andra språk) course. It starts in October, and I pray I get a place on it. At least being a student gives you the feeling your achieving something and some structure to your existence.