New Cycling Tester Job

[Turbo Rider]

Interview over...

Beautifully done! Luckily enough though, my actual name is not Turbo Rider.

 

[Hip Priest]

I've got my CV dialled-in and my covering letter can take anything you care to throw at it, and more.

 

[outlash]

I'd fully expect the successful applicant to fully up to speed with all these words/phrases in this thread: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/oft-heard-cycling-phrases-that-get-on-your-nerves.173000/

Tony

 

[smutchin]

@smutchin might have some insight into that side of the industry. I expect writers aren't that well paid (as journalism & cycling industry generally)

Depends what you think of as well paid. Certainly not as well paid as bus driving! But probably better than working on the checkout at Tesco. Generally, pay on magazines and newspapers is commensurate with circulation - if you want to make a decent living out of it, your best bet is to get a job on the Mail or the Sun. Based on the ad, it looks like a pretty junior position, so infer what you will from that.

I applied for a job on CW a few years ago but the conversation didn't progress any further after they told me what the salary would be. However, I was rather over-qualified and experienced for the position (in terms of seniority, my current position is at least two rungs higher up the ladder) but was tempted by the promise of working on a cycling mag. If you're a budding young hack with a keen interest in bikes, it would be a great job and definitely the best way to get a toe in the door of the industry.

Also I know some of the people who work on the cycling mags at IPCTime Inc and they're a good crowd.

 

[smutchin]

"It is a full-time position, based at our offices in Croydon"

How quaint.

It's 2015, couldn't they cast their net a bit (lot) wider and make it remote working?

Can't help but think they've got the kit testing model wrong. They want someone fulltime. How much stuff are they testing?

Why not reach out to keen cyclists who would ride and test in their spare time?

You might be surprised just how time-filling the job could be - don't expect to be clocking off at 5pm every day. Also, the nature of such a job means that being based in the office is pretty much essential. I've been working on magazines for 18 years and though the idea of working remotely has often been bandied about (usually by the bosses as a cost-cutting measure), I know from experience that it isn't practical or efficient.

I've also worked on a restaurant guide, for which many of the reviews were farmed out to enthusiastic amateurs who did it in their spare time. Absolute farking nightmare from a logistical point of view.

 

[smutchin]

We welcome applications from all backgrounds, but with two crucial prerequisites: you can write clearly and accurately, and you already have good knowledge of road bikes and associated technology.

A word of warning to anyone thinking of applying for this job: the required standard on both counts is likely to be considerably higher than most people imagine.

 

[shadow master]

Oh my god calling all bearded ex school teachers from Crewe.....Time to get your warped ideas in to print in this comic!

 

[Turbo Rider]

A word of warning to anyone thinking of applying for this job: the required standard on both counts is likely to be considerably higher than most people imagine.

Thanks for all of that Smutchin. Certainly food for thought. I'm completely unqualified in any respect, I think, and if it's junior, as everyone suspects, I have kids to feed so I might just have to pop the dreams on hold. I was thinking of it as more of an addition to an already hectic life, or as a job split between the potential of bus driving and adding that in on top so I can hit what I earn already. Sounds unlikely, but I'll make an enquiry and see what they say. Never know, they may have something else on a freelance, occasional or part time basis. I'd probably even do it for free to be honest, just for a shoe in and contacts. Much obliged sir

 

[Shut Up Legs]

you’ll hit your deadlines every single time
​

That's me out.

Me too. I prefer not to hit anything when I'm on my bike!

 

[smutchin]

I'd fully expect the successful applicant to fully up to speed with all these words/phrases in this thread: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/oft-heard-cycling-phrases-that-get-on-your-nerves.173000/

Tony

Being able to drop the phrases "lateral stiffness" and "vertical compliance" into any discussion of any bike is a prerequisite.

 

[screenman]

Here's hoping it's a double bluff then

£65,000 and I got the job without an interview.








Is that a double bluff?

 

[Turbo Rider]

£65,000 and I got the job without an interview.








Is that a double bluff?

No. It's two bluffs. To avoid further confusion, this is a double buff...

 

[Oldbloke]

A bit far for me to commute...and the thought of using all those dreaded phrases