Monday, July 02, 2007

It's been a busy week...

Last Thursday morning I had a job interview in Watford. Getting there was a bit of a pain and expensive because the interview was at 10am and thus peak fares apply on the train (no Railcard discount). Anyways, although it was a bit of a hassle now I know where the place is and a couple of alternative buses that will get me to and from there, it won't be so bad when I go back for my second interview tomorrow afternoon. I am pleased to have got called back for a second interview as it must mean that I said something half-intelligent at the last one and presumably ticked some right boxes on the form that the lady from HR was furiously filling in. The company looked as if it would be a nice place to work; the people I met were friendly, the offices were smart and clean and from reading the staff magazine it seems like a place where the staff are looked after and well treated.

The only negatives are that the job is in Watford and on an industrial estate, so nowhere exciting to go at lunch, the pay doesn't appear that great and travelling would be about 3 hours a day (door to door). The way I am looking at it at the moment is that this is good interview experience and if and it is probably a big if they make me an offer of the right salary package I will take the job and look to move a bit closer say in 6 months ,after I've settled in.

My current work is being a bit awkward about it all. I found out about my second interview last Friday and asked my manager if I could leave at 3pm tomorrow (interview is at 4.30pm) and make the two hours up tomorrow and Wednesday. Apparently what appears such a reasonable request is wholly unreasonable simply because I won't tell my manager why I need to leave early. Somehow I don't think telling her that I am going for an interview would have been a big vote winner, lol! So, I've had to take a half-day's leave, which is completely stupid as it means that I will now be out of the office for a whole afternoon instead of just a couple of hours, which I would have made up anyway. Arrghh!

I've had a lot of interest in my CV on Monster as well, which is pleasing. I 'phoned one agency back last Thursday and they are going to contact me when they get some vacancies around the salary I am currently on. They'll be jobs in or around Milton Keynes. I've had two further messages today from agencies, which I'll deal with tomorrow. In addition I also applied for another job where I currently work, although working in a different area and with someone who I've had lots of dealings with over the years and respect and like. If that comes through it would be nice and a bit of a bonus on the salary front as well.

I feel positive about things at the moment and know that I can get myself a new job and a new challenge, just choosing the right one will be the difficult part.

Last Wednesday was a retirement lunch for my former manager. I hadn't been invited, which I admit I wasn't pleased about although on reflection it seems that it was an oversight rather a deliberate decision not to invite me. As it happens I went anyway as no one else in my former team would go. The reasons why were petty and stupid and I thought a real slap in the face to the manager. After all none of them had the courtesy or the courage to say to her face the real reasons why they weren't coming and I thought it was a horrible and cruel gesture. Nevertheless, the lunch was nice and a 2-hour break away from the office!

The weekend I was in Feltham for my friend Tim's 30th birthday. The BBQ was somewhat ruined by the wet weather although it still went ahead and we all had a good time. The weather has ruined this evening as well as I was supposed to be watching the Twenty-Twenty cricket at Campbell Park but the match was abandoned due to the pitch presumably being unplayable.

This weekend I am heading off to Pompey to see my parents, so another weekend away, the third in a row, lol!

Fingers crossed for tomorrow at the moment...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

not too sure about the job in watford,but if the salary is that good so as to make up for the three hour journey...???
hmmm...

Anonymous said...

So how was the weekend?

I've been updating my blog:

www.presentmoment2007.blogspot.com

xx