Operation: Swordfish - Mission Accomplished

It is with great pleasure that I can announce that I now have a new job, that I begin in early May.

It certainly meets the criteria I was looking for in a "better job" too. It's significantly closer (being little more than 20 minutes door-to-door), and the work I'll be undertaking is similar to that I was carrying out in the last role I was happy in.

There's also room for growth and development too, which is a plus.

Operation: Swordfish has been a success, and we all know what that means..

Expo baby!

Interview Day IV: Mitosis

Time for what has been a considerably delayed update regarding Operation: Swordfish, and my quest for more fulfilling employment. Saying considerably when my interview was only a few days ago may seem grossly over dramatic, but believe me when I tell you it has been a grueling few days; which I am still recovering from as I sit and type.

I did consider that I might write up the exploits of the day in some considerable detail, but as I'd not even reached the point of arriving at my interview, and the post was already the size of a small essay I decided to can that notion there and then; instead opting for a more Cliff Notes run down of events. It's still one hell of a long post, but it could have easily been ten times the size for all that happened on Thursday alone!

Thursday

Thursday got off to a bad start, as I woke up vomiting, aching and, with a fever. I managed to pull it together though, and get my ass to the bus stop on time.. Which was more than the bus did. The first one didn't turn up, and the second one was late; none of which helped with the general feeling of unease that was washing over me by this point.

The journey to the event was also pretty eventful. Not only did we manage to hit nearly every set of lights when they were red, but for some reason traffic was horrendous. Something that would remain true for much of the day. We also had a passenger who felt that they didn't need to pay the full fare holding up proceedings. It was not a good journey, which is the last thing you need when you're on your way to something important, and you already feel rotten.

One positive highlight of the journey however, was a phone all that I received from an agency that I had been in talks with about another job. They called me with the news that the client wanted to see me for interview, which was great. What wasn't so good however was that they wanted to see me on Friday. I'd already explained to them during a previous call that I simply wouldn't be able to do Friday, but it seems as if that fell on deaf ears.

So I was a little frustrated, but I ran over why I wouldn't be able to do Friday again, and asked if the client could meet me today. I also offered before or after work (as I had been led to believe that they weren't based too far off the route I take for my daily commute to work). At this point they agreed to try and arrange something with the client, and they told me they'd give me a call back.

Which they did! Very quickly at that. Only five minutes could have passed between that call ending, and them calling back to advise me that the client was willing to meet with me today. Brilliant I thought! That's the first thing that has gone my way today. Now all we had to do was reschedule my registration with the agency, as if we'd have kept to our previous appointment for that afternoon (2PM), making the interview on time (3PM) just wouldn't be possible.

Again I was in luck, as it transpired that the calendar of the person I needed to see was completely free other than our previous appointment, for the whole day. So I advised them that I would do what I needed to do this morning, shoot back home to retrieve the paperwork I needed as proof of identity (part of the registration process), and then go straight to them; estimating that I would be there somewhere between one and half one. They were quite happy to accommodate this, and the deal was struck.

I now had two interviews that day, for very similar roles. Mitosis in action baby!

Back to my more immediate concerns, the rest of the journey whilst not best was uneventful; and whilst behind schedule, I did make it to my first interview ahead of time. As chance would have it however, my interviewers where running behind, so I ended up sitting in the nice cool lobby for a while, which didn't go unappreciated given my sky-high temperature.

It wasn't too long before I was collected and escorted to a meeting room however, and a few minutes after that the interviewing began. 30 minutes with the head of international operations, and 30 minutes with the vice president.

Despite my fever, I kept my cool and it all went pretty well; although after the first interview I could feel my voice beginning to go (no doubt another symptom of whatever bug had set up a home in me). Me being me however I pushed on regardless, and despite my significant discomfort I kept it together.

Happy with what I had achieved, but a little worse for wear I headed home for my paperwork, and whilst I was there a top up to the medication I had taken in the morning. This time, a spray to numb my throat completely; figuring I'd soldier on through and being ill could be tomorrow's problem.

Next up was the agency, and I made it there bang on one. A few forms where filled in, and I was given a brief of what the client did, an address and, sent on my merry way with just over an hour to get there. Easy enough I thought. The agency had given me directions during the registration, and the address looked very familiar. I couldn't quite place it, but I was sure that when I got boots on the ground it would all make sense.

So I jumped on the bus and followed the directions, which led me to an industrial estate behind the local council house. After 15 minutes of searching the area however, the client was nowhere to be found. Luckily I had the address though, which means I had the postcode. So I popped that into the GPS on my phone figuring it could show me where I'd gone wrong. Instead however it told me I was miles away!

Something was very wrong here. I'd gone where I was told to go, but apparently I was nowhere near where I needed to be. Either my GPS was wrong, or the address was wrong. Neither seemed likely, so I did the only sensible thing and phoned my contact at the agency and explained the situation; and to see if we could get to the bottom of the situation. I also asked if they could phone the client and let them know that I was running behind.

So whilst one person went off to contact the client, I worked through my predicament with my personal contact at the agency; where it quickly transpired that the initial directions I had been given by them where way off. The GPS was right, and I was miles away. Bugger!

That same person then tried to give me directions to the client with just as much success as their initial attempt, causing me to double back on myself after a rather long stretch of road. By this point I was hot, bothered, sweaty, and frustrated. I was also only minutes off being late, and I hate being late.

Getting nowhere fast I went through a couple of different people in the office before it was decided that the best course of action was to meet up somewhere close to my immediate vicinity, where they would come and collect me. Which in this instance was a petrol station only a couple of minutes walk from where I was standing.

So I got there, and I waited.. And I waited.. And I waited. A good 20 minutes passed before I received a call from mobile phone not in my contacts list. This has to be the agency I figured, and sure enough it was. It was my contact, who had given me the bum directions twice, asking me where I was.

I told them I was by the petrol station as instructed, to which they replied that they had just been there but couldn't see me; but they'd be back in a couple of minutes. They couldn't see me!? I was standing out in the open. Not mention that we had met earlier in the day, so they didn't just know what I looked like, they knew what I was wearing!

Growing more frustrated by the second, I was close to giving up. Very close, and I'm not the quitting type. I feel about quitting the way I feel about being late; and whilst I had lost control over whether I was late or not, I still had both hands on the reigns of whether I threw in the towel or not. So I dug deep, and persevered. I chose not to quit.

A couple of minutes later my lift turned up, and whisked me off to my interview. They apologised, and explained that they didn't really know the area. Can you imagine that!? You're in bad shape, and have just been forced to walk miles by someone who then goes on to tell you that they were basically just guessing when they gave you that first set of directions. How do you react?

Me. I thanked them. That's not a typo, or an edit gone wrong; I genuinely thanked them. You may think that was the fever, but consider this. They may have cocked up royally when it comes to execution, but their intentions were good.

They made the interview possible by bringing it a day forward. They kept their calendar open for me even when I couldn't commit to a solid time. They gave me a brief on the company because I couldn't access the e-mail they'd sent me via my phone. When I was lost they came and picked me up.

That's not a person that you lose your rag with. That's a good person. A person who's in your corner.

I digress however, I made it to my interview some 25 minutes late; and as we pulled up it became immediately apparent just why the address was so familiar to me. I had walked past it on my way to my previous job for 2 years! 2 YEARS!! Words cannot describe the scope of just how embarrassed and stupid I felt at that point.

Still, I was hear, and it was show time! So I buzzed to be let in, was asked to take a seat and soon after that I was being interviewed. Despite all of the drama in getting there, I think it went well. I was able to answer their questions with definite and concise answers, and even though I was quite broken by this point; I was able to put on quite the dog and pony show. The situation was perfect by no means, but when I left there, I did so knowing that I had done the best with what I had been given; and I was proud of that.

Time to go home. Something that as you can probably well imagine, I was looking forward to by this point in the day. I was so far beyond physically exhausted, that it was nothing more than a speck in my rear view mirror; and quite how I was still upright at this point in the day is still a bit of a mystery to me. I was in a bad way, and my body had started to go numb, which is never a good sign. Particularly when you're out and about.

It was at this point I found out that the bus stop where I could have caught a bus home, and the bus stop where I could have caught a bus into the town center where both out of service. The bus would still pass through here, but it wouldn't stop. Mother f****r!! This meant a mile or so trek into the town center, it being closer than home, and catching a bus from there.

So, seeing little choice in the matter I pushed on and about half an hour later made it to my destination. The bus arrived not too long after I did, and finding myself a seat with a good back rest I settled in for the journey home.

Which was okay until about the midway point, where the bus came to a halt. Someone had closed the road ahead, and after a good ten minutes of debating what to do with the depot over the phone, as their radio was broken; it was decided that they'd head back to the town center and take a diversion from there. It was at this point I burst out in hysterical laughter. The situation had literally pushed me beyond the threshold of my sanity.

I had seen the town center when I used it as a hub to connect with the bus that took me to the agency. I had returned there to look behind the town hall for the clients site. It's where the petrol station was that I was picked up from, and it was where I had to walk back to in order to catch this bus. I had seen a lot of that place that day, and it seemed like everything I did just kept on pulling me back there!

This would be the last of it however, with the diversion successfully getting me home, where I promptly passed out asleep on the couch for several hours before dragging my carcass up to bed for some quality sleep.

Friday

I woke up on Friday feeling shattered. The kind of shattered that you normally feel at the end of a heavy day, followed by a late night. Thursday had certainly taken its toll, and I felt dreadful. I needed a day or two to recover, but I had a job to do. So much like the day before I dragged myself out of bed, cleaned myself up and, headed out. This time to work.

The day passed largely without incident, and again I was quite thankful when home time came around. It wasn't till I was on my second bus on the return journey that I received a call. It was the bank (the one I had interviewed with, not my bank). They asked me if I as free to talk, which I instantly knew was code for we've made a decision.

Eager to know the outcome of the interviews I said sure, and sure enough that's what the call was about. It took less than a minute to get to the point, which amounted to whilst the feedback from the interview was positive, there were stronger candidates. I was then asked how I felt about it, and whilst I was disappointed I took it on the chin. Business is business after all, so taking it personally is silly. So I told them I understood their decision and wrapped up the call after exchanging the expected pleasantries.

Less than five minutes passes, and my phone rings again; with the caller ID displaying a number I instantly recoginise as the agency I went to see yesterday. I mutter to myself, please not another knock back before picking up the call.

After exchanging, hello's and how do you do's, the topic quickly turns to yesterdays interview; and leads with the ominous "we've had feedback", much the way the previous call had. That's where it takes a twist and a turn however, as I'm told that the feedback we've had is positive and we're expecting to hear back on Monday.

So it's not a yes, but it's not a no either. This is then topped off with with the further information that the client has already rejected the other candidate that the agency sent along to interview for the role, and during the feedback not once was my tardiness mentioned. I was nearly half an hour late to an interview that had been pushed upon the client at short notice, and I still make the shortlist!

Call me crazy, but I think I'm in here! Only time will tell of course, but I'm taking the clients pause for thought as a positive. I figure there's maybe one or two other candidates in contention for the role, but to make the final few despite everything that went against me.. That tells me I made one hell of a good impression on them. Good enough to get the job? We'll soon see. Fingers crossed for me, eh guys?

Interview Day III: The Bank Job

Evening all! I'm glad to have more positive news to report with regards to Operation: Swordfish, the quest for more gainful employment, which would have made the blogosphere last night if it weren't for me running on fumes and caffeine by the time I eventually made it home. That's a story for another day though.

As you've probably guessed by the title of this post, the news is that I have another interview lined up in the near future. The very near future.. Tomorrow in fact! After a successful phone interview, one of the leads I mentioned in an earlier post (the one one with a leading financial institute, or as I've come to think of it lovingly, "The Bank Job")  has come good, offering me a very real opportunity to change my circumstances for the better.

If I get this job it'll more than halve my travel each day, and nearly quadruple the money I'm currently bringing home! Quadruple! That's one hell of a jump!

So to prepare I've been getting myself into the right mindset. I'm 99% sure that this is going to be a competency based interview, so I'm casting my mind back over my career and my achievements looking for examples of stuff I believe they're likely to want to touch upon.

Give me an example of a time when you have gone above and beyond? Tell me about how you deal with conflicting priorities? Tell me about a time you've overcome a problem? Tell me about a time when you failed to deliver upon an expectation?.. We all know the sort of questions that I'm on about.

Historically I haven't done well with these questions. I tend to come off as rather negative. Which is very easy to do under the pressure of an interview, and given the generally negative phrasing of the questions. They're almost designed to make you say the wrong thing.. They're evil!

So that's why it's all about mindset for me at the moment. Whilst I may not have a list of the exact questions they're going to ask (chance would be a fine thing), I can go in there thinking positive; with a catalogue of my achievements, successes, and the obstacles I have overcome fresh in my memory.

As I see it, this should give me the best shot. As at the end of the day whilst an interview carries the pretext of being about a job; it's really about the person, an how well that person is going to fit into the role and the team. The interviewer is asking themselves, can I work with this person going forward?

I want that answer to be a yes, and the best way to ensure that yes is to put across the best you. Being bright-eyed, bushy tailed, positive and upbeat. Take yourself to a great memory, or an event you really enjoyed and replay it in your mind. Capture what made it so good, and inject that into everything you say and do during the interview.. Just try not to sound too much like an over-excited puppy!

Wish me luck guys!

Operation: Swordfish

I got to thinking as I sat on the bus yesterday on the way to work yesterday (well one of the buses, there are three), with all I'm posting about my quest to find myself a better job; I could really use giving the whole thing a name. The first name that came to me was swordfish, and it kinda stuck.

There was something instantly quite appealing about having an overly dramatic name for something so mundane. A name that sounded like it belonged in the allied headquarters during world war two, or as the title of a low budget action movies made in the late 70's. It was an instant hit with me, so I went with it.

So what of Operation: Swordfish?

Well, there is good news and there is not so good news.

Starting with the not so good news, I didn't get the job that I interviewed for Monday. Which is a shame, but as the feedback indicated that there were candidates with direct industry experience, I totally understand their decision. Business is business, and you have to do what's best for your business. If I was in their shoes, I'd have done the same thing.

This is in a way good news though, as the reason I didn't get through to the next stage wasn't based on anything that happened at interview. Given the hard time I have been giving myself about the interviews I have had so far, it's reassuring to know that I may be being hard on myself for no good reason. Which I know sounds odd, but knowing this now does mean I'm less likely to be critical of myself in future interviews. So I'm taking it as a positive.

Now for some truly good news, all be it with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

The biggest issue I have faced by far throughout the entirety of Operation: Swordfish has been my inability to make it to interviews that I am being offered due to having bugger all in the way of annual leave. This is a problem that has now been overcome!

Basically, I said "no more". No longer was I going to be held back, and hamstrung by the situation. So, when I made it to work yesterday I asked the boss if I could have a quiet word. So, we left the office, found a quiet corner; and had a chat.

I was upfront about where I was at from the start. Me looking for work elsewhere was no secret, but I brought them up to speed with regards to what was happening. How the invites where coming in, but scheduling the time off to go to interview was a bit of a nightmare. Partly because I didn't have a lot of time off due to me, and partly because I often got next to no notice.

They were very understanding. They didn't have an issue with me taking time at zero notice, and they were happy to settle on my offer of me taking unpaid leave if it came to it. Basically, they  were very accommodating; and I like to think that karmically that's my dividend for playing it straight.

However, as happy as I am for things to have taken this course (I'm bloody ecstatic if truth be told), my signalling that I am preparing to move on has set into motion a chain of events I didn't see coming. Not an all together bad chain of events, but we now definitely have a ticking clock.

By indicating that I am coming close to finding something else, I have inadvertently forced their hand into seeking my replacement! Which is good, as it means that my time there now has a definite end in sight, but as I currently only have interviews and leads; it could result in temporary unemployment again. Which would be bad. Very bad!

So where does that leave me?

I'm still very optimistic, as whilst I could say "I only have interviews and leads", I think instead prefer to say, "I still have interviews and leads". Any one of those could turn into a job, and agents are starting to take notice of me. I had a call off one today in fact. Whilst it wasn't viable, the client they were working did remark of my CV; "This one is a beauty". So people are being positive about what I'm putting out there, and that's what I'm choosing to focus on.

I believe in me, and that's a start. Other believe in me too, and that's a bonus!

Interview Day II: This Time It's Personnel

Another day, another interview.

Not that a statement like that should be taken as me growing in the slightest bit complaisant. It's been a lot of hard word in the making. A long, hard road getting from there to here.. It's been bloody knackering. It's not been for nothing though, and it does seem as if everything is beginning to fall into place at last.

Yesterday I had my first face-to-face interview, which I think went reasonably well. It could have been smoother, but I kept the pace and didn't trip over myself too badly. I even had a good solid question to fire at the interviewer at the end of our discussion based upon research I had done on their company. So what I may have lacked in my execution, I think I more than made up for in enthusiasm and engagement.

I'm still waiting to hear back, but I'm confident.

Today was a similar story when it came to my phone interview. My execution was a little off again, and at times I'm sure what I was trying to say came out all wrong.. In fact, there were points during the interview when I thought to myself, "this is a bloody disaster! Shut up Tom! Just shut up!".

Thankfully for as many things that came out wrong, just as many hit their mark; and my interviewer wasn't being anywhere near as critical of me as I was of myself. Quite the opposite in fact, even going as far as saying, "I'm impressed" upon hearing about some of my accomplishments. Something which I won't lie, felt pretty damn good!

So putting my negativity and self-loathing to one side; this interview turned out not to be the flop I though it was turning into at one point, and I have been invited along to the next stage of interviews.

That's not all though!

Whilst I originally had just the two leads, other agencies and employers have now started coming back to me thick and fast! With two of the employers I contacted only yesterday having come back to me already, both regarding the job I applied for; and both with an additional job in tow! There was even talk of interviewing for one of those roles tomorrow. Not that I realistically could given the notice - or lack thereof.

In summary though, it's all coming together. It's just tricky working out what I should do when I only have enough annual leave left to attend one more interview, and there are so many opportunities to choose from! Not that I'm complaining about being spoiled for choice. I'm just very aware of the need to choose wisely. I have one shot, and I have to make it count.

Interview Day

Following on from my previous post, today was interview day; and all things considered I think it went well.. Although it has left me with a slight problem.

During the interview it transpired that this was only the first of two interviews, and I'm all out of annual leave. Knowing that nothing good ever comes of deceit, I'm unwilling to pull a sickie; and I know without asking that a telephone interview is out of the question.

So what to do?

Well, we all know I love a problem! I also think I already have a solution. As it's not past yet, I should be able to reallocate the annual leave I set aside for the bank holidays. It's only 1.5 days, but then again; I only need one. That's a whole point five in change. So it's not a major issue (assuming that they get back to me within the next few days, so I can jiggle stuff about before the bank holidays). Sure I'll lose the better part of a couple of days pay, but if it gets me one step closer to my end goal; I'm good with that.

Having only half a days holiday owed to me could present another problem however. My other lead came through (which is great), and whilst they're initially happy to interview over the phone (also great); they will want to follow that up with a face-to-face second stage interview if I'm shortlisted.

From what I've been told, that could be as soon as next week. So whilst I'm thrilled to have all of this coming off, there could be a few hurdles to overcome in the future. Could be is the operative phrase though. So whilst I'll try and work out a plan that makes this all magically work and keeps everyone happy, I'm more focused on the role I interviewed for today at this point in time.

A bird in the hand is after all worth two in the bush.

Better And Better

Just a short post for reasons that will become pretty obvious by the time I'm done typing. Short but joyous.

In my last post I was able to bring you the good news that I had a couple of leads that could see me cut loose from my job shaped noose, and moving on to bigger and better things. I am now happy to say that one of those leads has translated to an interview!

I also feel that I'm in with a realistic shot of getting the job too. I'll need to sit down and research the company between now and then (then being Monday) to get interview ready, but that's such a minor hurdle in the grand scheme of things that I am feeling supremely confident that this one could very well come off.

Research and prep isn't the reason why I'm keeping this post short and sweet however. Nope. That would be because it's time to make good on one of my pacts. It's SCRAWL time!

Smells Like Victory

It's always nice to have some good news to post. So it makes me incredibly happy to share with you all that things on the job front are starting to look a lot more positive.. And that my attendance of this years UK Games Expo is looking a lot more likely.

On the one hand, I have been headhunted by a leading financial institute for my analytical and reporting skills, and whilst it is far too early to say with any certainty that this will come to anything more than the phone call and couple of e-mails we have exchanged; it does look promising. They sought me out after all.

Then there's also another job prospect that looks even more solid!

This one again was just at the calls and e-mails stage; or as I like to think of it the feeling out and eyeing up stage; but in checking out the spec for the above role I noticed another e-mail from this recruiter, inviting me in for an interview next week.. At my own convenience none the less! Now tell me that doesn't sound positive and then some!

Now all I need to do is see if I can get the time off!

Wish me luck guys.

Making Time

Making time to do the things you want to do can be hard.

What with the twists and turns of responsibility that come with adulthood, it can seem that life is constantly pulling you in every other direction than the one that will allow you to embrace your inner child.

It's a bit of a problem.. And we all know how I feel about problems. They're there to be solved!

This one as it turns out, wasn't too difficult to solve. After sitting down and analysing the problem at hand; I determined that there were two main causes for my shortfall in free time.

Procrastination & tradition.

Not a lot of time went into working out that procrastination was a bit of a problem (thankfully, as the irony wouldn't have been lost on me). If I'm sitting around doing nothing, that time has to come from somewhere; and it can't be from the time needed to do the things I actually need to do!

That means it must be coming from my free time, so it's a bad habit that I need to kick. Hard!

Tradition however took me a bit longer to spot, but I'm glad I did. This covers things like always doing my job search on a Saturday, and my food shop on a Friday.. When there's no need!

I do these things at those times because generally speaking it's what I've always done. It's tradition.

Now you may think that moving things about doesn't solve much. It still takes the same amount of time, right? Well, yes, but there are other ways of being more efficient other than just reducing the time taken to do something. For example, I moved my job search to a Monday morning, before I go to work.

On the one hand, I'm losing a couple of hours in bed; but on the other hand I have just completely freed up my Saturday as a result of giving up that time. I call that a win. Not to mention all the other positive effects that come with the breaking of tradition in this instance..

• It's early, so there are less things to distract me. As a result my job search is more focused.

• You can almost guarantee that your job application will be one of the first e-mails they open (by aiming to be the last e-mail they receive before they get to the office).

• Psychologically speaking, experience has taught me that recruiters generally prefer early birds.

So, besides the benefits that come with freeing up my Saturday, it also stands me in better stead for achieving my other on-going goal of securing a "better" job. All just for the sake of saying, "to hell with that tradition".

This is only the start of things to come too. There are still plenty of things that I do, when I do them, just because I always have. Time to have a serious think about how I'm spending my time.. Just not for too long. Procrastination and all. ;0).

UK Games Expo: T-Minus Two Months

Time really does fly. It seems like only yesterday that I had a whole brand new year ahead of me.

Yet here we are, April 2nd. Four months and change into that new year, and two months away from the UK Games Expo. Not that it looks like I'll be going this year. Not at this rate. Not unless I pull my finger out at least.

This all goes back to the pact that I made with myself:

"If I don't have a better job by the time expo (the UK Games Expo) comes round, then I don't get to go"

Those were my words, and I intend to honor their intent.

Now I know some people may find it strange if I don't end up going because of this. That I don't end up doing something I want to do, when the only factor stopping me is my own stubborn pride; but I think it's important. After all, if I went back on my word so easily what good is my word?

So it's less about being stubborn and prideful, and more about my word being my bond; and the value I place in that.

Making good on this particular pact in time for this years expo however is going to be a push. Not that I mind hard work, but given all the graft that I am already putting in with regards to job hunting; it's hard to see what more I can realistically do.. Still, I'm not one to admit defeat that easily.

The way I see it, you haven't lost until you've given up.

So with every fruitless job hunting session, rejection, and set back; I'll just pick myself up, dust myself off, and press onward. It isn't over until the fat lady sings!

Where There's A Will, There's A Way

I'm good at solving problems. Give me a problem, no matter how big; and give me enough time, and I'll give you a solution. Effectively needing to be in two places at once though. That's a tricky one, even for me.

That was the problem I found myself facing with my last update however.

In summary of that post, my current temporary job is ass, but being a responsible adult I wasn't going to pull a sickie to attend a job interview; something which seems on a par with starting a long-term relationship with the married person you're having an affair with. However, having only accrued only half a days holiday in the short time I have been there, I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Something I wasn't happy about in the slightest.

As the title of the post says though, "where there's a will, there's a way"; and I am nothing if not an extremely strong-willed individual.

The Problem

So the problem is that I needed to find a way of attending an interview, when realistically I didn't have anywhere the time I needed to do so.

The Solution

Initially I had thought that a possible course of action was to only apply for jobs along my route to work. That way, I could plump for an early morning interview without any need for taking time off at all. A solid plan.

Where I work may be out of the way, but I pass through a couple of hubs along the way; either of which would be ideal, both for this plan to work, and to work in long term.

The city center is however where the majority of the jobs are, and it's about 3 hours in the wrong direction from my current workplace. So whilst I had managed to think my way out of a dead-end, I was still far from home and dry. I needed a plan B.

Then it hit me when I was in the bath this morning, getting ready for work. Telephone interviews! Sure, not every employer is going to go for it, but for those that do; I can quite literally be in two places at once! I guess it depends on how impressed they are with my CV, and what the job is; but I feel quietly confident that this could work.

So that's what I'm going to trial. If I can't make it physically, I'll ask if they'd be happy doing it over the phone; explaining my reasons. What's the worst that could happen? They say no. Big woop! If I didn't ask, the answer's already a no by default.

Don't ask. Don't get!

Permission To Say Cock?

Today has been a good news, bad news kind of day. Luckily it has weighed more towards the good, but I hit one hell of a road block this afternoon. It went a little something like this.

Good  news: One of the nine jobs I applied for this morning resulted in a callback before I even made it to work.
Bad  news: They didn't want to put me forward for the job I applied for, but rather a different lower paid job.

Good news: The lower paid job seemed like a sure thing. I had the experience, and I was being offered an interview.
Bad news: Checking with my current agency, I had only accrued half a days holiday.

Good news: I only work part-time; so in my mind half a day is a day.
Bad news: The agency couldn't give me a straight answer on how many hours half a day translated into, and my placement wasn't much more help. To boot, the boss is out of the office until the day after the latest possible interview date.

Basically, I was screwed. Screwed for playing it straight, when I could just as easily have phoned in sick that day; safe in the knowledge that the odds of it biting me the ass were out there with being struck by a meteorite on the same day that I won the lottery.. A lottery that I don't even play!

Playing it straight has nothing to do with my concerns about being caught though. It's about the principle. People were amazed when I explained to them today that I was both previously a bookie, and an honest one at that. The agency I currently work for was surprised when I phoned them last Friday, as I thought I had been overpaid considerably (turned out it was a tax rebate). Just as much as I'm sure my playing it straight in this situation would surprise the people who know how desperately I want to get my ass out of that hellhole!

Playing it straight IS always the right thing to do though. Honesty IS the best policy. Integrity IS everything.

Sure, playing it straight isn't always easy, but who ever said that doing the right thing was easy?  I'll still find my way out, and I'm not giving up. It's just that no matter how much you want something, it's not worth giving up what you believe in to get it.. At least that's what I believe.

The Early Bird Catches The Worm

Or should that be that be the early bird catches the work, as the original typo for this post read? It'd certainly be apt!

As most of you I am sure know by this point, I am not exactly happy in the job I am currently in for a number of reasons. Namely, the people, the job itself, the distance I have to travel every sodding day just to earn my unimpressive wage. It has bugger all going for it, other than not being unemployment; and I've not been shy about it.

Rather than simply resigning myself to complaining about it however; I've decided to take the initiative and do something about it. Don't get me wrong, I still find the time to complain about it. I just can't help but feel all that complaining is little more than wasted energy.

Complaining, bitching, and whining aside however, when I found myself up with the dawn chorus this morning I was overjoyed. For most people, being awake so early might serve as a bit of an annoyance. Even more so, if as in my case they don't clock on until 11:00.. But no, I see this as a positive. It's something I was even hoping for when I turned in last night!

For me the first plus of waking up so early is the shear pleasantry of being woken by bird song as opposed to two (yes TWO) overbearing alarm clocks. Waking naturally also puts a certain spring in your step. Something you just don't get from being jarred from your slumber by by two screeching electronic harpies.

The second, and the reason I wanted an early start to begin with was so that I could look for work! This is something that I wanted to do yesterday evening, but honestly after a 4 hour round commute, and the company of my colleagues for 5 hours I was too mentally drained to do my best work; and applying for jobs is all about showing perspective employers the best possible you. Something that is hard bordering on the impossible when you're that exhausted.

Which brings us to here, now, and a couple of hours to play with that I wouldn't otherwise have.

Time to get cracking! Time to get job hunting!

A Game Of Moans

You might think that finding yourself living a fantasy epic would be pretty cool. Let me tell, you; it gets old, fast!

When I started up in my most recent role only a few weeks ago I thought to myself, "what a nice bunch of guys". The commute (nearly two hours each way) was crap, and the pay wasn't much better but at least the people I'd be working with were a decent bunch; which from past experience goes a long way towards making a job workable. I was wrong though. So so wrong.

I can't believe I fell for it!

In my defense though, it does stagger  belief to think that so many conflicting personalities and agendas could be crammed into such a small office. At least in Game of Thrones they had a whole continent to work with! Here we're talking little beyond 25 square feet. Still, for its size, it seems to have harnessed quite a collection of volatile personalities.

Each personality with it's own agenda, and more than a fistful of gripes and snipes for all the people in the very same, small and sinking boat

As much as they're all in this for themselves however; their selfishness does not preclude them striking together like a pack of hyenas picking off the weak and wounded in activity that falls nothing short of bullying. The victim of which has now left the company.

As you can well imagine, adjusting to such an environment has been rather a lot to take in, and keeping one eye on your back with the other on your work at all times is exhausting. Not to mention the difficulty in having to deal daily with behavior that I find highly reprehensible.

So what to do?

Well, I could take the official route and direct my concerns towards management. It is however the lack of authority in the little management that we have that has allowed the pack to run wild; as I have no doubt that they too have seen what I have seen. They just can't do anything about it, being both outnumbered and inexperienced.

I could seek to best the pack at their own game. I have no doubt that I could, but what would that really achieve? I'd end up dragging myself through the muck in the gutter, and I'd be no better than they are. So, not really a viable choice.

No, what I have decided is that the best role in a situation mirroring the Game of Thrones universe, if a role must be played at all, is that of the reader / viewer. That is understanding that just because I can see into this world; I don't have to become a part of it, or allow it to become a part of me.

That is only a band-aid though, and I know it.

Being in this environment for the short time I have has already taken a swipe at my health, and I have to admit I am finding it hard to write and concentrate at the moment. Even stringing together simple sentences is difficult. With getting as far as I have with writing this current post taking well over two hours! That's ridiculous. Ridiculous, and not good!

Nil desperandum

I'm not giving up though. I never give up, and when things get tough; well I just push harder.

So I've hit the job search hard today, and made a pact with myself. One that I feel pretty certain will help me push on when times are hard. The pact is that if I don't have a better job by the time expo (the UK Games Expo) comes round, then I don't get to go.. And I want to go! Also no buying board games until things pick up either. Even post expo.

It might seem unusual to some people to sanction yourself when what you really need is support; but I prefer to think of it as tough love. I need a focus, so I'm giving myself one. Something I can look forward to if I achieve my goal, as opposed to something I have to reflect upon every working day that my goal goes unrealised.

Here's to making expo happen this year!