wigglewhiz | Entries tagged with work gaaah

I decided to give myself a weekend off from the 'quake coverage, because it was becoming all-consuming and I think was contributing in large part to my weird emotional state last week. It didn't really work, because I've dipped in and out of the news all weekend - but at least I didn't sit there glued to it, and I think I've given myself a much-needed bit of emotional space.

I built a barbecue that we bought on sale on Monday. We don't have a gas bottle for it yet, so it's sitting in the garage all newly-made, pristinely clean and virginal, waiting for that first sausage/burger/delicious butter-slavered foil-wrapped corn cob. All the while we was building it, Himself and I were congratulating ourselves on the fact that we now finally have an Emergency Cooking System in the event of a natural disaster. Way to keep It our of your mind, there, Wiggle!

Himself and I started painting the guest bedroom, in preparation for

suzycat 's inaugural visit. It'll also be used later by Whizmum and Roo towards Christmastime, and I've been slowly buying in nice things to make it a lovely room to stay in. Like the rest of the house, the room has the "coloured feature wall" scheme of decorating, which to be honest I'm not a fan of. However, I'll stick with it - but I'm not sticking with the horrible mid-to-deep blue in the guest room, and instead have opted for a soothing soft green. Bringing the painting forward did two things - made me feel like I was doing something for

suzycat , in a weird and mostly impotent and irrelevant kind of way, and gave me a great deal of kind of zen type peaceful enjoyment. I always loved painting and decorating my spaces, and it's been two years since I was able to. I'll probably get in trouble with the Letting Agent for changing the property without permission, but I REALLY don't care at this point.

I gave myself Saturday and Sunday morning off from talking about work. Or thinking about work. That didn't really work either, because I did talk about it and think about it a bit. I mostly spent Saturday Skyping with Whizmum and chatting online with a good friend, and naturally the work thing came up. *sigh* I've decided that I need to let go of being concerned that my team might be edgy and nervous about having a new manager, and not take responsibility for that. I need to just be myself, go through my normal decision-making process and stand my ground. Some of my decisions may be wrong and/or unpopular, but that's mine to bear. The only way they can get rid of me is to put a complaint in to my boss, and as long as I stick my usual decision-making and thinking processes, they won't have a leg to stand on if they do that.

I also bought more booze and chocolate, and have consumed some more quantities of both. WHAT?!

Current Mood: determined
Current Location: New Zealand

So, yesterday I was due to meet my counterpart in Dunedin. It's a two and a half hour drive to Dunedin. It has a one way system.

You remember the last time I tried to go to Dunedin.

This time I was going to be driving myself! Alone! To a part of Dunedin I had never been before! GUARANTEED FAIL!

( AND IT WAS. )

In other news: I GOT MY FLIP! I'm in ur house, recordin stuff out mah nut. Prepare for Wigglewhiz School Of Nausea-Inducing Camerawork Video Journalism! WOOT WOOT!!1!

Current Mood: exhausted
Current Location: NOT DUNEDIN

In the words of our favourite internet star of the moment (well... probably of 20 minutes ago, but since he's now featuring in TV advertising in New Zealand it's current for us) - WHAT DOES IT MEEEEEEEEEEEAN?!

( COWORKERS DO NOT RESPECT MAH AUTHORITAY, THAT'S FUCKING WHAT! )

GAH.

Current Mood: tired

So that was the week that was. Huh. Is it Saturday? I think it might be Saturday. Is daytime? Do I have to get out of bed? Whuh?

I started work on Monday. I was very nervous - this is my first proper, "official" managerial role instead of being the unofficial manager and general "go to" guy who does all the work with none of the big bikkies. I has a team of staff! Who do work like ensuring the hospital has enough doctors to, you know, TREAT PEOPLE and deal with EMERGENCIES and other important stuff! Yay!

O_O

It's been rilly, rilly interesting. The people have been SUPER nice, and I've had people (general staff, doctors, hospital management) popping by the office all week to say hi and welcome me aboard. Which is all very nice. They were also very organised (which I am not used to), and had a WORKING IT LOG ON and an EMAIL ADDRESS (omg!) and even a Security IT Card all ready for me on day one! WTH?!

I've had a few minor stoushes (sidenote, fact fans: this is annoyinly pronounced stowsh [singular] here in Noo Zillund, but stoosh back home) for me to deal with - and some weird stuff where one of my staff members has escalated something fairly minor to me, but when a majorly important problem happene she went straight to a Clinical Director without involving me at all. I think she just didn't want to deal with the Doctor in Minor Stoush Number 1, and kind of forgot that I was ever THERE for Major Stoush Number 2. I'm thinking this is kind of OK at the moment, given that it's my first week and she's been having to deal with these issues on her own with no managerial support for the last two months, but... yeah. Something for me to keep an eye on for future.

Also, she's Scottish. Which is hugely entertaining to all. We're thinking of erecting a Saltire and stocking the fridge with Irn Bru. I think we're probably going to make each other's accents worse and start speaking like totally hyperfastandnobodywillunderstandanythingwesay,knowwhatImean?

The Scottish Girl seems very knowledgable, has a good relationship with all the doctors, and seems VERY hardworking. This is all great stuff. She *might* have a little bit of a short fuse, though - so I'll need to keep an eye on that and be ready to step in and just calm things down a little bit. Diplomacy! Tact! OMG THEY HAVE THE WRONG PERSON FOR THAT!!1! ;o)

I've already done a few little things in my first week - flagging up an inaccurate article about our DHB on the internet, and having it taken down. I'm figuring it'll show that not only am I keeping an eye out for the organisation, but I also have a good handle on the main problems we have - retaining staff, keeping good relationship with the union, etc. Good, yes? I also have a few processes in my sights for some minor tweaks and improvements, and some thoughts on how we can do a little better already (mainly just things to focus on, I don't have real solutions yet). My first meeting with my boss is on Feb 4, so I should be able to meet her with a few proposals even in these early days, so... good? Bad? BOLSHY? Dunno.

The main thing is, CHRIST I AM SO TIRED. Even though I spent last week getting up at 7 am to get myself into more of a routine (and tire myself out more so that I wasn't up all night as usual), it's still be a real shock to the system. Part of that is just getting back into that routine of early nights and mornings again, and BEING ORGANISED about getting lunches organised the night before, blah blah blah. The other part of it is just that mental energy it takes you to stay focussed and anticipate things in a new job - trying to remember names and roles and faces and processes and and and... GAH!

All in all, it's been a good first week. I'm a bit nervous of the four weeks to come, when Scottish Girl is off on holiday FOR FOUR WEEKS to go back home (WTH?), and Other Girl who I haven't yet met arrives. Hm. BUT, the people are nice, the work seems challenging in a good (and interesting and meaningful) way, and I'm feeling pretty upbeat about everything.

I MAY be getting paid on Monday, which would be SUPER AWESOME. If not, I'll get paid two weeks on Monday, which is also totaly doable. I've already been spending in anticipation, buying in some nice things for the Guest Room which will first be utlided by

suzycat (yay!) and then later in the year by Whizmum and Roo. I've also bought loads of WORK CLOTHES, which is exciting - although not nearly as exciting and frustration-free as when I'm not looking like A FUCKING BLIMP, OMG. O_O I bought New Rules Of Lifting For Women after reading some of

evil_spice 's journals, but it has not yet turned up in the fabled NZ Post. *sigh*.

I am also currently eating Peanut Butter ice cream, which is not really so conducive to non-blimpishness. But it's my L'Oreal ice cream - it's been a long week, and I'M WORTH IT. So there.

ETA: I have also had two pear ciders and half a bottle of wine, so I may be slightly tipsy. o_O I am totally giving you the drunken squint eye of HEYYYYYYYY BABYYYYYY right naow. Also, it's my excuse for typos and why I am not correcting them SO THERE AGAIN. BOOYAH!

Current Mood: tired

*ahem hem*

Ladies and gentlemen.

It gives me great pleasure to announce:

Job Applications: 13
Interviews: 6
JOB OFFERS: 1

YEAH, BABY!

Company S called this afternoon (actually, they called earlier, all "We can't get a hold of your last referee, could you prod them for us?" and I freaked out and called Company P, all "DUDES! I know he's the CEO and he's BUSY, but I need someone to call this chick so I can get a job and can EAT for the next wee while! HELLO?! DON'T MAKE ME COME BACK UP THERE MOFO!!1!", and presumably they were pretty scared by the thought of me back in their office and called the woman) and have offered me the job.

So. Happy.

Happy doesn't really cut it. I put the phone down and went SQUEEEEEEEE!!! really loudly and largely involuntarily. I think I may even have clapped my hands gleefully like a certain weirdo brother of a certain Asshat Ex used to do (and we always laughed at him for it, so... yeah, someone laugh at me. I totally deserve it).

I have NO IDEA what the salary will be. They're sending me an offer letter via email tomorrow morning, so I shall see then. Hopefully it should be reasonable and won't take the edge off my present buzz. Slightly bad news is that I won't actually START until 17th January, so we'll most likely have to make do with our current single income for two months yet (because I won't be paid until February), which is kind of awkward and difficult and poop, but HEY! I HAZ A JOB!!1!

AND IT'S NOT PAYROLL!

YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

(apologies for unnecessary use of multiple colours, but well - is orange. For Horatio. Is teh law.)

Current Mood: ecstatic
Current Location: New Zealand

I haven't had a call from Company S.

I've spent a horrifyingly tense, lo-o-o-o-ong day waiting... just waiting, plowing my way through a family size bag of cookies (helpful) and trying not to lose my shit.

One of my references texted me in a tizz that she'd missed a call at 4:30pm. FUCK.

The other called me just after 5 to say that she'd had the call. And that she'd given me an excellent reference, so everything is sweet! Oh, apart from this one thing I just wanted to run by you - she asked me about any training and development you might need? And I couldn't think of anything. And then at the end I said I suppose you could do with some leadership training. I've no experience of you as a Team Leader, so I thought that might be something that would be good for your development. Is that OK? Did I say something wrong?

O_O

No. No, you just told a prospective employer that I need Leadership training and that you had no experience of me being a Team Leader.

AS A REFERENCE FOR A TEAM LEADER ROLE.

*sigh*

This referee left Company P before I acquired my two staff members (which... if I'm being totally honest didn't technically report into me. But since I was solely responsible for their training, delegating and monitoring their work, I decided it counted as leadership experience).

Now I'm thinking my referee - well intentioned, and a good friend - may have just made me look like a liar in my application.

And that a promising opportunity might just have turned into a puff of smoke.

Fuck.

Current Mood: sick
Current Location: New Zealand

Well, that was very interesting. Met with the COO and the new CMO in one of the lovely old buildings of the hospital.

Turns out, they weren't meeting anyone except me. O_O

They told me a few things about the job and the set up, and how they're moving into a strategic planning phase, and blah blah blah. The CMO asked me a question about my work style - did I plan on managing the team by standing back (since they are very good workers) or by getting involved and doing the work myself? I said a bit of both - I want to know I can do the job of the people I manage in case there are workload or absence issues, etc. But I also don't shy away from making decisions and pushing things through or USING MAH AUTHORI-TAY.

The COO said that she hadn't contacte my references yet, but that "obviously, since we've called you back in to chat it's very positive!" She will be contacting my references when she's back from a business trip on Friday, and has said she'll let me know by the end of Friday.

I'm.... kind of thinking that if all goes well with my references (which it certainly should do), then I might be looking at a job offer on Friday. W00t w0000000000000000000000000000t!!1! Of course, I am not counting chickens or anything yet - I will believe it when I have a contract clasped in my grubby sweaty hands while I maniacally laugh.

*keeps fingers crossed*

Current Mood: excited
Current Location: New Zealand

Today's been a weird day. Yesterday was... well, stressful. Today's been weird.

( Cue self-indulgent waffle of randomness! )

And now the actually relevant newsy news after all that pointless ramble - I got a call from Company S. They want me to come back to the office tomorrow at noon for a "half hour informal chat about the position" with the COO and the Chief Medical Officer, who is new (very new... like arrived from overseas this week new) to the post, and to whom I would be reporting should I get the job.

I'm thinking this sounds really positive! I mean, it's not IN TEH BAG or anything, but I imagine they can't be having more than 2 or 3 people coming in for informal chats to meet this guy, and presumably he'll have the final say. Kind of a personality contest, i.e. Does He Think He Can Work With These Applicants? JOB IDOL: THE FINALE. I am crossing my fingers and toes and eyes and EVERYTHING and really hoping that I can turn this into a job offer. Wish me luck - I really, really need a fucking break right about now.

Current Mood: hopeful
Current Location: New Zealand

SO!

This afternoon was my interview with Company S. I was SICK with nerves last night, and had a very upset stomach today - I always get a very grumbly, sickie kind of feeling when nervous. Never really anything else - no headaches, and no butterflies... unless they're massive, churning, cramping, barfing butterflies. Also gassy. TMI! YAY! I should have posted my poop schedule on Bhuz.

Anyway! I decided randomly to wash my hair again this morning for the interview, since it was looking a bit flat and lank (too much anti-frizz serum, Ms. Whiz!). That... is quite an undertaking, so that ate two hours from 10 til 12. Gah. Then, quite unlike myself, I DID MY MAKEUP EARLY. I know. Who is this organised person and what is she doing in my bathroom?!

They'd emailed me yesterday to ask me to come in about 20 minutes before my interview time so that they could provide me with the "scenarios" they'd be asking me about. Erk. Made it in plenty of time, and the scenarios weren't particularly troublesome (and kind of predictable given the role, sio no major surprises).

The interview panel (of three) were very pleasant, friendly, and I felt quite comfortable. They asked a few questions about my career history and plans down here in the far south, then moved on to asking about the scenarios. I think I gave some pretty good answers (and was light on the waffle for once!), although they did ask me some supplemental, clarificationy type questions for two of the scenarios - nothing MAJOR that I'd missed, just little things that they wanted to bring me out on, I think.

In all, I *think* it went pretty well. The lead interviewer (the Chief Operating Officer) said herself without any prompting or justification from me that she thought the issue might be that I had no experience in the medical field, but that she felt my background at Company P was very transferrable. Yay! They ended the interview with asking if they could contact my references, so.... that sounds like a good thing, right? They also clarified my long term plans (because they want someone in the role for a good while, not a fly-by-night job hopper, which I kind of appear to be from my CV thanks to temporary contracts). Sound positive? I'm kind of thinking that it does and daring to hope a little.

The job looks interesting - challenging, but I think in a good way. I think I'd be good at it, and am ITCHING to get involved. I won't be DEVASTATED if I don't get it, it's not like it's my absolute OMG DREAM JOB, but I think it would be really good. They're hoping to make their decision within a week. WHICH WOULD BE AWESOME, because I have no patience and I hate to wait.

All good luck wishes, prayers for my job (as opposed to jobbie), non-animal sacrifices, fortune cookie sentiments etc gratefully accepted, dudes! (Particularly if the fortune cookie sentiments come with actual fortune cookies. NOM NOM NOM)

Current Mood: hopeful
Current Location: New Zealand

Well.

That was totally pointless.

I went to my interview with the LOLCEO - he was very nice, very pleasant, very chatty. BUT. A terrible, terrible interviewer. Just... just awful.

He'd obviously read my CV and my project documents - but hadn't taken any notes on it or anything. Hadn't decided what he wanted to ask me about. CLEARLY hadn't actually thought about what he wanted this role to be (it's a new role), and how to ask questions that drew out the skills that he wanted the successful candidate to have - because he did not ask me ONE relevant question.

No, seriously. Here's some of the questions he asked me:

What brought you down South?
Is your partner a Kiwi, or is he Scottish too?
What does your partner do? Really? What does that entail?
Where's the rest of your family?
Hey, you were an Events Organiser! (uh... SIX YEARS AGO) What was that like?
So you used to work for Company P, eh? They've really changed direction recently, haven't they? (uh.... yes? And?)

Nothing really relevant to MY ACTUAL SKILLS. Nothing relevant to THE POSITION HE'S ADVERTISING. It was like he was obviously a good talker, and good with people - and he really thought that that was enough to be a good interviewer. It was SUCH hard work, trying to re-phrase his question in a way that I felt was meaningful for the skills I ASSUMED he was looking for, and then providing a good answer to that question. And it was AGONISING - loooooong moments of silence as he randomly flicked back through my CV and project details and pondered what to ask next. AGONY. At the end, he couldn't even answer the question I asked (about on averag what kind of sixe of company do they tend to work with most), and instead waffled something largely irrelevant about the history of the software.

Oh, and also, despite the advert stating that they provide Payroll, HR & Accounting software, he said that the Payroll & HR sides were minimal. And that I "may have picked that up from the advert". Uh, no, dude, because your advert stated "Payroll, HR & Accounting Software Solutions". I clearly marketed myself to you as a Payroll & HR Specialist. WHY ARE WE WASTING EACH OTHER'S TIME?!

He said he thought I might have a problem with the Sales side of things. He said he was going to be running the vacancy advert for a little while longer, because he hadn't had many replies - he's been advertising in various channels for about three weeks, apparently. He'll be in touch within about 10 days to at least let me know where he was with that. He didn't ask for any references, and he didn't discuss any salary details.

Yeah. I don't think I've got it, and I'm really not that disappointed by that thought. I just wish he'd put more thought into what he wanted from the position, written a better job description for the advert, and thought about what he needed to ask in the interview - it would have been a bit less like pulling teeth, at least!

Onto the next one - Company S on Thursday afternoon. Wish me luck while I tilt at more windmills!

Current Mood: quixotic
Current Location: New Zealand

Toodling around the company's website yesterday, I discovered that the guy who emailed me from his Blackberry yesterday was the CEO and founder.

Uh... yay?

Current Mood: cynical
Current Location: New Zealand

So!

I had... a very bad day yesterday. I discovered an hithertofore (woot! Random unwieldy lengthy obscure old term! Possibly used incorrectly! But I like it, so FNAR!) unbeknown (Score 2! BOOYAH!) to me hole in the finances. Like... a BIG hole. One which caused a SERIOUS problem. A serious, non-rent-paying, can't buy any food for the pantry again, DEAR GOD WHAT WILL WE DOOOOOOOOOO kind of problem.

There were tears. Oh, many, many tears. It was... horrible. Himself and I had to... Have A Serious Talk About Our Relationship.

There was an emergency phone call to Ma back home, who has bailed me out of a hole YET AGAIN. Again. I love my mum (much as I know we both have our issues and can set each other off), and I love the fact that she's always there for me. I HATE HATE HATE that I have to rely on that. I hate that I am THIRTY THREE fucking years old and my mother still bails me out. I hate that my mum is the only income earner (at the moment, as her partner is currently setting up his own business), and as such things are tight for her - and yet she still bails me out of my problems.

I hate that I owe her about a squillion pounds by now, and that's not including food I ate as a child or anything (as if she was Agnes Skinner, you know), and I don't currently have any way of being able to pay her back for the forseeable future.

More than anything, I hate the fact that the money she is now sending to me is money that she WOULD have been using to come over here to see me, and that therefore now she can't do that. And I miss her so much.

I also saw a job advert yesterday. A PAYROLL ONE. Well, a vaguely payroll related one. (See my previous entry on why Payroll jobs are THE FROO-ITS OF THE DEVEEL for a bit of background on my general feelings.) It's a consultancy/sales position for a technology group - doing design, sales and support for Payroll, Accountancy and HR software packages.

I DON'T LIKE SALES.

I am NOT a salesperson, and I don't like being given the hard sell myself. I certainly can't imagine having to do it to other people - and I think OTE is basically a massive fucking SCAM and lets employers get away with paying a shitty base salary. BUT! I'm thinking that this position isn't likely to include any of the more horrifying aspects of sales jobs - in as much as there'll be no cold calling or door-to-door bullshit. *shudders*

A previous manager I had at my last job (Company P? Did I mention their name before?! Who knows. You'll totally know if you find me on LinkedIn. ANYWAY!) had held this kind of role himself before, and kept recommending it to me because I would be "SO GOOD" at it. I have asked him if he'll give me a reference for it, because I reckon that's got to be a doozy of a reference if you can actually have someone saying: "Yeah, I've actually *done* that kind of work myself before and I think this candidate would be FANTASTIC".

Anyway, the job advert didn't include a closing date, so I decided to be quick off the mark (probably gee'd along by the Tearful Conversation Of HOLY FUCK WHAT NOW earlier in the day) and apply for it yesterday. I wrote a reasonably good cover email (kind of bolshy, figured that would be good for a sales post), fired off my CV and the Covert Awesomeness Document that I'd come up with for my earlier ill-fated Company E interview. I sent the email off at.... half 6 or something.

Today, I checked my Sensible Email Address... and there was a response from some dude's Blackberry *eyeroll*. At HALF PAST SEVEN the previous night. Can I manage to come in for an interview on Monday?

O_O

I emailed back, saying I was happy to come in on Monday, would he like me to bring anything, yadda yadda yadda. He has a Blackberry, presumably he'll still get the email even today or at some point over the weekend. He replied within the hour: "Say 2pm at the office, I don't think you need to bring anything. I have ur cv."

So. That brings our new running totals to:

Job Applications: 13
Interviews: 6
Job Offers: 0

I know I should be thrilled. Himself is very pleased - they must be KEEN! Because they're so fast! YAY!

And I *AM* pleased that I'm getting somewhere. But I find myself thinking: "Fuck, typical pushy salesman. Using his Blackberry on the evenings and weekend to work. They better not expect that of me. And he used fucking TEXT SPEAK in a professional email, what an asshat".

I KNOW. I know, I am a total fucking jerk. But that's what I'm thinking. I feel a little... rushed and uncomfortable. I feel like this may be some kind of scam - seriously, you're interviewing people before the job has even closed? Are you taking on LOADS of EAGER BEAVER salespeople on a fucking commission only basis? Because FORGET IT. And does "presentable" in the job advert really mean skinny and attractive, i.e. NOT SO FAST, YOU FAT PERSON! I'm dreading seeing the interviewer's face when I waddle in.

Am I wrong, flisties? I absolutely *WILL* go to the interview anyway (I have no info yet on salary, or the dreaded OTE componentness or anything, none of that in the job advert, SURPRISE SURPRISE), and MY GOD right now if someone offers me ANY job I WILL TAKE IT. But it would be good to know my gut is just overreacting. A bit.

Right?!

Current Mood: confused
Current Location: New Zealand

I *think* - and I hope, oh dear god do I hope - that the works outside my house are coming to an end. The road seems to have been topped up to it's final level, a larger, heavy top coating of gravel is down, and has been compacted and rolled flat (which HOLY FUCK, is such a noisy process, and the vibrations through the house border on glass-breaking). The final step has GOT to be replacing the tar seal, and then I CAN HAVE MY LIFE BACK. Also my driveway and a place to park my car off the street. Yay!

w00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00t

I've been chucking out our stale bread into the back garden for the birdies, because I decided those goddamned ducks in the park were getting WAY too much in the way of the stale bread reserves of this town. I shall break their monopoly, even at the risk of being visited by Duckbutt mafiosi threatening me with concrete boots.

My back garden seems to have been claimed by a young blackbird, and he's taken to hopping out of the bushes and STARING at me whenever I head into the garden. Like: "Hey monkey! Where's the bread? Whatcha doing in my garden with no bread?!" It's very entertaining.

However, in Extra Specialness last night, Himself was about to head out into the garden (to get to the garage, where our tumble dryer is to retreive his work shirts), when he started hissing at me to come out. There, mooching around in the grass hoovering up the bits of bread the birds hadn't got to, was "our" hedgehog. We saw him for the first time a few weeks ago, shuffling out of the mulching/composting spot at the back of the garage and into the courtyard. I've been PARANOID about checking under the car ever since, and hadn't seen him. So it was great to see him, alive and well and unsquashed, wandering around the garden in his little hodgepiggy way. Himself and I sat at the back door, lights off, whispering to each other as we watched him wander.

I've named him Hoggle. After the character in The Labyrinth, of course.

w00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00tw00t

After my kvetching about OMG SMALL TOWN NEPOTISM yesterday (was it yesterday? TIME HAZ NO MEANING), I just got a call from the recruitment advisor at Company S, inviting me to an interview next Thursday.

w00t!

She's sending me a map of the place (it's a Hospital, so... yeah, it's HOOGE), a confirmaton of date/time and the names of who will be on the interview panel. (Panel = BOO. I'll hope for a panel of two, because that's been my most recent experience and is manageable. More than two is a bit intimidating. :os )

So, that brings us to:

Job Applications: 12 (including two Recruitment Agency applications, which should probably be counted under some other category)
Interviews: 5
Job Offers: 0

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Location: New Zealand

So I just emailed off my CV (resume, American/French people!) to two Recruitment Agencies. Well, I emailed my CV to one and went through the online registration forms for the other, which was kind of a pain in the arse since it was fairly lengthy. And you KNOW they're going to call me in and go over the same screed of forms, questions, and horrible, horrible computery type-y competency test thingies anyway, even AFTER the lengthy registration process. Bah.

( WAFFLE )

Anyhoo, in my desperation and in the faith that there MAY be non-industrial/agricultural jobs just sitting on the Agency books, I've enquired with these two Agencies. I've nothing AGAINST Agencies, having obtained my last two permanent jobs (that I stayed in for 15 months. Heh. BECAUSE I AM FLIGHTY) through an initial Agency placement. But I do hate the faff of the interview, and the competency tests, and the usual couple of completely IRRELEVANT jobs they try to send you on for peanuts. Which... dude, I will probably totally take anyway because godDAMN I am so BORED.

( MOAR WAFFLE. This time about eyeliner! Random! )

Current Mood: determined
Current Location: New Zealand

FINALLY completed and submitted my application for .... uh... Company S. Have I used S? I CAN'T EVEN FUCKING REMEMBER.

It's been one of those applications that I really should have put a lot of time and effort into, because it's an interesting looking job with a great company but... I really struggled. I imagine it's a confidence thing - it's hard to get up the energy to be positive and Sell! Yourself! on paper when you have so many rejections looming large and fresh in your mind.

*sigh*

I don't want to sound like a total Negative Nelly, but this one's bit of a stretch and... well, let's just say much as I would really like it, I'm not holding my breath.

Job Applications: 10
Interviews: 4
Job Offers: 0

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: New Zealand

I got straight up rejected for both the payroll job and the office admin job.

As in, NOT EVEN AN INTERVIEW.

For the love of god, if I can't even get an interview for jobs like these? What the bloody hell hope have I got of getting anything?!

Current Mood: depressed
Current Location: New Zealand

Have applied for another job - an "Administration Manager" gig. By "Administration Manager" what I'm really assuming they mean is the sole-charge office admin person that seems prevalent in the smaller set-ups of NZ companies. Which... could be lonely work, but at least it's varied, right? Right?!

Anyway, that takes the current tally to:

Job Applications: 9
Interviews: 4
Job Offers: 0

I'm used to being able to apply for about 9 jobs IN A DAY, so only having 9 I've been able to apply for in 5 months or so is a bit... worrying. I have another application that I'm processing at the moment - doesn't close until next Friday. It's... different, and I'm thinking is probably quite a stretch to try to convince the recruiter that I'm the person for the job. Still, I passed it up when it was last advertised and it's been advertised AGAIN, so I'm going for it. Nothing ventured and all that.

I still haven't heard anything from that Payroll (horror) job that I applied for earlier this week. Which is TERRIFYING, since it suggests I might not even be employable in a fucking PAYROLL capacity.

I think I need a cookie.

Current Mood: worried
Current Location: New Zealand

I DID indeed receive my Combination Nation DVD's the other day. And I've been watching them and writing one of my "I Obviously Wrote This WHILE I Was Watching" live-action type reviews. I may get round to posting it at some point soon, although I'm sure none of my flisties are particularly interested. But hey! Some bellydance n00b may one day stumble across my journal or something, so... yeah, I provide a totally clear, concise and valuable service. Or... something.

Anyway, I'm slo-o-owly recovering from the massive disappointment body blow that was my EPIC FAIL of acheiving Awesome Job at Company E. I've been off the fucking rails eating wise, and have gained 1.4 kilos.

fuckshitarsebastardfuckshitarsebastardfuckshitarsebastardfuckshitarsebastardfuckshitarsebastard

Well, shit happens. *sigh*. I'll get back on the wagon this week and see how I go.

So I've seen two jobs that I could apply for this week. This is a HUGE number here in Invercargill - it's much more common for at least two weeks to go by before ONE job I can apply for comes up, so two in one week is a pretty big deal.

ACTUALLY, really there's THREE. The shoe shop manager job that I applied and interviewed (and was fucking rejected) for probably about three months ago is being advertised again. Guess the person who was selected over me wasn't that fantastic after all, eh?! *snerk* However, I've decided not to apply for it again. Much as I adore shoes (like... deeply and possibly unhealthily), I HATE Retail and just don't think I can work in it. I am *not* a salesperson. While I'm desperate for a job and OMFG NEEEEEEEEEEEEEED to earn some money, I won't do myself any favours securing a job that I won't be any good at and won't enjoy. Not worth the stress.

Which brings me neatly on to a job I have just sent an application away for this evening (closes tomorrow). It is.... DUN DUN DUUUUUNNNNN... a fucking PAYROLL job.

I've done Payroll for the last three years.

( Why this is a problem... )

Current Mood: dirty
Current Location: New Zealand

Thank you SO much to all my lovely flisties who commented yesterday and gave me luvs and supports. You made me cry, damn you all. (You know, in that way when you're RIGHT ON THE EDGE just managing to hold back the tears and then someone says something nice and you're all: "OH GOD, don't be NICE to me! *sob sob sob sob sob sob*"? Yeah. Like that.)

I've gone into Holding Pattern mode at the moment. My mum told me off for having a "knee jerk" reaction and being all I AM GOING TO HAVE TO GO HOME, WOE IS ME, FAIL AND DOOM etc. I am... still kind of having that reaction, and am still a bit close to the teary precipice which suggests I am not entirely rational about things right now. Therefore, the best bet is probably to just sit still and do nothing, think nothing, plan nothing for a couple days - just try to get over it and pick myself up and BREATHE before making any rash decisions.

I usually pick myself up pretty quickly after job rejections (although there's always a moment of WOE IS ME because I am a certified Drama Queen), but this one... this one hurts more. This one definitely feels bigger and having it here so far from home is... scarier and MOAR SIGNIFICANT feeling. I've had a browse through the job vacancies (what little of them are to be had, rural backwater small town caveat blaaaaaaaaaaaaab), and that was kind of just another punch to the gut - my instant reaction to them was pretty bad, since the only available vacancy I can apply for is for some fucking awful looking admin assistant/receptionist a Company F, who have rejected me for a higher position no less than TWICE. I imagine the pay will be RUBBISH and the climbdown from applying for Positions Of AWESOMENESS back down to fucking Admin Monkery sticks in my craw.

And I KNOW that makes me a horrible, unrealistic snobby cow. My mother has already told me so and said I need to pull my finger out and WORK IN A SHOP if I need to. I didn't bother reminding her about the SHOE SHOP INTERVIEW that I also fucking failed, because I guess she needs her moment of lecturing me to feel like she's involved and being appropriately motherly in my moment of need halfway across teh wurld. Thanks, ma.

*sigh*

Anyay, Himself and I had a big heart-to-heart last night about our future plans, and I gret (past tense of greet, find definition here although you'll need to type the word in yourself ) and snottered and ranted and swore and flailed and just generally was a massive overdramatic pain in the arse. I threatened that going home would be the end of us (DUN DUN DUUUUUUN) as a couple because neither of us really WANTED to go home and therefore there would be angst and anger and HATE, and then Himself got really upset and I realised my being a wallowing self-flaggelating asshole was really helping neither of us, but TOO LATE because I'd already upset someone I love and had to deal with the GUILT of being a shitty person on top of everything.

*sigh*

So, Holding Pattern it is. A few days to just calm down, stop being a fucking over-reacting Drama Queen eejit and start to process things rationally. And then we'll decide what to do from here. Expect either stream-of-consciousness ramblings (apologies in advance) here as I try to sort myself out, or conspicuous silence as I avoid thinking about anything. Since, you know, avoidance TOTALLY works and is a valid and sane strategy. *eyeroll*

Big hugs and thanks again to everyone for your lovely comments yesterday! *sniff* (I was totally going to link here to a YouTube Ren &Stimpy episode featuring Haggis McHaggis saying "Don't make me cry! Ye canna..... make me cry!", but I can't find it. I HAVE found about a billionty Ren & Stimpy episodes though, so I guess that's Day One of my Holding Pattern Diary pretty much filled up!)

Current Mood: touched
Current Location: New Zealand

... no job at Company E for me either.

I think it's time for us to look into borrowing the money required to get us home.

Current Mood: crushed
Current Location: New Zealand

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wigglewhiz

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