Life Wars IV: A New Job

In December I quit my job at HMV. As much as I enjoyed my work I didn’t enjoy being treated quite so poorly when it came to working arrangements and stability, heck, I never even signed a contract. I soon began to regret making myself unemployed. In hindsight it is clear that I should have lined up a new job before quitting my current one. But hindsight is a truly wonderful thing.

It took over half a year to get a new job, and it wasn’t for lack of trying that I was jobless for so long. I reckon I sent over 200 applications in the period from 31^st December to 1^st July and in all that time I only had interviews for three jobs. One of which, I got. *smiley face*

In May, I applied for two jobs in the Residential Department of Ashfords LLP in Exeter. I was called for an initial interview for these and did a good enough job to be called back for a follow-up. Then, I was unsuccessful. This hurt, I knew I had done well, I just knew. So I asked what it was that had meant I hadn’t got the job. The answer: the position was withdrawn following “commercial consideration”. That hurt worse, knowing that I had wasted my time attending two interviews only for there to be no vacancy anyway, and knowing that that was the only reason I didn’t get the job. I got the usual “we’ll hold onto your details” spiel and went and had a sulk.

Then, to my surprise on June 25^th I got an email from the HR woman who had interviewed me previously, advising me that a new vacancy had arisen in the Accounts Department. I was delighted, delighted to have been remembered because, as I later found out, I had been suggested for this position before it had even been publicly advertised.

Here’s a brief timeline of the events that followed:

Tuesday 25^th – invited to interview | Thursday 27^th - initial interview | Friday 28^th – 9.15am – invited to second interview with Chief Financial Officer at 11am the same day | Monday 1^st – first day in my new job.

And so far so good. After my first month I feel settled and competent in my new role. Having passed the awkward training and introduction phase I already feel like part of the team, especially now certain human irritants are no longer present.

Mum said I was boring enough to work in Accounts, but I think she was misguided in her view. The [immediate] people I work with are all great fun to work with, but also just great fun.

Who knew, being an Accounts Assistant is fun. *another smiley face*