Employed
Posted: Thu 15 August, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 2012/13, Business, Domestic, Getting Old(er), Work-related | Leave a comment »It’s now been confirmed that I’m gainfully employed in a long-term contract from Tuesday 27th August. It’s a six-monther, based in Cambridge, and stands to pay me more than a year with my previous employer – and that’s before taking into consideration the expenses thing and so on.
Going through this whole process again has been really good for me, as it turns out. I was beginning to wonder whether I was still in the right place/industry, and while those doubts still remain to a degree, at least my own personal confidence has been somewhat restored.
All told, the events for this last month have been :
- 17th July : Made redundant
- 19th July : Last day of employment
- 22-29th July : Week off, no CVs sent out etc.
- 29th July – 4th August : Send out some CVs, talk to some agencies
- 5th August – Phone Interview with Company X
- 7th August – Interview with Company Y, with immediate job offer and immediate start for a short-term contract
- 12th August – Interview with Company X.
- 13th August – Phone Interview with Company Z. Job offer from Company X. Interview offer from Company Z
So – two face-to-face interviews, both of which have led to work. One further phone interview, leading to face-to-face interview.
It took me three weeks (including a week off) from notice of redundancy to getting work. I could’ve done it quicker, most likely, but I took it slow and was wanting something that I wanted to do, rather than just whatever comes next.
All told, I’m really quite chuffed with that.
Re-employed
Posted: Wed 7 August, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Change, D4D™, Domestic, Web Development, Work-related | 3 Comments »OK, it’s only a (very) short-term thing – ten days all told – but it’ll pay the bills for another couple of months, so I’m happy.
Basically, the interview was arranged yesterday for 12 noon today. I got there, we talked, and they decided on the spot to take me on. Even better, for most of it I can work from home, which makes things even more acceptable.
And I’m also lined up for second interview next week on one I phone-interviewed for this week.
Yes indeed, things are looking peachy right now.
Organisational
Posted: Mon 5 August, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 2012/13, Bankruptcy, Change, Domestic, Finances, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Getting Organised, Thoughts, Work-related, Writing | 1 Comment »This last week has involved getting quite a lot of stuff organised, and it’s felt pretty successful, to be honest.
Among other things, this week I’ve
- Sorted out the Car Tax for the next 12 months
- Paid a power bill that nPower had totally screwed up (and that’s the subject of an ongoing fight/complaint)
- Halved the cost of my car insurance from the start of September (and raised a complaint regarding the amount I’ve been paying for the last six months)
- Sent out CVs and organised interviews for the coming week
- Organised myself (and a fair amount of my life) for the coming month
- Started a couple of new projects, both techie ones and writing ones
- Generally sorted out a whole load of things, most of which aren’t overly relevant to D4D™ or worth writing about, but are worthwhile for me to sort out
- Even made time for lunch with the parents!
So all told, it’s been a pretty good week. In some ways the last twelve months has felt like being in Limbo, waiting for things to pass/happen, and that’s been OK. But with the changes of the last couple of weeks, as well as things that’ll be coming to pass at the end of this week, it’s now time to get my ass back in gear, and start figuring out what’s next.
August
Posted: Thu 1 August, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Bankruptcy, Domestic, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Getting Organised, Thoughts, Work-related | Leave a comment »Welcome to August – which should be a good month.
D4D will be 11 – eleven, for fuck’s sake! – and on the same day my bankruptcy will be discharged. Apparently that’s an automatic process, so I don’t even need to do anything, it’ll just happen.
Along the way, I’ve also got to change/renew car insurance (it’s going to be a change, unless a *very* good deal is offered for staying), which should be entertaining.
Along with that little lot, it’s also a month for getting a new job – well, that’s the plan – and generally sorting out other stuff.
There’s a lot going on, but it’s generally feeling pretty positive right now.
Week One
Posted: Sat 27 July, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 2012/13, Domestic, Getting Organised, Introspective, Work-related | Leave a comment »For the first time in ages, I’ve had a proper week off, following on from the changes with my employment status. While I was there, my email never really turned off (partly through my choice, partly through knowing there was no-one else to support the things I’d written) so in some ways it never felt like ‘holiday’ or ‘leave’. Work always intruded, emails to answer, and even phone calls for assistance on a few occasions.
This week though has allowed me to properly slow down, relax a bit, and get on with non-work stuff.
Yes, I’ve been sending out CVs and so on – and also paid a final visit to the Devon office to say “bye” properly to people, rather than just disappearing into the ether – but it’s still been a very pleasant piece of time, and helped by it being some of the best weather we’ve seen in a year or more.
The search for work will kick up again on Monday, plus there’s quite a few I’m waiting to hear back from, and I’ve already got a couple of interviews lined up, so we’ll see how things go.
For the moment I feel pretty optimistic about the entire thing. That might change over the next few weeks if nothing serious comes up, but for now I’m quite chilled and optimistic. It’s all a bit ‘wait and see’, which usually does my head in, but for now I’m OK.
We’ll just have to see how things work out.
Tired
Posted: Sat 8 June, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Business, Domestic, Insomnia, Travel, Work-related | Leave a comment »Yet again, it’s been a long old week. I’m not complaining, because it’s also been a good week, but man alive, I’m shattered right now.
The week started normally, allbeit with some very bad nights’ sleep. It then involved (another) trip up to Manchester to visit one of the partner companies, and get a load of stuff done. I went up there on Wednesday evening, ready for two full days in the office.
Thursday night I went out with colleagues from the office, ended up getting back to the hotel by about 1.30am, and eventually to bed about an hour after that, and up at 6am. That was followed by another full working day, and then visiting an old friend (a long-term friend, rather than an old one per se) which was great, but again meant not actually crashing out ’til 2ish. I slept insanely badly, went downstairs at 5ish. read until 6, then slept on the sofa for another hour and a half or so.
Today I’ve driven home, and got back about 4pm.
I don’t know why I’m sleeping so badly in general – I’m no more stressed than usual, there’s no real reason for it, it’s just one of those “wonderful” periods of insomnia that hit me every so often. But right now, as a friend used to say, “In every single plane of existence right now, I’m knackered”.
Time for Change
Posted: Thu 30 May, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Bankruptcy, Cynicism, Domestic, Getting Old(er), Getting Organised, Insomnia, Thoughts, Work-related | 1 Comment »Right now, life is (again) feeling like it’s time for some changes to start happening. (Yeah, as if there hadn’t been enough of them already)
I’m not going to be diving into anything too much, but it’s safe to say that I’m at the point of having Had Enough of some stuff.
Work is the particular source of ire at the moment, with the feeling of being far too pressurised and overloaded, aided and abetted by an HR department that seems to think dealing with people isn’t in their job description. I’m managing far too many projects – although keeping them just about on time and on-target, with only one glaringly delayed one that went out this week at long last – with too little recognition and acknowledgement. Additionally, for every project I close, two more come up, Hydra-like.
There’s other bits of life that are annoying me currently, but work is the main one – and the easiest one to change, I think. From there, I don’t know what’s next, but even if I increase my travel time, I suspect it’ll make life better just through the change happening.
Really though at the moment I’m just so fucking tired. I’m not depressed (or at least not massively so) just exhausted. I think burnout is just round the corner, and I need to address that soon, or it’ll happen.
Anyway, it’s just me whinging. Things will work out, change will happen.