Okay, so I was having my chops busted for not updating my blog. So I must blog.

I had an interview the other day for the job I wanted to apply for. If anything, I went in thinking it would be good interview practice. I was given some good advice from one of the girls at work and thought if I didn't get it - oh well. I think I'm a bit rusty anyways when it comes to the whole interview process, and I needed to ease my way back into it.

This one was with the agency handling the position. It's always a good warm up interview - you kind of get an idea what you need to bring to the table for the real thing. I must say, it felt like it went well. I love it that in the creative sector - these guys are ex-creative. They don't ask you stupid, irrelevant questions (like, where do you think you'll be in 5 years. This is irrelevant in our industry because 5 years is a long time. We run off trends that may last 6 months at most. And creatives will stay in a position for about 18 months - 3 years to stay current. So they don't ask this). 

So at the end of the day, it's me and another guy going to the job. So at the moment I'm waiting for them to give me a date to meet the actual business. I think because I was open to the idea of not getting it, I wasn't nervous and covered everything really well, which I think did go my way. 

But time will tell. Fingers crossed.

Anyways, project. My little project. One of the more interesting things happening to me at the moment. About a week ago, a chance catchup with a very old friend lead to a conversation about a project they have been working on. This project was trying to support the orphans in a little country, about the size of NY state in Central America - Nicaragua. They had traveled there by chance about 2 years ago, and felt such a connection with the people and the country is now on a mission to help them.

The day is coming to a close, and although mine was pretty uneventful I hope yours was fun.
The other day, while talking to a friend I came to the conclusion that I needed to spend a bit more time doing something that was good for the soul. And because it was almost impossible to resist the sales spin* I jumped right in. So hopefully in the next couple of weeks I'll introduce you to the project.
I keep waiting for it to cool down to take the dogs for a walk, but it's still 28 degrees. Yuck.

*It wasn't really a sales spin. It's a project my friend is involved in, and I invited myself right along to help. My reason is because they're too much a 'bigger picture' person and they need someone to fill in the middle. The real reason is that anything to do with kids gets me straight away.

My manager is away this week and into the next. Which means peace and quiet - but a lot of work to get done. Australia Day this Wednesday and I have my interview on Friday. Ooooooh fingers crossed it's positive.

I hate it when people refer to newly married couples as "Mr and Mrs [insert husband's first and last name]". 

Actually, what I mean to stay is, if anyone ever said that to me if I ever got married I would spit it. Big time. 

Just a warning. 

  

You know when you have a huge list of things to do, and know you should be doing them but can't seem to be motivated? That's me today. Well, most weekends but today times one hundred.
I am not a fun of really hot weather, which is what it is like at the moment. I feel sluggish and just about cross everything off for the day if the temp reaches more than 30 degrees. My poor dogs are both bored shitless because I can't bring myself to take them to the park during the day in the heat. I really need to take them out at some point, before I start another work week at least.
It's almost February, which means the new year is passing by extremely quickly. Completely unfair. I wish there was something I could do to slow down the time (or should I just be making the most of it?).
Have started reading Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for the book club - on the iPad which goes against all the things I believe in. I mean, why join a book club if you're going to read them on a computer screen? So bad. I need to go out and find a copy of the book. Preferably the original cover art or along the lines.  
My little Lucy (who's a Jack Russell) has been fine tuning her mouse hunting skills the past week. We have been blessed with a couple of mice - who nest under the 100 year old heap left under the house from previous renters. Lucy has been outstanding, tracking them, hunting them, catching them and killing them. If we don't get to her at this point, she eats them (ahhh, yuck). Charlie could not be bothered with them, and just sort of hovers around as if to keep tabs on what she's doing. This morning, she sighted something in the recycle box and jumped straight in, as if it were a swimming pool and grabbed the little bastard. I was just a little impressed because she picked up a cardboard box with it - but waited until she got outside, carefully dropped it on the ground, re-captured the little thing and CHOMP. It was all over.
Animal VS animal seems much better than animal vs ratsack or mousetrap. I couldn't bring myself to put the traps out and check them. Put Lucy seems to get rid of them very, very quickly which seems a little better. 
Listening to Angus and Julia Stone today. Should be cleaning. Should be working. Should be walking the dogs.
Ah well. Happy Sunday. 
     

There's a job going that I have a first stage interview for. The job is nothing short of perfect. P-E-R-F-E-C-T. 
Which means things don't always work out like they seem. The recruitment guy wants me in to send onto them - he said they're not sold on hiring someone, but have opened up to interviewing to see if they can find someone that will fit.
Which means they're not actually hiring officially. But if they find someone good, they create the position.
Which means, to get through to the point where they'll actually consider hiring me, I have to do a bit of work, and a lot of convincing, without making it seem like I just want a random job. I want to work with them. 
I'm holding onto hope, I really want this thing to open up. It may not work out, it may fall over. But I want to have a good crack at it at least.
Will keep it updated. 

  

I'm trying to do the good thing, but I also want to do the sensible thing but at the moment I'm sitting on the fence (oh, Libra!).
I have been working with my full time employer for three and a half years. In the last 12 months I have felt that I have become stagnant in the position, that is I have not learnt anything new or been given any new opportunity to grow within the role. I feel like this is the culture of the office, that is most staff working there are still working in a similar position to what they started in, with the exception of management (which seem to be given the opportunity to adopt new areas of the business - a small management team of 7 to 12 office staff, which gives you an indication on where the opportunity is going to go). 

This means, in short that I am looking to moving on and finding a new position with a new employer. 

This has been compounded in the past six months as I have felt that requests to have my role grow and change into something more significant have been ignored. Well, not ignored - during my review I was given the impression that they were happy for me to keep working the position I was in, and that they did not want me to try something new. Some requests I had were met with what I call white-wash answers "sure, that sounds good", or "that's something we can look into" with no indication when things would be "looked into". And I have discovered, prodding doesn't help. Asking to look into something we'd spoken about gives you one of two answers - "we've decided management will take care of it" or "sure, when we're not busy, we'll look into it."


So, this is a pretty good case to move on. Writing it down now makes me think that I have to. They don't seem to be doing me any favours. But, now the tricky part.

I work within a team of 4 people, me being the 4th person for this argument. Person (1) went on maternity leave in May last year, who was replaced with Person (2). I was considering leaving at this time, but convinced myself it would be poor form (and) I was aware my manager would have nailed me to the wall. She had massive issues with me taking unpaid leave to attend study. This is not because she thinks I am invaluable. It was made clear in my review that we are not invaluable unfortunately. It's just easier for her to have someone that just does the job with no hassles (which makes sense, but she'd rather someone who was a poor fit than find someone who fit the role better). 

In September last year, I reconsidered resigning. I was ready to - I had a letter written and everything. I had it all planned out until Person (3) announced that they were pregnant and would be going on maternity leave in March this year. Again, plans put on hold, which I think was really silly now. It would have been easier to go then than later on.

Now, we are about to introduce Person (5) as Person (3) leaves in March, followed by the return of Person (1) in June. It's all over the place. Now, my dilemma.

I want to go now. I want to actively start finding somewhere else, because I feel if I stay, I may get too comfortable. I've been waiting for a good time for 12 months. Person (3) has been there for over 12 years and has said many times, "don't get comfortable here. They like to keep you where you are and not change, move up or do anything different. You'll begin to defend their choice to do this, and you'll lose confidence in your abilities because they'll convince you you're not worth better." This was one of the reasons she decided to have a baby. She wanted to do what she wanted to do, not what work wanted her to do or be who they wanted her to be. 

It's bad timing, I know. But the past 12 months has been bad timing. I can hear it now, how selfish I'm being and not doing the right thing by the company. But I keep asking them to throw me a bone, but they don't seem to hear me. It will never be good timing. So do I just jump in and go? I guess I can say, that the two who decided to have a baby didn't prep work on their plans, but lived their own lives. Why is it up to me to make sure everything runs smoothly? Considering I was told, "Sorry, wages don't reflect how much we need you - we're told the minimum wage is X, and that is what you'll earn" and "we [management] like to be in control of everything, allowing others to take charge might not work, so we would like to continue running as we always have been."


I think I have decided really, but I think I need to prep myself for the backlash. The very, very upset manager who will see this as a personal attack, like a "HA! I'm going to make your life hard just because I can." 

It's actually come about because a) I am restless and unhappy, b) I know I am worth so much more, and am capable of so much more and c) there's a job I really want to apply for, which suits me so much better, in all ways.

It will be an interesting few weeks, no doubt about it. 



  

I jumped online this morning to see what my mobile bill was looking to be in the next month - sort of working the finances out. For some reason, my account total read, not $79 like it does every month but, $1,096.

Day one... and so it begins.