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So two weeks ago, I started another temp job at HCC, this time with a completely new-to-me department. It was in Community Services which comprises Trading Standards and Fire Prevention and Protection. When Manpower initially rang, I wasn't enthusiastic because I was quite happy with the idea of not working until next year and the salary wasn't anything to write home about. But it was back at Mundells, where I had that fantastic year with EMT, and with no real good reason to turn it down, I said yes. Contract was until 4th January.
Well I didn't have a very good first week, as those of you on Facebook will have noticed. There wasn't enough work, no-one had time to train me in anything and I was bored out of my teeny tiny mind. On the plus side, I really liked the people there, the Fire Service lads and lasses are uniformly lovely and the few Trading Standards folkses I've met were equally helpful and friendly. Then, to top it off, I had to take last Thursday and Friday off because I completely lost my voice. So it wasn't a good start.
I did warn them on Monday that there was a possibility that I wouldn't be available after the 4th, so sure was I that I wouldn't be able to stick the job longer than that. And I promised LiverBird1, my line manager, that I'd let them know as soon as possible, because I could see they were starting to train me with a long term view in mind and it wouldn't be fair to string them along.
Cut to today. LiverBird sidles up to me and we have a frank and honest conversation about the job. I explained why I had reservations about staying, although I did note that this week had been much better. Also today they started showing me the project they want me to work on, which is mahoosive (and I'll talk about that another time). But the main sticking point was the money and LiverBird sympathised entirely but there are no higher paid posts available. She wanted to know if I'd be interested in a permanent post and I said possibly. She even went to the trouble of digging out the job specs and showing me what the salary would be. Then she went away, with me promising to let her know where I stood by the afternoon.
And then I did sums. And flailed at people. And finally decided to damn the torpedoes and I told LiverBird I would see out the temp job as long as it lasted and if a permanent job came up, then I'd definitely consider it. She was pleased to hear this, we understood each other perfectly and she went away happy.
I swear that happened around 2.30. 3pm the more senior manager (for whom I have no good nickname yet) tugs me into a meeting room and starts reeling off that she's heard I'm interested in the job and she can get the application forms to me this afternoon.
I think my jaw hit the floor. Certainly I must have looked like a deer in headlights because she backtracked a bit, apologised if this was a shock and I explained I had no idea that anything permanent was available now. So we went over what the job would actually be - it's far, far broader than what I'm doing now, basically I'd be a Support Officer for both Tradiing Standards and the FPS guys. And it's going to be a crazy busy job, I think, half of which I have no idea of what's involved yet. But I took a deep breath and said I would be delighted to go for the post. So I have a form to finish tomorrow and then that'll be submitted to HR and then there'll be a (hopefully) token interview. And then I could be permanently employed with HCC again. A year to the month since I said "Sayonara, suckers!".
Umm.
My head's spinning! I'm pleased but also a smidge overwhelmed and a smidge anxious because really I'm going into this job blind. But what the hell, it's better than becoming a couch potato and I need some way to fund all the B'cons I want to go to and trips I want to do :)
There may well be squee later. Right now, I'm mostly stunned.
1 - For Non-UK types, the "Liver" in "LiverBird" is pronounced to rhyme with "fiver" not "giver". The Liver Bird is a symbol of the city of Liverpool and "The Liver Birds" was a sitcom I watched growing up about two single women in Liverpool. So as I'm darn sure my line manager has a Scouse accent, "LiverBird" seemed a good nickname :)
Well I didn't have a very good first week, as those of you on Facebook will have noticed. There wasn't enough work, no-one had time to train me in anything and I was bored out of my teeny tiny mind. On the plus side, I really liked the people there, the Fire Service lads and lasses are uniformly lovely and the few Trading Standards folkses I've met were equally helpful and friendly. Then, to top it off, I had to take last Thursday and Friday off because I completely lost my voice. So it wasn't a good start.
I did warn them on Monday that there was a possibility that I wouldn't be available after the 4th, so sure was I that I wouldn't be able to stick the job longer than that. And I promised LiverBird1, my line manager, that I'd let them know as soon as possible, because I could see they were starting to train me with a long term view in mind and it wouldn't be fair to string them along.
Cut to today. LiverBird sidles up to me and we have a frank and honest conversation about the job. I explained why I had reservations about staying, although I did note that this week had been much better. Also today they started showing me the project they want me to work on, which is mahoosive (and I'll talk about that another time). But the main sticking point was the money and LiverBird sympathised entirely but there are no higher paid posts available. She wanted to know if I'd be interested in a permanent post and I said possibly. She even went to the trouble of digging out the job specs and showing me what the salary would be. Then she went away, with me promising to let her know where I stood by the afternoon.
And then I did sums. And flailed at people. And finally decided to damn the torpedoes and I told LiverBird I would see out the temp job as long as it lasted and if a permanent job came up, then I'd definitely consider it. She was pleased to hear this, we understood each other perfectly and she went away happy.
I swear that happened around 2.30. 3pm the more senior manager (for whom I have no good nickname yet) tugs me into a meeting room and starts reeling off that she's heard I'm interested in the job and she can get the application forms to me this afternoon.
I think my jaw hit the floor. Certainly I must have looked like a deer in headlights because she backtracked a bit, apologised if this was a shock and I explained I had no idea that anything permanent was available now. So we went over what the job would actually be - it's far, far broader than what I'm doing now, basically I'd be a Support Officer for both Tradiing Standards and the FPS guys. And it's going to be a crazy busy job, I think, half of which I have no idea of what's involved yet. But I took a deep breath and said I would be delighted to go for the post. So I have a form to finish tomorrow and then that'll be submitted to HR and then there'll be a (hopefully) token interview. And then I could be permanently employed with HCC again. A year to the month since I said "Sayonara, suckers!".
Umm.
My head's spinning! I'm pleased but also a smidge overwhelmed and a smidge anxious because really I'm going into this job blind. But what the hell, it's better than becoming a couch potato and I need some way to fund all the B'cons I want to go to and trips I want to do :)
There may well be squee later. Right now, I'm mostly stunned.
1 - For Non-UK types, the "Liver" in "LiverBird" is pronounced to rhyme with "fiver" not "giver". The Liver Bird is a symbol of the city of Liverpool and "The Liver Birds" was a sitcom I watched growing up about two single women in Liverpool. So as I'm darn sure my line manager has a Scouse accent, "LiverBird" seemed a good nickname :)
Stunned
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