work update from work

Have been a bit more busy now at work the last two weeks. A few things that I need to have done before leaving for holidays, also since I'm back at work first on 7th of January and won't have time then.

The whole work thing I still haven't gotten over but it has moved in the right direction at least. I had the meeting with my manager. And found out that his boss had told him that he doesn't know what I can do so wants my manager to look externally as well. Which is just f**ked up. I don't even have a relationship with my manager's boss since I don't work directly with him, so how can he know what I can do? I know my manager have received some heat due to certain things, so does my the boss don't trust my manager's opinions regarding me?

We had a meeting and I told him everything I think have been crap and handled really bad. My trust and loyalty to this company have definitely suffered a heavy blow. And HR at this company is totally crap which I found out the bad way and has only been confirmed by all the others I've talked to at the company.

Well, going forward me and my manager have agreed on some objectives that I can be judged on in mid February. Still a very short time, since it basically only gives be about two months if you start counting from today. I mean, those objectives should have been set day one, which I also asked for but never happened.

So that's the crappy situation. I'm moved past it, although of course it is still there in the back of the mind. I mean, how can you disregard things like this? But the only thing I can do is to go forward and make the best of it. And then in mid February I can think about it again if it is a company I really want to stay with.

But now, it's the last day of work and then I'm off on vacation and will not think about work for one minute!

where's the loyalty towards me?

Honestly, my loyalty against the company is decreasing a bit every day at the moment. Not sure if they even realize it.

I sent an email to my manager today explaining parts of it. Have a meeting tomorrow with him, so we'll see if he's able to restore some of it.

Almost two weeks have passed now since they advertised "my" permanent position and I have received basically no information. That's just really bad. Where's the loyalty towards me?

Lets see what comes out of the meeting tomorrow.

after work

Went for an after work today with some co-workers. I've been quite tired at the end of this week and after only two glasses of red wine it didn't really get better. Had a good time but left quite soon, like 2 hours after we got there.

I left the after work at 5.30 pm. It felt quite weird to leave the after work at that time. But when you finish at 3.30 pm on Fridays (hell yeah!) that's kind of what will happen.

But it's dangerous though. If you go for some beers with your co-workers, by the time your friends finish work and you want to meet up with them you can basically be drunk. So either you're drunk and way ahead of your friends or dead tired and already on your way home when they finish work.

Life is hard.

please give me my own job

Came to work yesterday, thought it was a realatively good Monday morning.
Then me and my co-worker had a quick catch up meeting with our manager and we were both quite stunned after that.

We both signed a six month contract with the promise of a permanent contract after that. Today we found out that the procedure for permanent positions is to have them published internally so that anyone can apply. This also means that I actually have to contact HR and tell them I'm interested in the position.
"Hi HR, I'm interested in my job."
"Hi HR, I wish to apply for the job I currently hold."
"Hi HR, please give me my own job."

My boss said that its' the procedure and if someone applies they have to set up an interview process. He couldn't tell me if we had to go through another interview process. How redicilous would that be.
"I would be great at this job as it is my job." I would honestly refuse.

I'm fine with the procedure, if that's how it is in the company then there's nothing to argue about. I just wish they could have told us sooner. And not make it sound like we basically have secured our permanent positions by just getting employed by this six moth contract.

Sure, I don't take anything for granted until the papers are signed. But when hearing this I feel like I should actually call that recruiter I was contacted by last week and tell her that I'm actually interested in what she may have to offer.

knackered

I'm totally knackered. (I'm learning British words!..)
After a full seven day working week, I was back at work on Monday morning. For a six day working week. I was really tired sitting on the tube Sunday afternoon at 4 pm. Sitting down and started to relax I yawned the whole way home. I had to struggle to keep myself awake to be able to fall asleep later for the night.

Waking up on Monday morning with the lack of weekend was definitely felt in the entire body. Same thing today. I'm just beat. Not at all as efficient as after a proper weekend off. (Hush, don't tell my manager...) At least I will have the upcoming Sunday off. Looking forward to that one.

waking up early is great

It's great to wake up at 7 am on a Saturday morning. It's even greater to end up going to bed late and only get around six hours of sleep. Even better is that you're waking up this early because you have to be at work. The whole day. And be there for a dinner.
A long, long day.

Can you tell I'm looking forward to it?

blocked

Well this is good news, at least I can access Blogger at work. (Now I have it as a bookmark so perhaps I can remember to post more regularly again.) Because they have blocked social sites like Facebook as well as video sites like Youtube. Even radio and Spotify because the internet apparently can't handle it. But with a big company like this, what kind of crappy connection do they have if you can't watch videos and stream music?

I thought I had fooled the system as the Swedish radio was working which I miss listening too. However, one week later it was blocked. I could guess they have some surveillance and noticed I listened to some radio that wasn't on their blocked list.

But you know, there are always ways to come around it. I mean, these days basically everybody has smartphones...

Annoying company that blocks everything fun. Come on, they actually expect us to work when we're at work. Who has heard of something so silly....

exciting #2

So lets try doing this again. For real. I promise.
My intention is truly good this time.

Cause I have to tell you, a lot of things have changed.
You know the interview I wrote about? They called me three days later and offered me the job. Two weeks later I moved to London. The day after I had my first day at work. Everything have gone very quickly now in the end. And after a week of exhausting flat hunting I managed to find a really cool place with nice people. Hopefully all the reference checks will work out and I can move in next week.

So there you go. This will become a "new in London/life in London" blogs. Sure, there are plenty of them out there I'm sure. But hey, I don't care. Here is another one for you. Hope you will join me.

exciting

There are two jobs in London I have interviewed for that I have been really - really! - excited about. The first one was an insurance company but they handled it all so bad so in the end I was not as disappointed as I could have been.

The second one I interviewed for a week ago. Basically exactly the same job as I had previously and even with footwear! When talking with the interviewers over the phone I got a great feeling and a good connection with them.

Today I got a pleasant call from the recruiter inviting me for a second interview with the company. They would even pay for the ticket to London. Something I would never expect but definitely not turn down.

I have a really good feeling about this one! So now I just need to make a great impression in person as well. Not to sound overly confident or anything, but that should be a peace of cake, haha... I would be a perfect fit!

how you been?

Still working on that new chapter of mine. Got an email yesterday from a recruiter I've been in contact with regarding a job, she wrote:

"You were the first person they put through to second interview and they can’t make a decision until they have someone to compare you to."

 What's up with that? Odd, in my opinion. Just give me the damn job! I am that good, you don't need to compare me with anyone. (And it's even a temporary contract, so why are they dragging this on...)

reading

Reading, reading, reading.
Preparing, preparing, preparing.
Interview, interview, interview!

Going to London tomorrow. Two interviews booked with companies and a few meetings with recruiters.
Wish me luck!

brain freeze

So I had my first telephone interview about two weeks ago. It was a very short one, about 15 min, with a manager at the company. I got what you could call a brain freeze. And not the kind caused by ice scream.

He asked how my current role relates to the one I applied for. The problem here was partly that I had only got a very vague job description and it was for a job in online marketing. Another think he asked was what I know about the company and what they do.

I had been reading up and I even had that interview with Google long time ago which dealt with a few of the same things. But being a new field and different business lingo I kind of choked. Not good at all.
I did, what I in Swedish would call word pooping. I just did not have a great line of thoughts. Not at all.

For next time I just need to be more prepared.

between two jobs

I am officially unemployed.

Had my last day of work on Monday. With mixed feelings. I always joked that I wanted to make an out of office message that read "I have left and joined a different circus".

Of course I did not have the guts. I still want to have nice references. But I do miss some of my co-workers that brightened up my day.

Now it's "vacation time"!
Well, of course not really. I do have the option of sleeping in a bit and not having to get up at 6am. But of course there is that constant feeling of what I need to do to get a job.
However, compared to last time of unemployment I am much more confident now that I will get a job much faster.

a new chapter

Woops. Almost three months now.
And a lot of changes have been made and will be made as well.

I think this blog will start its new chapeter as it has several times before. It is time for a big move once again. So perhaps a recap is in place.

A year ago I started my current job and about eight months ago I moved into a flat in Stockolm. Everything was going well and I enjoyed Stockholm. Even though I enjoy Stockholm I have always seen Sweden as temporary. Before I have looked into getting a job somehwere else but never taken the step, but when a friend of mine got serious about finding a job in London I finally took the leap. Perpahs you can tell where this is heading.

My current job ends 30th of April as it is a maternity cover. Also the perfect opportunity to start something new. I also moved back home to my parents in March as my conctract for my apartment ended. My intention was to extend the contract so I could stay and enjoy the last months in Stockholm. Then my mom put ideas into my head so I moved back home to save some money and not having to worry about the rent and put the money to London instead.

So no turning back now. I have not applied for any jobs in Stockholm at all, so I have the full intention to get out. Have applied to quite many jobs in London and get a fair amount of responses as well. It feels good.

Applied to about thirty jobs this weekend (so easy compared to Sweden, as here I always have to write a cover letter and in UK you just send your CV! Loving it!) and already on Monday the phone started ringing. In addition to that I get the random calls from recuriters who have found my CV on different job sites. So lets see if I manage to get any interviews. It's looking good so far.

So.

London baby!

the new man

My man.

This is my eye candy at work. Put to this front page from the newspaper at my desk.

Now I even got my chance as he is getting divorced. What is it they are saying in 'The Secret', if you believe it it will happen?

I believe.

work is so much fun

Work is boring these days. Not fun at all.
Not much to do which is the root cause. Then I get so unmotivated.

Good thing I have things outside of work that keeps me busy. At least just a little.
Spent one weekend in Copenhagen with house warming party, friends I haven't seen in a while, lazer tag AND paintball, of course the standard burger at Halifax, cocktails, markets. Really nice weekend in my old town. Miss it actually.

The weekend that just passed was nice as well. A dinner with a good friend on Friday, delicious Indian food and some bars for drinks. Then a nice sisterly Saturday with second hand shopping and deliciously bad fast food...

Also got a few plans for this week so have something at least to take me through the boring work days.

worst recruiter?

You know the fastest response ever?

That email only said "When can we talk over the phone?" Nothing like "Hi Carin", "Thanks for your application" or any other pleasantries. Was not sure what to think of that, I think you should always appear polite when dealing with formal emails. I email back and ask when it is suitable to have the phone interview.

I do not hear from him for one and a half week, then he calls me out of the blue one afternoon without giving a heads up. I did not answer as I was not in the best position to do so. I email him back to schedule a talk. I ask again when it is suitable. He answers "Anytime.". No "Hi" nor a "Regards xxx".

I email back, always with "Hi xxx" and "Best regards, Carin", suggesting 1 pm. Even though he said "Anytime." he emails back and wants to push it to 2 pm. Fine with me. At said time I leave the office and waiting for the call. I wait until 2.15 pm. No call. No email.

I email. He answers with a "Sorry" and that he was delayed. Why not send a short text or email?

We finally manage to get a phone call the next day. He starts telling a bit about the company and the position. He says that he thinks I have a very interesting profile. He also mentions that there are several other vacant positions if I wish to have my CV passed on to those people. Sure he could do that. Then it sounds like he tries to end the conversation and I barely get to stick in another question, asking if that means that I will or will not be in the race for the job I applied for. He then explains that there are other applicants with a better background.

So what? We have gone through all this problem to schedule a phone conversation for a job that I am not even in the race for? Why could you not have written an email saying that? I did not even get the chance to talk about myself or my experiences. You were not even nice and inviting in the emails making me want to work for the company!

When dealing with possibly future employees you better appear nice and inviting. Otherwise you should just stick to your working tasks and not be part of the recruting.

Just FYI.

fastest response ever?

I sent out an job application through my mail at 10.12 pm. On a Friday night. (Yeah, that's as much fun I am having...)

I get an email back at 10.17 pm. Five minutes later. On a Friday night. (Is that as much fun he is having?)

What do we make of this?

That I had a really good application/am very suitable/great experience/perfect candidate and he does not want loose me?
That, if I get the job have to work Friday nights/work at home/be available/always answer emails/don't have a life?

I choose to go with the perfect candidate option. 

half way there

I got my first real pay check last week! Felt so good to see that on my banking account. Real, meaning a whole months work, as I only worked a few days in April. I do not even want to think about how long ago I got a whole pay check inserted into my account. But instead of thinking about that and getting into a bad mood again, I will just enjoy my pay check. And focus on the future and enjoy that I am finally working again. It truly feels great.

Finally my life is on track again. It will be even better if the lead on an apartment my colleague has will work out. Then I can start living for real again. Then my social life will be back on track as well.

Living in the city in my own apartment has a nicer ring to it than living in the country side with my parents. Hopefully I will be able to say that before I turn 25 for the third time this August.

occupational hazard

I think I have already got an occupational injury.

The company I am working at produces shoes. So the last two months I have been looking at all kinds of shoes, both outdoor and casual shoes, and analyzing the sales of shoes. All about shoes.

So what is the occupational injury? I have started to notice what shoes people are wearing. Like all the time. Waiting at the train platform in between trains watching people go by and only looking at their shoes.

Although I have yet to see a pair of shoe I recognize. Then again, I have worked there for about two months and seen only a fraction of the shoes that has been produced over the years.

I guess there is an occupational hazard with every work. I guess this one is really not that bad.