Things I've meant to do

Well I did have plans for this period of unempolyment, but what did I actually achieve?
1. Tidy boys rooms - yes, but who can tell as they look little better!!
2. Visited gym - this I've actually achieved, taking up BodyPump and enjoying it. Not quite managed a 6-pack yet but getting there.
3. Catch up with friends - varied success on this one. We all lead busy lives.
4. Tidy up garden - things are looking better but ongoing in that weeds do continue to grow.
5. Paint boys rooms - lack of finance makes this unlikely.
6. Learn Italian - I am still on week one despite book saying only half-an-hour a day!
7. Tidy Chris's PC room - even cleaning desk brought forth moans that I'd lost some screws. Telling him that dust is dead skin and I could knit together another human being from contents of that room has no effect.
8. Do some writing - ineffective here in that I'd rather be active at moment. Plus brain is over run with finance and linked concerns.

From art sculptures on sale in Eton

Job Search

I've come home to a brown envelope from the Child Benefit Office. Kieran is nearly old enough to leave school, that's chronologically old enough, there is no way Kieran is ready for such a step. Besides the fact that Kieran still has a whole year of GCSE study left, he is not mature enough to venture into the working environment. The latest job I was interviewed will be helping youngsters who are making this first step into this environment.

I am in limbo at moment awaiting to hear from agency and job interview. As last job was lost on question of what do you look for in a job? Which answered a bit to literally, it has been running through my mind. So here goes.

Firstly is deciding what I wanted to do. Fantasy versa reality here, as thoughts of film extra, Hugh Grant's PR, travel, were abandoned for the facts I wanted part-time work within school hours. (Hugh Grant probably expected full-time attention)

Next I looked coldly at skills and working possibilities. Ideal would be website designer, reality is that despite my IT experience I do not have skills in html, java or script and no employer is going to consider me for this role. However, I do have skills I could use in other, less well-paid, jobs.

Which area did I want to work in? Retailing, is not really for me. Neither is call centre work. Working with children is not for me, I lack patience. I do not have experience is payrolls nor pensions. My best option is a general admin or receptionist role. (Here you have to consider local employment, whilst film extra work might be possible in London here demand is negligible.)

Finding vacancies. Besides the local paper the web is great for this. There is the government own, highly frustrating, website. After putting in your requirements you are supplied with results which start well with actual matches but then throws in jobs from places as far apart as Glasgow and Maidenhead, not exactly a bike ride away! Reed employment, however has a really good site, which is regularly updated. It even lists job from other agencies. The only drawback is that these agencies then contact you.

Interviews with agencies. Before they submit your details to employer they want to met you. So far I've treated as a normal interview. Dress as if I was going to work. Be prepared for questions. I've even had to do tests. And all agencies want to see your passport.

Next stage is fielding offers from agencies which are not job you went for. Sometimes you wonder if they have actually read your CV! One problem is that some only look back at last job which might not reflect what you're now looking for. Beware of agreeing to interview for job which when you put phone down you realise requires you to start at 8.00am every morning or has other fault which makes it unsuitable.

Next is interview for job you want. Be prepared for following questions:-
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What can you bring to this role? (ensure you know what role this is!)
What attracted you to this job?
It's worth remembering that the winner of this year's apprentice was the girl that Sir Alan most empathized with, although both girls were deemed equally capable of fulfilling the role.

After interview you will either decide job isn't want you want, in which case you can continue search, or that it's prefect. You are now in limbo awaiting to hear whether they want you. At this point doubts and insecurities take over as you go over interview in your head searching for clues and wondering if you provided the right responses. However, in case the answer is no you should continue searching for viable vacancies, difficult as this is.

Good Luck

Blogging thoughts

As you see I'm a useless blogger. Whenever I log on I get distracted and after reading e-mail, looking at favourite websites, then a distracting, and probably unnecessary, web-surf I come here and whatever comment I was going to add has gone. I have also failed to get a theme. Having a theme would give me a focus, but as my life lacks focus it is probably inevitable that my blog would end up as a strange unlinked scrapbook.

Thoughts at moment are about nearly reaching the big five oh!!! Half a century has slipped by and I feel that I wasted my journey through life waiting at bus stops and then getting on the wrong ones! I certainly haven't arrived at the place I expected to be in by now. It's interesting trying to helping the boys sort out their life path. They have more opportunities than I had, but will they have the courage and determination to ensure that whatever dreams they have are achieved? I suppose that in 50 years I realise that its not intelligence or talent which are important, although both are desirable, the thing that enables people to achieve is determination and opportunity. Although, maybe those with determination make their own opportunities.

Sometimes it helps to be pragmatic. Maybe I'm not in the position I envisaged but I'm where I'm supposed to be. Sometimes I get deja vue type feelings, it is as if time overlaps and I'm aware, for a second, that whatever is occurring and whoever is around me I have dreamed/known about beforehand. This feeling can occur at the most normal of times, and it's like a benchmark in a computer programme. Benchmarks are put in to check data contents at certain stages of a programme to ensure that data is correct. A friend once suggested that these experiences are confirmations that we're on the right path. It has been awhile since I had a deja vue feeling but I am in a problem phase at the moment.

It's strange in that I'm looking at a new career option now. One moment I'm realistic and the next I try to work out what I'd like to do. Of course with a family it's about compromise.