Time For A Change

[Hazey_Jane]

Oh hoorah Skips!

[Heebie Jeebie]

Brilliant Skips, well done! It must have been quite depressing for a bit there having to save your holiday entitlement for job interviews.

[wendy james]

The one where they pulled the advert? Brilliant! Well done. Would you stay if you get a perm offer?

My interview in Swindon is scheduled for Wednesday, so straight from exam prep to interview prep.

I also got an email about a London based job, to which I replied explaining my location and previous flexible working. I said I was happy to talk further if that level of flexibility was on offer, and he called back later. Phone tennis ensued so I’ll find out more Monday!

[Skips]

Yes, this is the one they pulled the advert. I haven't heard anything from the other interview (yet).

I would stay if they made an offer here. I get paid slightly more (and have asked for the same salary as my bossed asked what I get paid now - he only knows what he pays the agency), the commute is faster and the company is part of a larger organisation so I would get better benefits). They have said before they would like to keep me on, but wanting to do so and actually offering me something are two totally different things, and I can't keep holding out for a maybe when the weekly pay/inability to change my mortgage now the deal is up are stressing me out so much.

[mischief]

Congratulations I hope your current company come up with something

[wendy james]

Me too!

I have been invited to another interview, which must be Wednesday as the interviewer is travelling from London. So two interviews in one day!

I have to drive to Swindon (allowing a couple of hours for 75 minute journey because of potential traffic and their car park access looks horrifying), allow the instructed two hours for the interview, then drive to Aztec West in Bristol (allowing 90 minutes for a journey that should take half that), then who knows how long there, before heading home.

Thankfully P is willing to walk to work, I've requested after school club for the girls ( for space! ) and TC is lined up to collect them at 6pm just in case.

What could possibly go wrong?

I also spoke to the agent about the London job and he’s putting me forward based on on the flexibility I need. I know the company and they know me, (though not necessarily the hiring manager) as they were a big supplier at my last firm, but am not sure how flexible they can be.

[Annabella]

Good Luck Wendy

[wendy james]

Thanks! How did you get on last Tuesday (sorry if I missed an update)?

The agent with the London job rang to ask if he can speak to other companies about me now he knows I’m a free agent. He knows a couple of large service providers with bases in Bristol. It’s never Bath lol.

[H1ppychick]

That's all sounding really encouraging, Wenders. If you were to end up with the company that is the large supplier to your previous employer, would you have to deal with your old work (and therefore rub their noses in it?)

Brilliant news Skips. Hopefully you can play them off each other and get an improved deal out of it.

[wendy james]

Probably not, as they have a dedicated person for their account already.

[Skips]

That sounds a long day, Wendy! Best of luck with both interviews.

So, a lot has happened in the past day and a half. The company I'm currently with want to give me a permanent role, but have their hands tied due to a headcount issue/redundancies being made. They are pitching for someone else to join the operations team (me) although I will still cover finance tasks, if they make it finance based they are likely to have this rejected as our accounts team is being outsourced to Prague. The best they could offer is a temporary contract, but this time direct with them so I would be paid monthly and have payslips (that don't mention that I'm temping). My manager has also said if I need it they will provide references etc for any potential new mortgage deal. By June (!) I should be in with a permanent contract. They also offered more money (always a bonus!) and I would get all other company benefits also.

So I went back to the original job offer and they took overnight to think about it and said they can't offer any more on the salary. As it's a difference of £3,000 and my weekly pay issues are dealt with, I have decided to stay put and hope I'm not job hunting again in 6 months.

[wendy james]

Well the Swindon interviewer is ill so I’ve changed the Bristol one to the morning and there will be no childcare issues. Sorted!

That sounds sensible Skips, and I hope they come through for you by June.

[Annabella]

Interview I had last Tuesday was really positive feedback but they still needed to see more people (I was the first) Recruiter called today to say they will have more interviews this week and he should be able to tell me by Friday if I have a second interview for next week. So fingers crossed. I registered with a big agency last Friday but have not heard anything from them so far, so the hunt continues.

[wendy james]

Fingers crossed that nobody can match up to you Annabella!

I'm still waiting for a the Swindon one to be rescheduled. The Bristol one was promising. I could definitely work for the hiring manager who said I'm a strong candidate but he has a couple more people to see. It's not a client-side role (my experience) so it only takes somebody with the more aligned background to pip me, all else being equal, I guess. But it would be an arse to traipse to every day and the client is "difficult".

Oh,and I've spoken to two different agencies about the same job, and had to say that I'd already applied directly but they are obviously not interested. Now knowing what they expect to pay, I'm not even interested myself.

[wendy james]

I'm through to second interview for the Bristol job, meeting with the client this time. Still nothing on rescheduling the Swindon one so I've given the agent a bit of a nudge by telling him I'm not available Wednesday because of a second interview.

[olive]

Well done, Wendy and good luck for Wednesday! I hope it gives the Swindon recruiter a bit of a nudge too.

Have you heard anything yet, Annabella?

I sent a speculative email to the North American office of my old company and got a really positive email back. I hadn’t realised I’d sent it to someone quite senior but he’s sent it on the the President (of the business of course ) and HR person and they’ve all been looking at my LinkedIn profile.

I’ve put them in touch with a few people from the UK office to speak to - thank god I didn’t burn any bridges! Now it just comes down to whether they’ll take me as a consultant.

I also have a few networking events coming up but I don’t know if anything will come of them.

[Ella77]

Nice one, wendy and olive!

[wendy james]

I hate networking events olive, but the Swindon role came about from me going to one. The interest in your profile sounds promising!

Swindon interview is now this Thursday morning.

[Ella77]

Hah. Yeah it is.

[Skips]

That's good, Wendy. Do you have a preference of roles?