Mr_Odwin Posted February 18, 2022 Posted February 18, 2022 We had new staff photos taken at work and the photographer, who made everyone else look great, has made my forehead even bigger than it is in real life. Very disappointing. Or maybe I have a distorted sense of my own fivehead. 2 1
Ashley Posted February 18, 2022 Posted February 18, 2022 Every day you become more and more like Frasier 4
Ashley Posted February 23, 2022 Posted February 23, 2022 Keep boomeranging to a client for a specific project (when they should really take more stuff on board internally). Had a meeting with them yesterday about their newest requirements. There is one person who means well and isn't horrible or anything but their energy is so draining and exhausting and will go over the same points again and again. One of those that they're just waiting for them to retire. That person is doing something similar but within a different area and they mentioned they had put together a spreadsheet and wanted me to replicate for my stuff. Now how they described it its straight forward but they wanted me to hang around after the meeting to show me through it (they love pointless meetings to explain things they've already said). I said I had a meeting straight after (a lie) so just email it me. A few hours later I emailed saying I wouldn't be able to meet this week so please just email it to me and they responded saying "sure". At some point the project manager emailed notes from the meeting and I responded with some points and said as soon as that person sends me the spreadsheet I'll elaborate on that point. They've responded saying they've sent it to my email address supplied by the client. So during the meeting I said send it to my company email. I then emailed them from my company email asking for it and they responded to that...and then hours later sent it to a different one of my email addresses. Why!? Why are people like this!?
Happenstance Posted February 24, 2022 Posted February 24, 2022 Got offered an extra 5 hours a week work at the school today arranging cover for lessons from 7.15-8.15am before I come into work. Told them I'd think about it but I'm pretty sure I'll say no. The extra money would be great but there's a reason this role has always been a senior teachers job and that's because they actually know what is needed to cover lessons and which teachers are suitable etc, I don't. My boss actually led with how it's causing the currently person a lot of stress and I think I am even less suited to it than she is. Also doesn't help that I hate my current job and am actively searching for anything elsewhere but I'm not close enough to leaving yet to tell them that for now!
MindFreak Posted March 9, 2022 Posted March 9, 2022 I've decided to go with the new job. It sounds like a good mix of seriousness and relaxed culture along with tasks that resemble what I'm doing now. I probably won't get a pay raise per se but my current salary includes my own contribution to pension (5.25 % of my salary) which will be removed and on top I get 21 % on top of my salary paid to my pension scheme by the new employer (11 % now). That's quite the boost! So that will give me more money on the bottom line.
MindFreak Posted May 4, 2022 Posted May 4, 2022 Started my new job this week. My new colleagues are really nice, there is a good vibe in the office and people are really helpful. I haven't seen my manager, though, which is a bit funny. Monday she had a day off with her family (they went to Legoland which is a perfectly acceptable excuse!), Tuesday she had back-pain and couldn't go to the office and today, well, I don't know if she were there. It doesn't matter to me, though, I'm good. I look forward to start looking into some code, though. My first day was a bit weird, got my laptop and an iPhone 13. Both completely obsolete, the laptop is only to be used as a Citrix client which will hook up to my stationary computer at the office for when I'm working from home, the iPhone is solely for using Microsoft Authenticator sometimes - I could use it privately as well but I use Android. But my stationary computer had an error so I couldn't log in and thus, I couldn't actually start the setup until Tuesday. The setup is a 27 pages long Word document with many, many steps. Almost done with it now. 2
nightwolf Posted May 7, 2022 Posted May 7, 2022 (edited) On 12/02/2022 at 9:42 PM, nightwolf said: I haven't posted in here for a while, but given I've just had my end of year review, I might as well. This year has been mad, the role was a step up for me way back in 2020. But I decided to really go for it and push hard to learn everything I could. So this past year has been really interesting and I've had to really try to find a voice. On the other hand, I've had a few (men and that is relevant given the field I am in) really speak out against me, not understanding why I was hired, why I wasn't doing x, why I was doing y. Putting me down about my role and the things I was or wasn't doing. I told my manager as such in my end of year, to which he was surprised. He's heard nothing but "amazing feedback about you, everyone speaks of you highly". I even later found out that I've been put forward to my director as one of three (out of 50+) to be outstanding. He's pleased I was able to deal with it on my own, but very unhappy that it happened. He's a good chap, which is rare from my own experience of managers. This also means I'm getting a promotion, my first internal one if it gets signed. I was thankful I got to chose whether I wanted to continue my career path as it currently is (which was absolutely fine with my manager) or take the step up. I chose to take the step as I want to see what happens. So that's neat. Will hopefully see more about that in the coming months. Honestly working in a male dominated field is really, really hard sometimes. I'm the only senior woman in my particular team and the only person in my role in the whole company. I'm glad for the chance to prove myself and people think highly of me, but good lord I need to shake some of this imposter syndrome off. Perhaps 2022 I can finally gain some more confidence...and perhaps the new title. Looks like the promotion is coming through, I'll be managing 7 people, plus an external team in the coming months. I'll be accepting on the condition of compensation and whatnot, but so far so good. Exciting but also kind of scary. edit: words are hard Edited May 7, 2022 by nightwolf 3
Happenstance Posted May 20, 2022 Posted May 20, 2022 Interesting in IT at my place at the moment. With all the changes that have gone on in the last few years me and the other IT guy have basically been in a race to see who can leave first. As of today it looks like he's won but I do know of a job coming up that I have an in with that would be perfect for me so hopefully I won't be far behind. We're just starting a big switchover from Google to 365 as well so it'll be interesting to see how that goes if we both leave in the middle of it.
darksnowman Posted May 20, 2022 Posted May 20, 2022 On 18/02/2022 at 12:57 PM, Ashley said: Every day you become more and more like Frasier And you like Niles...? 59 minutes ago, Happenstance said: Interesting in IT at my place at the moment. With all the changes that have gone on in the last few years me and the other IT guy have basically been in a race to see who can leave first. As of today it looks like he's won but I do know of a job coming up that I have an in with that would be perfect for me so hopefully I won't be far behind. We're just starting a big switchover from Google to 365 as well so it'll be interesting to see how that goes if we both leave in the middle of it. Yeah but what of the Batbelt???????????? Are you even Batman or Robin in this equation?
Ashley Posted May 20, 2022 Posted May 20, 2022 9 minutes ago, darksnowman said: And you like Niles...?
Happenstance Posted May 20, 2022 Posted May 20, 2022 16 minutes ago, darksnowman said: Yeah but what of the Batbelt???????????? Are you even Batman or Robin in this equation? Robin currently, then probably IT Batman for a few weeks then hopefully gone myself where I become remote worker Superman who just works in the red undies.
darksnowman Posted May 20, 2022 Posted May 20, 2022 29 minutes ago, Ashley said: Knew it. 23 minutes ago, Happenstance said: Robin currently, then probably IT Batman for a few weeks then hopefully gone myself where I become remote worker Superman who just works in the red undies. Can't believe we gave you feedback on the Kindle and whatnot if it's gonna be red undies from here on out.
Happenstance Posted May 24, 2022 Posted May 24, 2022 So more info has come up on this job I may go for. Only 16 hours a week so quite a bit less pay than I'm currently getting but on a much higher rate overall and would be going up to full-time in 12 months so I'm thinking it's worth going for (even just for my mental health at this point) and basically not spending any extra money for a year (after my Steam Deck of course).
EEVILMURRAY Posted May 28, 2022 Posted May 28, 2022 On 08/05/2021 at 10:02 AM, EEVILMURRAY said: Up on the saga. Didn't get one of the PA roles I've basically been doing. They rang up whilst I was en route to pick up new bike and one of the reasons they gave, as well as wanting a face to face to explain more, was that I didn't explain enough about the treatment pathway "which is an important part of the role", I can't remember my exact answer, so fuck me I guess for not training myself on something which isn't my job yet. I hung up on them shortly after that. I've been a miserable fuck all week. I did give my colleagues the heads up about this question as it did catch me off guard, those two got one of the roles, so fuck me again well-intentioned idiot. They haven't invited me to this meeting yet as one of the seniors has been on leave this week, but I'm going to get a list of the stuff I do and make it quite clear what it is my job it is to do. Because it being exactly the same except for taking some minutes at meetings and "having final overview" of some spreadsheets is not worth the base £2k difference in wages. The person who I worked with, got this job so I've been working under her for a year, decided to apply for the role above hers as that person had moved on. She got it, which left her role up for grabs. applied, did a bit more prep and got it this time. Woo! Now they need to put out the vacancy for my old job 1
Happenstance Posted July 5, 2022 Posted July 5, 2022 Fuck. The job that I had an interview for today that I had admittedly hung way too many hopes on has paused recruiting while they reconsider what they want for the role. Genuinely don't know what to do now. I'm absolutely miserable in my current job and the hope of this new one was the only thing keeping me going. All I know is I can't keep working in a place that pushes me closer to full on depression each day. 3
Iun Posted July 6, 2022 Posted July 6, 2022 9 hours ago, Happenstance said: Fuck. The job that I had an interview for today that I had admittedly hung way too many hopes on has paused recruiting while they reconsider what they want for the role. Genuinely don't know what to do now. I'm absolutely miserable in my current job and the hope of this new one was the only thing keeping me going. All I know is I can't keep working in a place that pushes me closer to full on depression each day. Schools are the worst places to work at the moment: I nearly accepted a position elsewhere last week (!) mid-contract. But then I looked at their curriculum and nope'd the fuck out. Another 500quid a month is NOT enough to deal with management who couldn't find their arse with both hands.
Ashley Posted August 18, 2022 Posted August 18, 2022 I've got to do 45 minutes of work tomorrow morning (long story) and then I'm done! Going unemployed for a while because 2020 was supposed to be my year off to go travelling and well *gestures* so I went into consultancy work and its been 2 and a half years and I need a break. So I'm starting a personal trainer course next month and have some other things in the pipeline but for now I am very much looking forward to just having a break for a bit. Particularly after the last 2 months (in which my stepfather and nan died a month apart so I've been back and forth to home and the hospital a lot in that period). Roll on 8am tomorrow when I'll be finished. 2 1
Happenstance Posted August 18, 2022 Posted August 18, 2022 Had a meeting with my boss today as I'm trying to arrange to start working from home 2 days a week as it's become a lot harder for me to get in at the moment. First thing she does is ambush me with a request of their own to instead work an extra day a week and do my current job in the school office while also covering the office for a year. They also know that I don't get on at all with the receptionist who I'd have to be on my own with all afternoon everyday. Delusional.
Happenstance Posted August 25, 2022 Posted August 25, 2022 Supposed to have roughly 2 months to work on the new school year timetable as I have never done it before and have no knowledge of how it works in regards to the school. It's now a week and a half before the start of term and I still haven't received it. Fucking joke.
EEVILMURRAY Posted August 27, 2022 Posted August 27, 2022 Our team have finally been moved over to a different building at Trust HQ "to make room for other new starters", which appears to have been a vendetta against our department since we switched divisions - we were originally in ambulatory division, then moved over to surgical division, not entirely sure on the reason why - but since then the managers of the building seem to have done their best to segregate us from the main group, put up one of those blue wall things around our desks, told other members of staff not to invite us to their Christmas work do*, split us up so 4 were downstairs, 4 in 2 offices upstairs which had no air conditioning (this was about a month ago...), but the statement always was was that they needed the room for X because it was so full. I spent the next month taking photos of the office and sending them to my seniors over how "full" the office was so they could use it as ammo (spaces for about 30 people excluding us, max was about 12 on any one day) Sadly it did not stop it, so the new offices we're in aren't bad, 2 rooms of 4 desks next door to one another, but not the same with an open plan office with all your other peeps in it, so we don't see our fellow secretaries anymore. The main drawback for me is the time it takes to get there. What used to be a 15 minute bike ride is now a 45-60 minute jamboree. *which backfired spectacularly on them as they booked a date, which they then pushed it back a month without telling us a couple of weeks beforehand, which I discovered when attempting to pay the rest of a balance. They cited COVID fears as the reason. They then attempted to push it back another month (because more than half attendees had expressed more COVID concerns - everyone we asked said they hadn't voiced anything), which some of us said we'd rather keep the current date, so it was put to a vote, those that said they weren't bothered either way and would go whenever were automatically considered to have voted for the later date (as that was the date the seniors were pushing for). So I got proactive, got the majority of the "cool kids" to commit to the earlier date, was asked to handle the booking for it, and had a great time.
Happenstance Posted September 4, 2022 Posted September 4, 2022 On 25/08/2022 at 11:41 AM, Happenstance said: Supposed to have roughly 2 months to work on the new school year timetable as I have never done it before and have no knowledge of how it works in regards to the school. It's now a week and a half before the start of term and I still haven't received it. Fucking joke. Spent the last week including this weekend inputting the timetable and learning how it works. I'm knackered now and the stress of getting it done has really taken its toll. Still only managed to get week one of our two week timetable onto the system but at least the kids will have something to come back to now and the second week should go a lot quicker. After that of course I still need to get back to my own work which also needed doing by the start of term and had to fall to the side while I did this timetable. I know we're now supposed to be in a much more remote working friendly world but god I wish it was easier to search for. Applied for a few but so many just seem to tick remote even if they aren't offering it.
Happenstance Posted January 30, 2023 Posted January 30, 2023 Update since I last posted. I managed to finally leave the school at the end of last year and now have two temporary positions working from home for a County Council. One doing more data stuff which I could take or leave but the other managing social media/websites and graphic design which I really enjoy. As I said both are temporary at the moment, Data until the end of March and Social Media until the end of May but both jobs are required so the department is pushing hard for them to continue. I'm tempted to not continue the Data one if offered more and start an online design course to get some kind of qualification but not sure yet, need to look more into it. Still, a hell of a lot more happier in work than I was and from the sounds of it, the school I was at is still as big of a mess as ever. Had a few messages this month asking me how to do simple things that I already left in my handover notes. 3
Happenstance Posted May 12, 2023 Posted May 12, 2023 Need to decide what to do about my job. At the moment I'm working in the rough area I want to be in where I manage social media stuff and can do some graphic designing but it's a temp contract that just gets extended. They want it to go permanent and have requested it but can't get a definite yes that it'll happen. On the other hand a job has come up in the Digital Content Team that's a permanent position in more of a support role and they've worked with me before and suggested I apply. I could easily do the job but it's less money and moving away from the design stuff I enjoy.
Iun Posted June 6, 2023 Posted June 6, 2023 On 12/05/2023 at 8:11 PM, Happenstance said: Need to decide what to do about my job. At the moment I'm working in the rough area I want to be in where I manage social media stuff and can do some graphic designing but it's a temp contract that just gets extended. They want it to go permanent and have requested it but can't get a definite yes that it'll happen. On the other hand a job has come up in the Digital Content Team that's a permanent position in more of a support role and they've worked with me before and suggested I apply. I could easily do the job but it's less money and moving away from the design stuff I enjoy. Job satisfaction and job security... There's anxiety one way or the other, I'd take security on account of the mortgage, but be on the look-out for something I enjoy. 2
EEVILMURRAY Posted June 6, 2023 Posted June 6, 2023 4 hours ago, Iun said: Job satisfaction and job security... There's anxiety one way or the other, I'd take security on account of the mortgage, but be on the look-out for something I enjoy. Word to this. Having a job you love is all well and good, but if it's liable to be taken away at a moment's notice, I don't think I could risk it (also for mortgage etc), and settle for the not-as-good-but-secure position. At least you've got something steady whilst you're on the prowl for a better opportunity. There were a couple of senior roles available on the level above me, which magically were handed out to a couple of people, bypassing the application process, which I raised an issue with. The main responses consisted of "they had applied for similar positions elsewhere and were deemed viable for this" and "I didn't know you were interested". If it isn't put out, how can I express interest? I also wasn't aware that if I was interested in a position that there currently wasn't a vacancy for, I should apply for similar roles on different departments, hope I don't get offered the job and kept in mind should something I actually was interested in became available. One of the people dropped out though, so a vacancy did appear. For the personal statement thing you have to submit with your application I enlisted the help of my immediate senior, and the one above her for advice and have a look at it. Got some nice feedback and amended accordingly. Wasn't even offered an interview. As was a couple of other colleagues who I know went for it. My pessimistic brain has me thinking that they had already given the position like they did before, but were trying to save face by creating a vacany page. But that's just me being salty. As I applied I had it in mind that I knew I wasn't that bothered, but I if I got rejected I'd be more upset than I thought I would be. But as the smackdown came, I didn't feel as sad as I thought, which was a nice bonus.
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