It’s been a while since I wrote anything for my blog, or really had the time to sit down and do anything like it. I’ve spoken before about priorities and you’d think I’d be able to take my own advice more! Christmas is always hectic at work and home and this year was no different; although this year I decided to apply for a new job within the company. Applications had to be in for Christmas Eve and I sent mine off in the hope that Santa would help it on its way and return the present of a new and exciting role for me.
Christmas and New Year passed without hearing anything and I continued on as normal. Around the middle of January though, I got a letter inviting me to a first interview for the role I’d applied for. Santa hadn’t let me down! I got myself ready for the interview, as best I could, and tried to keep the nerves to the minimum. Around this time I’d also been organising with Andy O’Brien to have a meeting to discuss the proposed plans for the Bargates site. Unfortunately both of us had to reschedule for various reasons, the meeting happened, I’ll mention it again later.
I arrived on site for my interview (luckily they were being held at the site where I work) and waited to be called up; feeling slightly uncomfortable sat there in my suit. The interview came and went quicker than I expected and I think it went well. It was a formal type thing, two interviewers asking me questions relating to the role. I had to pop out afterwards and change as I was working straight after and couldn’t go picking cases/driving a reach truck wearing a suit! I had felt the interview had gone well; it must have gone alright as I received a letter for a second interview the following week. This was going to be more nerve racking though as it involved doing a ten minute presentation on a subject of my choice. I decided to choose a subject I knew well, one that I could talk about freely and one that I had pictures to create appropriate slides to accompany me with. I chose to talk about the petition to get a new bowling alley in Burton.
I prepared my presentation and practiced with a friend at work. It seemed to go ok and it got him interested in and asking questions about what we had been trying to achieve in Burton. I felt as ready as I could be, nervous beyond comprehension, but ready. On that note, is anyone else like that? You prepare as much as you can, everything is good and in place and if it was someone else you’d be telling them not to worry as they’d done all they could to prepare. Yet you still feel nervous as hell, like you’re going to fail and you haven’t prepped anywhere near enough. It always goes that way for me, I don’t know why.
Anyway, the second interview day arrived and this time instead of it just being me being interviewed it was a group type thing where we were going to do our presentations to each other. Luckily I knew two out of the three other guys being interviewed, this helped my nerves a little and the way it was conducted eased them a little more.
The interview process started and we went through the first part easily. Then came the presentations, we picked numbers and luckily I wasn’t first! I was to go third; this made it a little easier for me as I could gauge how I thought I would be against the lads before me. All the presentations were good, you could see the effort put into them.
I then had to wait to hear whether I’d got the job or not. I was quietly confident but not overly so, I didn’t want to be that bloke who goes on about being a cert for something, then not get it. I hoped that I’d done enough but you never know what they’re looking for when you interview.
I had to wait just over a week to hear the news. I had got the job and it was only just over a week until they wanted me to start! A bit of rushed setting up to be ready for the role as it involved travelling, a promotion and a lot of new learning. Not long after starting, Andy and I managed to arrange a time to meet about the Bargates rebuild. I put my ideas forward (I’ll talk about them more in another blog) and we discussed what the council was doing around the issue and where we were with the bowling proposals. Incidentally, around the bowling alley issue Jonathan Copeman has produced a three minute film that may be shown on BBC screens in local towns and cities. You can find his 3Minute BBC “Street” Documentary here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxlykqMfgHM I’ve been in the new role for nearly two months now. I’ve learnt a lot but there’s still so much more to learn. I’m working with some great people and enjoy having something different to do and learn everyday. I do miss the people from depot and try to get back when I can to see them and say hello. I don’t know what the future holds, but work wise I’m currently a happy bunny!
