I'm feeling a bit out of sorts tonight. Just a couple of things niggling at me and I'm impatient to settle one and I have to wait out the other.
I blogged about my recent check up at which I had the full range of blood tests done about a week ago. Well today I got home from work to find a letter from my medical centre saying they had tried unsuccessfully to contact me about my results and to make an appointment with my GP within 20 days. Well last year nothing like this happened. I got my reults months later when I had cause to see my GP for something else so my mind went into overdrive as to why this time I was being called back. Curious with a capital C!! I'll be calling tomorrow for an appointment asap - the suspense is killing me and not in a good way.
Last week I pulled together an application for another job still within the public service. Its a level higher than my current position and the work is quite different to what I do now. It was a hard application to write with lots of lateral thinking and speculative links to my skills set and how I'd apply it to this position. Well this afternoon I was thinking that they have probably short-listed and I wasnt going to be interviewed. Its just a feeling I had and I was ok with it as I have a great job already. Then lo and behold within about 30 minutes I got a call inviting me to an interview. So I'm in with a chance and feeling nervous and excited and quietly shitting myself in fear of totally f*cking this up as its so far out of my comfort zone. Luckily it'll all be over before I go on holidays (although I probably wont know the outcome) but I have some serious swatting and preparation to do over the next week and a bit.
Training wise I did my second weights session this morning despite feeling very tired from staying up to watch some of the Diamond Jubilee Concert. Great feeling for not piking out and using the late night as an excuse. Today's session was shoulders, bis and tris with a little bit of core work thrown in at the end. Eating has been pretty good even considering dinner at mum's on Tuesday was take away. And finally, like many others I know, I'm REALLY feeling the cold already. In the 15-20 minute walk from my car to work and back its guaranteed that I'll get numb toes and numb fingertips from the cold - and thats in thick tights and leather shoes. How people get around sockless or even worse in open footwear at this time of year is totally beyond me.
In my previous life I have been the interviewER (in a government job in the arts) many times so I've got a secret to share.
ReplyDeleteIf you've been asked for an interview, it's because you're someone they're interested in. No-one puts in the time, effort and energy (interview reports are painful) if they can't see the interviewee being capable of doing the job.
So -- THEY think you can do it (REPEAT THIS TO YOURSELF!)
In an interview, the interviewer doesn't care about experience or history they care about your passion for the position. More times than I can begin to tell you, I've given a job to the least qualified person who is the most enthusiastic, keen and excited to be working with me. On top of that, I'm more likely to give a job to someone who's green rather than an old hand because I want fresh eyes and a new approach.
Oh and ask THEM tough questions - especially what happened to the last person in this position? or How do you (the manager) resolve conflict within the team? etc.
That's my advice for what it's worth, and I've never had an employee I've given a job to let me down. It's all about the passion and you've got oodles of that!!
Good luck on both fronts, Magda. Thinking of you xo...oh, and go get yourself some beautiful gloves ;-) I can't live without them xo
ReplyDeleteHi Katie and thanks for those great tips. I too have been the interviewER so I should remember that from my experiences as well. Typically I get too bogged down in the technical side of things when passion and enthusiasm are as if not more important. Luckily I'll be able to ask lots of hard questions about the job as its in a bit of a contravercial area with a chequered history and it's a new position. Fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sandra. Blogging about my doc visit shortly.