Friday 18 November 2011

The time my hope went into outer space

Speculative CVs, tailor written covering letters, hours spent shoehorning experience into boxes on application forms.

Applications, disappointments, recruitment consultants. Hopes get raised, dropped, you put the feelers out among contacts, scour the websites and start again. First interviews that go badly, second interviews that go well, and e-mails that leave you feeling a bit crushed; contract jobs start, temporary jobs end, both are followed by weeks of unemployment before the next wave arrives and you go back to work.

Welcome to the tedium of my working life for the last few years. 

A couple of weeks ago, the process started again. Fearing my contract ending in time for Christmas expense, I wrote a bangin' covering letter for a job I'd seen, attached some writing examples and sent it all off. 

My hopes were raised when I got an email a few days later, inviting me for an interview. The hope did somersaults round the block when they called me back for a second one later that week. The hope proceeded to go on an all expenses paid trip to the Moon when the interview went well, and I tentatively told the first few friends that I'd been looking at a pretty cool job.

Then yesterday, the day they were due to let me know, came and went. The familiar feeling of disappointment and doubt crept back in, just like it always does. Luckily, a back-up plan surfaced; my current job contract got extended a few more weeks, so everything pinged into place. This one wasn't meant to be, but at least I wouldn't be a jobless hobo over Christmas.

"Don't assume the worst case! We all think you're good at what you do. It will be their loss anyway" read the text message from my mum, as I chugged my way through a large glass of horrendous white wine.

Then this morning, through the hangover fog - my phone rang.

The gist of the ensuing conversation being that as of January, at the ripe old age of 27, I'm going to be starting my first permanent role. 

New office, new colleagues.

New job.

So after years of disappointments, in this time of economic doom and gloom, there is just one thing left to say:


24 comments:

Leigh said...

Yay for permanent jobs! And double yay for dancing cats!

Paper-Rock-Scissors said...

Congratulations! The long road is the hardest but often is the best route to have taken...someone clever once told me that!

Lola said...

I'm still in the horrible application phase that you describe - I haven't made it yet, but I will definitely be sending that pic around when I do!

Blonde said...

They have made an excellent choice. Nicely done. x

London Lass Blog said...

Hurrah :)

And as for the dancing cat - that is its right foot ... ?

*adjusts glasses*

modelofamodernmajorgeneral said...

hurrah!

James said...

That is awesome!

Anonymous said...

Well done Jo :)

Please Don't Eat With Your Mouth Open said...

Leigh - Nothing says "I am happy" like a cat doing the electric slide.

Paper-Rock - That clever person may have had a point.

Lola - I know that phase very, very, very well indeed. Stick at it. Apply for the jobs that get you excited.

Blonde - Thank you. What lovely words.

London Lass - Ooh, blimey. See what you mean. Err. Yes. I think so. *looks closely*

model - Woop woop!

James - It is!

Perp - Thank you :)

Breeza said...

Congratulations!!

James _ink said...

Congrats. What a way to be starting a New Year!

Just don't get too busy that you don't have time to post your tales here. ;-)

P said...

Yay - congrats!x

Redbookish said...

Oh, that's wonderful! As an academic, I didn't get my first permanent pension-paying job till I was 31 and even then it paid utter peanuts. It does give you such a feeling of control over your life, which is wonderful. Great news & congratulations! Oh dear, fat too many exclamation marks ...

Dellers said...

Well done and well deserved!!

treacle said...

Wooooo hoooooo!!! x

Fen said...

oh awesome news & I love your appropriate cat pic :)

Arielle said...

Sometimes I think you and I are the same person. We keep blogging about similar things at similar times.

Also, congrats on the job!!! I'm hoping to be able to write a similar "woohoo!" post in the next few weeks.

Elle Field said...

Yey!! Congratulations. {^_^} x

Anonymous said...

First permanent role at 27? Slacker!

Er, I mean WELL DONE!!!! ;-)

Please Don't Eat With Your Mouth Open said...

Breeza - Thank you!

James - Ha! Would I ever?

P - thanks :)

Redbookish - You're excused. If ever there was an occasion for exclamation marks, this is it. And yes, the security is lovely.

Dellers - Thank you!

Treacle - Wooop wooooop

Fen - Not usually one for cat pics, but I thought it was largely appropriate.

Ellie - Waahhoooo

Arielle - Ha, I've noticed that. Bit weird, you must be my New York parallel person, or something. And good luck with whatever it is you're waiting for...

Elle - Finally, eh? :)

punctuation - *ahem* PERMANENT JOB, not JOB. Careful, kind sir. I have fearsome dogs and I know how to use them. ;)

Anonymous said...

Great news, congrats Jo!

Anonymous said...

Is it just my computer or are all the words that seem intended to be in inverted commas printed in almost invisible light gray.

Anonymous said...

Oops, looked at it again and it's not quotation marks or some kind of punctuation that I don't get, it's quite random.

Robbie said...

Excellent work and congratulations... Just hope they spell your name correctly.

 

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