In the days leading up to my long awaited holiday, life has become a bit of a waiting game.
With no less than eight (possibly nine) girls and two boys making an appearance at some point during the 10 day break to the South of France, e-mails have begun to fly, and my apprehension has begun to heighten. Organising that many people is no mean feat.
Mostly because a funny thing happens when you're part of a big group. They teach you about it in A-Level psychology; that "someone else will do it" mentality you get when you're part of a large crowd. It tends to worsen when money's involved, too. And so it was that after much talk, I got the ball rolling to hire the group a second car. "Happy to sort" I offered last week, "on the basis that everyone plonks their share of the rental into my account before I book, as I don't have £300 to spare". At time of writing, one bank transfer has so far been completed.
There's also the music festival we're all meant to be going to in the second week. "Dare I mention the festival? Are we booking tickets?" I ventured in response to the stream of excitable holiday e-mails this morning, "We'll need to get them before we leave...". The e-mail drifted into the ether, where it has remained; read by all, yet unanswered by many.
Then, in the midst of this organisational flurry, a message from the Potential Boss cancelling tomorrow's second interview and trying to rearrange for next week. Except I'm not here next week. Or most of the week after. I'd rather hoped to get it over and done with tomorrow, then zip off to France and hear the results, good or bad, while bathing in a sangria and sunshine haze by the pool. There goes that master plan.
"Sorry, I'm on holiday until the 11th. Is there another date we can do?"
And I tell ya what: in this modern age of instant online communication, it amazing how quiet an inbox can get.
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7 comments:
Despite being what one could call "a computer whizz kid" (except I'm waaay too old to be referred to as a kid without spluttering) and never having done A level psychology may I recommend my own tried and tested method of resolving crappy non-email responsiveness?
Pick up the phone or, where possible, chat with said idiots, er, people, face to face. It resolves all sorts of too-easy-to-forget-the-email and I'll-get-back-to-that-in-a-minute situations.
Potential boss: I'd definitely try phoning him. The more personal you become to him the more you increase your chances of getting the job - or resolving the "will I get it" feeling. Too easy to put an email reply into the pile of scant reasons people decide not to hire someone.
Seriously - technology can be an irreverent and disloyal slave some times....and a convenient scape goat.
To be fair, I do generally favour a direct call approach. But I'm not about to sit at my desk calling round nine girls individually during work. It's just funny that everyone's really hot on the email until you need a decision :-D
And as for the potential boss, his voicemail said to "email me" and then he said his email address, rather than phone number...so I'm just following instructions like a good future employee would ;)
Bah - and my advice sounded so cool and deadly too! Foiled!
I don't envy your planning the trip, but I bet it will all work out.
At least he said `e-mail me' - here one of my many bosses insist on leaving voicemail messages instructing people to `ping' him.
But you're right re. how it goes in attempting to organise & pay for a big event ... there will be the initial crescendo of excitement with cries of `I'm in', `Sounds terrific' etc., etc., but then (and esp. as you get nearer the date) things generally start to take on a new flavour (with the usual de rigeur dropping out of certain people).
Have to say it's all rather nail-butting stuff re. second interview however and a pity re. the bad timing re. your impending hols - but that's life - never goes to plan.
Let me try to wrap my mind around this. Nine girls + two boys = The South of France? Do I have that right? If I were part of this menagerie, only thing that would improve on it is if the other guy was gay.
You have every right to go on vacation. They won't hold it against you. If they did, you don't want to work at a place like that.
That's the truth.
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