Pandemic Entry Sixteen: Summer 2022 Update
Oct. 5th, 2022 08:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sea_thoughtsAfter taking voluntary redundancy, I took a few weeks off to recover from the stress of the last week at work (during which we were down to two team members as Susan had moved to another department and Peter just went on holiday). I took advantage of a career progression programme that my work offered so I was able to brush up my CV and create a LinkedIn profile. (I don't really like having my online presence linked to my real life one but it was sadly necessary as so much job hunting and profiling takes place on there now.)
I was able to start going to the gym regularly, moving up to two classes a week (both 45 minutes) and this has had a positive effect both on my physical and mental health. My clothes are now feeling looser and I have more stamina. I hope I can increase the time I spend at the gym so this progress continues.
In July I was invited to interview at Gloucester City Homes, a local non-profit housing association but although I was told I interviewed well, the other candidate had "more experience". This was very disappointing and set me back for a couple of weeks because it really seemed like I was in with a chance, especially since my old line manager and another former colleague work there. I picked myself up and carried on applying for jobs.
We had a big family holiday this year with my parents and the niblings, similar to the one we had in York in October 2019. We stayed in St Germans at Railholiday which was really charming. I enjoyed staying in a railway carriage but I think if we went back, I'd want my own carriage. Mainly because having only one loo between me and my parents meant that sometimes two of us were waiting for the third to get out. I revisted Looe (and took the parents) and was finally able to revisit St Ives. We had a wonderful lunch at the Seafood Café, where Dad had a mound of fresh crab linguine that was so huge he actually asked me and Mum for help finishing it off. I had the seafood chowder, highly recommended.
I applied for two more jobs, one with Gloucestershire College as a Skills Boot Camp Programme Co-ordinator and one with Ecotricity as a Customer Service Advisor. Again, I interviewed well for the college job but they went with someone who had more experience in the education sector. I was very disappointed, however my interviewer recommended that I apply for another job with the college Student Data team as an administrator, stating that she would recommend me to the hiring team as someone who interviewed well and would fit in with the team. My interview with Ecotricity went well and I did receive an offer, however my elation turned to disbelief when I read the email and realised that not only had they refused to offer me the salary I asked for, they were asking me to start on the lowest possible salary in the range (19,500). At this point in time, that salary is not a living wage. I tried negotiating, emphasising that I had over 12 years' experience in customer service (job titles not withstanding) and that as a starting salary, it was low. I also suggested that if it wasn't possible to raise the starting salary, could I have an agreement in writing that the salary would be raised to 22,000 after I completed my probation, as long as I met all expected personal and business goals? My interviewer said that while he personally agreed my experience warranted a higher salary, he was not authorised to increase the starting amount or confirm that my salary would be raised after completing my probation. They wanted me to go through the same career progression route as any other new starter. I did my interview for the second college job on Thursday morning and they phoned me the same afternoon (with me thinking that they'd already decided someone else was the right candidate) and offered me the job, stating that they didn't see the point in making me wait until Friday when they knew I was the right candidate. I happily emailed Ecotricity the next day and declined their job offer and I'm now going through the onboarding process for this new job, with the provisional starting date of Halloween!
I was able to start going to the gym regularly, moving up to two classes a week (both 45 minutes) and this has had a positive effect both on my physical and mental health. My clothes are now feeling looser and I have more stamina. I hope I can increase the time I spend at the gym so this progress continues.
In July I was invited to interview at Gloucester City Homes, a local non-profit housing association but although I was told I interviewed well, the other candidate had "more experience". This was very disappointing and set me back for a couple of weeks because it really seemed like I was in with a chance, especially since my old line manager and another former colleague work there. I picked myself up and carried on applying for jobs.
We had a big family holiday this year with my parents and the niblings, similar to the one we had in York in October 2019. We stayed in St Germans at Railholiday which was really charming. I enjoyed staying in a railway carriage but I think if we went back, I'd want my own carriage. Mainly because having only one loo between me and my parents meant that sometimes two of us were waiting for the third to get out. I revisted Looe (and took the parents) and was finally able to revisit St Ives. We had a wonderful lunch at the Seafood Café, where Dad had a mound of fresh crab linguine that was so huge he actually asked me and Mum for help finishing it off. I had the seafood chowder, highly recommended.
I applied for two more jobs, one with Gloucestershire College as a Skills Boot Camp Programme Co-ordinator and one with Ecotricity as a Customer Service Advisor. Again, I interviewed well for the college job but they went with someone who had more experience in the education sector. I was very disappointed, however my interviewer recommended that I apply for another job with the college Student Data team as an administrator, stating that she would recommend me to the hiring team as someone who interviewed well and would fit in with the team. My interview with Ecotricity went well and I did receive an offer, however my elation turned to disbelief when I read the email and realised that not only had they refused to offer me the salary I asked for, they were asking me to start on the lowest possible salary in the range (19,500). At this point in time, that salary is not a living wage. I tried negotiating, emphasising that I had over 12 years' experience in customer service (job titles not withstanding) and that as a starting salary, it was low. I also suggested that if it wasn't possible to raise the starting salary, could I have an agreement in writing that the salary would be raised to 22,000 after I completed my probation, as long as I met all expected personal and business goals? My interviewer said that while he personally agreed my experience warranted a higher salary, he was not authorised to increase the starting amount or confirm that my salary would be raised after completing my probation. They wanted me to go through the same career progression route as any other new starter. I did my interview for the second college job on Thursday morning and they phoned me the same afternoon (with me thinking that they'd already decided someone else was the right candidate) and offered me the job, stating that they didn't see the point in making me wait until Friday when they knew I was the right candidate. I happily emailed Ecotricity the next day and declined their job offer and I'm now going through the onboarding process for this new job, with the provisional starting date of Halloween!
no subject
Date: 2022-10-06 06:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-11 09:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-06 05:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-11 09:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-11 07:32 pm (UTC)I could have sworn I already replied, but apparently opening a post up in another tab does not magically mean that I have left a comment... /o\
Am very happy you got a job somewhere that will appreciate you and hope you enjoy it once you start!
no subject
Date: 2022-10-11 09:19 pm (UTC)