Stuff to do with me and about me
Finally, after several years of waiting, I have been able to get the domain that I wanted to get for Yoda when I first set up his website.
Probably not a sought after domain for most people, but for me it was.
It looks like the domain was left to lapse, so I jumped straight on it.
Yoda can now be seen at yodacam.com as well as yodacam.co.uk.
Well some great news today, not only great for me but for a good few ex work colleagues as well.
I know the muffin lady will be over the moon to hear this.
I cant believe the amount of txt`s and email I have received telling me about this, unbelievable.
Needless to say, 2 more gone – 2 more to go!
Well, 3 days into my new job and I get the phone call that I have been expecting.
My former employer seems to have been shafted by the people that were brought on board to force me out of the company.
Of course, I was only too willing to help – considering that the company was locked out of the entire computer system, there was nothing else I could do really.
It seems very odd to me that the people doing this were good friends with one of the Managing Directors, I mean why would you want to do that to a friend and to a company that is paying your wages? Very strange!
Anyways, I will do what I can to help them, not sure what I can do remotely with great effect but I guess I`ll soon see, but I do have certain ways of doing things that can be of benefit to me, so I might do a few of those.
Before I do help, I need to make a quick phone call and send a few emails……
Today I start my new job as I.T. Technician for the local College.
Last time I started a new job was well over 16 years ago. Have to be a bit honest and say that it`s a bit daunting as well as exciting.
It looks like I have a massive learning curve a head of me, not only new systems and up to date software to get used to, but also new working procedures, new staff, new buildings new everything.
Today I had a job interview for the job role of IT Technician at the local College.
Again I was stressing about having to go somewhere and have an interview, even though it was only a few minutes down the road. I was last at the College some 30 years ago when I used to go swimming, and from what I have seen today and have been told a lot has changed there.
I had my test, in which time run out far too quick, and then my interview with the Head of IT and the Head of HR, which was more enjoyable than I was expecting, and lastly a quick chat with the Bursar. I then left to go home after being told that I would hear by the end of the day if I had been successful or not 😐 More stressing!
While I was at home with T later in the evening my VoIP phone rang, my mind went into immediate `Is it the College or is it another recruitment agency ?` over and over what seemed like thousands of time. The phone had a local area code number on it so I picked up and said hello – it was the College offering me the job!!!!!
After my verbal acceptance I was told that the job was subject to two things – the second reference being received and a CRB check being completed.
I put the phone down and sat there not knowing what to do for a few minutes! I was well chuffed to say the least and didn’t have long to wait until I could tell someone as the wife had just come home. I then proceeded to tell everyone that I had got the job 🙂
Christmas is back on.
Today I had my second interview for a job ad IT Technical as a company in Harlow again. This time it was for a job at a reptile live feeds company. Seeing as I am a proud owner of a reptile, Yoda the Green Iguana, I thought it might add a bit of weight to my application.
I had to sit through a quick test answering some questions so they could build up a profile of me and then I have an interview with one of the Directors and the Head of Finance. The director seemed like a very nice chap.
I left feeling much better than the first interview I went on, but will have to see what the outcome is and if they want me back for a second interview.
Today I had my first interview for a job as IT Manager at a company in Harlow. This will be the first time in almost 16 years that I have had an interview and to say that I am not looking forward to it would be an understatement 😐 but as I have been told loads of times, it’s always good to get the first one out of the way so you know what you are going to go through after that.
I doubt that I will get the job but I have to try, as I want to get back to work ASAP.
I had the interview with an External IT Consultant and the HR Manager; both of them were very nice people. Had to answer a few interesting questions about what I would do in certain scenarios but hopefully I didn’t come across and a complete bumbling idiot!
I will wait to see what the outcome of that is and see if they invite me to a second interview.
Today is the day of my 40th Birthday Party.
I invited a whole load of family, friends, neighbours, and former work colleagues to celebrate with me.
I had quiet a few people turn up, all of the family that I invited and nearly all of my former work colleagues. Sadly it will probably be the last time I see most of my old work colleagues – Proper Boss Man and a surprise appearance from DMTH, Patsy and the seamstress, Fat Lad, Bustit, Matraco, BV, Handy, KT, RFER, and Sammy. Sadly the Muffin Lady and Smiller couldn`t make it, and neither could Doughnuts, which was a shame as I was looking forward to seeing them!
Proper Boss Man got well smashed and decided to heckle me as I was opening up my present. Thankfully DMTH was there to try and calm him down. To be honest I think he was well past that stage. It reminded me of the years gone by when we had the company xmas get together`s and when we used to do the same to him while he gave his world famous yearly speech, we just wanted to eat and drink so we made sure that he knew it ;). The good old days.
I had a great evening, I got a Zoo Experience Day as a present from family, which I am looking forward to doing at some point.
All in all a great night, one minor accident, thankfully no broken bones, and only one person properly shit faced!
Oh well, 10 years until I can have the next party!
Well today I had my consultation meeting! Well when I say consultation meeting I mean more of a farce than a meeting.
I had the opportunity to take a representative in with me, so I chose to take my friend and college 😉 Patsy. I thought if it all starts to kick off she would be the best person to help me out and wade in.
I only really had 2 questions to ask the person taking the meeting – how much redundancy money would I be getting for my 15 years? and how quick do you want me to go?
Now, given that I had been with the company for that long, surely they would want to extract as much information from me as possible to make sure the company carried on working?
Hmmm no, I was told that I could go whenever I wanted, which suited me perfectly to be honest as i had well and truly had enough now.
As for how much, it was the bare minimum that they could get away with, and not only that they were going to spread it over 4 months as they could not afford to pay me it all in one lump – sounds about right!
The farce came in the form of the person taking the Consultation Meeting, the HR Director, who kept asking my representative about her Accounts job and talking to us about stuff going on that she is doing and other such topics that were nothing to do with the meeting in hand.
Now I am pretty sure that she should not be doing that, I know I am not a HR professional, but seriously….
So I left the meeting, another 54 minutes of my life wasted with the answers to my 2 questions.
I now need to go home and ponder on the following points from the meeting –
1) I can leave as soon as I want.
2) I will have enough money to last me 6 months.
3) There is no other job along the same job spec as I am currently doing as they do not need an I.T. Manager any more.
4) I want out of there as soon as I can.
Not sure there is much thinking to do there to be honest………
Today I got told that I was being made redundant! It was also one of my very few holiday days that I was going to spend with the family as it was a Friday off before a weekend, but it didn`t stop my employer doing things oh so wrong!!
Believe it or not I got emailed my redundancy notice, along with a very nice email saying
“I personally wished to be able to hand this to you in person. But I understand you are on leave.
I very much hope & I`m sure that in the proposed meeting, All options that are currently available will be discussed.”
Strange as I`m pretty much on 24×7 support for them and get calls for some of the most stupid stuff, so why not call me for something so very important?
Anyways, reading the email that I got and the attached scan of the letter that was posted out to me this evening, I have simplified the hidden meaning to the following
“Here is your `You have been selected for possible redundancy paperwork` which you know means that we are going to get rid of you, even though you are the I.T. Manager and run the I.T. Department on your own, but we need to make room for people that have nowhere near the skill set that you have and that we need to run the company, and who have experience of the organisation and its workings.
I would have called you in person but as you know I don`t do confrontation due to not having a pair!”
UPDATE – 19/08/2011 Since receiving this email, the sender has not said one word to me about the email he sent me, he has only looked at me once as he walked passed my desk!
I can honestly say that this is no surprise to me, and to be honest I am surprised that it has taken so long, but I am glad in a way that it has happened as it will give me the push that I need.