Week 44 – 07/07/2019

What a week. Tuesday I had to go into work for a consolation…I mean consultation meeting about my role being at risk. It felt like the Tuesday of the damned with others in the same position knowing their roles were not really at risk but that they were gone. Felt really weird in the office like the proverbial fart in a space suit. My focus was basically what would happen now and how there was no point being in the office and that the other person in my team was ok. Thankfully it was agreed that we could both ‘work from home’ until our official end date of the 26th of July and then we would be paid in lieu for our final months notice.

The downside of this is that it meant we had to sneak out of the office with no goodbye. A countdown to 4pm and a not so subtle clearing of our desks. You can judge a company culture by how well it treats it’s leavers and while redundancies mess that up still it leaves a mark. I was over joyed by the people that joined us in the pub at 4. I mean most came to see Faye and I had to go early to get my kids but it was still great to know the effect colleagues can have on each other. We did not get to say bye properly in the office which was sad. We will however be having leaving drinks properly on the 26th of July.

Job hunting was in full swing. A mixture of people getting in touch after tweets and linked in posts. Three people I work(ed) with helped me out massively with a CV tidy up because I hate writing about myself (he says in weeknote 45). I feel more confident in my CV now but that is still offset by my general lack of confidence in what feels like a lack of real achievement in my career.

Went to an agency party at Paper. It was just what I needed. Lots of smart digital folk, lots of great advice (and some very nice beer). Also got a heads up on a lead for another role.

I popped up to Leeds on the Friday for an interview with a recruiter about a role in Nottingham. The meeting was across the road from the North Brewing Company tap room so snuck in for a cheeky schooner. I then met with Saul Cozens of DXW who is just one of the nice guys of Sheffield. We went for lovely Japanese food at Little Tokyo and he also gave loads of great advice and contacts and reassurance that I would be snapped up quickly.

People always say that. You will be fine, you will get something quickly, people with be clamouring for someone like you etc. etc. I hope they are right but I have a few months runway and then mortgage and other outgoings get tricky to pay so it is a stressful time.

My amazingly organised wife was wanting to help keep me focused. We have whiteboard in the kitchen and we have turned it into a jobs board. A list of leads and applications and the stage they are at and what action is next. I have told her she would make a great project manager. What a romantic I am.

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