(no subject)
I have a job!
And once more for the hard of hearing in our audience... a job!
Saw Squirt at the weekend. Comedy night student types in preparation mode are very like indie music student types in preparation mode. Then there was the hanging around at the edges. There was an odd sense of deja va.
I almost continued The Great Smith Tradition (at any event where a Smith is present they are in fact genetically obliged to help put the chairs back - feel free to invite me, my brother and parents to any event you put on so that you can test the theory) and decided that actually I was a little drunk and could ignore my hertitage for once - I then felt guilty throughout the night.
And a comic tried to chat me up - or so Charlie reckons, I would have been all for collecting more data on the subject (for ego generally - not because I had a particular desire to be chatted up in front of my little brother), but we had whiskey at his and there was sleep to be had.
Very good to see Squirt. He lives!
Monday, the Youth Offending Team interview, was a wreck of a thing. Starting from the moment I didn't notice the (abnormally small surely?) intercom and tried to push my way through the security doors, continuing through the moment I forgot all laws related to Youth Offending, and finally ending in my forgeting (in my rush to escape) to give them my paperwork.
Turns out they didn't need the paperwork.
But I think I really lost the job the moment they set eyes on me. There was something profoundly unfriendly about the man in particular.
I mean, I gave a spectacularly bad interview, and that was my fault, but the overall atmosphere was not one that screamed positivity and future employment from the start.
They did, to give them their due (which for some reason I feel compelled to do) give me useful feedback over the phone. Though I'd have prefered it to be written to me as I'm not a huge fan of 'We don't want you - and here's why!' conversations. I mean, I needed and wanted to know, but I didn't really want to have to respond with the required politeness and positivity immediately following a rejection.
My tutor, the Foolish Cynic, came to my mid-placement review yesterday and was scandalized on my behalf.
"This may not be PC, Elspeth," he said (and when this man says things like that he really means it) "but it's not your fault. You're too young, too posh and too white for them!"
He's decided I'm on his team you see - I think surviving the Children's home impressed him.
Whilst I appreciated the sentiment I'm afraid the truth is that it *was* my fault. I gave a crap interview and thus did not get the job. I think there were reasons for that but mainly I just wasn't good enough on the day.
I felt demoralized and prepared for a long and arduous job search.
Then I went to see 'Sunshine' to cheer myself up, and wait for other people to get out of work, which didn't really work as although the film is beautiful and the themes profound and dealt with in a clever way... I just couldn't seem to care. I'm not sure if this is a flaw in the film or myself.
Then I went to see zoe_far_away and we had curry on Brick Lane which was very nice and a nice man in an Indian Dessert place gave us his reccomended pudding which was lovely and cheap! Also green.
On Wednesday I was still quite glum and so went to see 'Fracture' with Lisa (who I did once give a nickname of sorts but I cann't remember it now).
'Fracture' is excellent.
There's great acting - Antony Hopkins, well yeah, of course but I was glad to see that Ryan Gosling can more than hold his own. There's mystery. But also some lighter comic moments (just peppered in there like in life) which are mainly done by either Hopkins being awesome as a bastard playing games or the two of them trading eyebrow twitches. There's a romance but it isn't cheesy and it actually has a point in the growth of the character and doesn't overwhealm the plot - it fact forms a valuable nonsentimental part of the plot. I actually really want to go see it again and was for a brief moment considering retraining as a lawyer.
Then I realised that in order to actually become part of the L.A. District Attorney's Office and fight crime I'd probabily have to become an American and that seemed a step too far.
So I might as well become a social worker. Speaking of which...
Today was almost the direct opposite to Monday in every way.
Yesterday evening I got my housemates to give me a mock interview and that was terrifying - mainly because I live with vicous carnivores. They disected how I sat and asked impossible questions... It was really helpful but I dread the day they really are interviewing some poor newly qualified. They treated like a blood sport. I did okay once I'd ceased the nervous giggling and was satified I, kinda, knew my stuff. The interview was also just around the corner from somewhere Zo and I had coffee when I was in her neck of the woods last October - I went there for a coffee before hand and I think that really grounded me.
Let us also not underestimate the power of the woman behind the desk smiling at me when I walked in.
All in all I felt relaxed and confident. The interview was for a Learning Disability Team in Zoe's borough (comence Zospeth jokes on three...we won't be in the same office but we could meet for lunch if we wanted). Since this is kind of what I'm doing at the moment with Mencap it was all fresh in my mind. I've decided that since I've loved all my placements I should apply for a variety of things and see where I end up - let the fates decide. And low, they have spoken.
My answers were clear and conversational - mainly because the women interviewing me were so very friendly. I felt it was going very well.
Then it was time to leave and one of those lovely, lovely women said "we don't normally do this but since you're the last person we're interviewing, and I'd hate for you to be stuck on the train worrying about things, why don't you go sit in reception and someone'll get you a cup of coffee while we look over your written answers."
My coffee had not yet arrived when they called me back, told me they'd been really impressed by me and asked me if I'd like the job.
And of course I said yes.
So different. I love the world once more.
There may be problems with the time they were thinking of taking me on which would be after my formal registration with the GSCC which could be as late as November rather than when the course ends. Often Councils will take you on at a lower rate until you're registered but that's something we'd need to 'discuss'. That could put me in a temporarily bad spot financially. But, of course, having a job to go to means it *would* only be temporary. I'm waiting for the formal offer to worry about that.
But yeah, Horray for me!!!
And now that I've crowed...
I'm sorry that so many of you are having such a crap time. I really want to be there to hug you all. In the meantime; hug each other for me, call me if you want to talk and go watch 'Fracture' 'cause it is awesome.
And once more for the hard of hearing in our audience... a job!
Saw Squirt at the weekend. Comedy night student types in preparation mode are very like indie music student types in preparation mode. Then there was the hanging around at the edges. There was an odd sense of deja va.
I almost continued The Great Smith Tradition (at any event where a Smith is present they are in fact genetically obliged to help put the chairs back - feel free to invite me, my brother and parents to any event you put on so that you can test the theory) and decided that actually I was a little drunk and could ignore my hertitage for once - I then felt guilty throughout the night.
And a comic tried to chat me up - or so Charlie reckons, I would have been all for collecting more data on the subject (for ego generally - not because I had a particular desire to be chatted up in front of my little brother), but we had whiskey at his and there was sleep to be had.
Very good to see Squirt. He lives!
Monday, the Youth Offending Team interview, was a wreck of a thing. Starting from the moment I didn't notice the (abnormally small surely?) intercom and tried to push my way through the security doors, continuing through the moment I forgot all laws related to Youth Offending, and finally ending in my forgeting (in my rush to escape) to give them my paperwork.
Turns out they didn't need the paperwork.
But I think I really lost the job the moment they set eyes on me. There was something profoundly unfriendly about the man in particular.
I mean, I gave a spectacularly bad interview, and that was my fault, but the overall atmosphere was not one that screamed positivity and future employment from the start.
They did, to give them their due (which for some reason I feel compelled to do) give me useful feedback over the phone. Though I'd have prefered it to be written to me as I'm not a huge fan of 'We don't want you - and here's why!' conversations. I mean, I needed and wanted to know, but I didn't really want to have to respond with the required politeness and positivity immediately following a rejection.
My tutor, the Foolish Cynic, came to my mid-placement review yesterday and was scandalized on my behalf.
"This may not be PC, Elspeth," he said (and when this man says things like that he really means it) "but it's not your fault. You're too young, too posh and too white for them!"
He's decided I'm on his team you see - I think surviving the Children's home impressed him.
Whilst I appreciated the sentiment I'm afraid the truth is that it *was* my fault. I gave a crap interview and thus did not get the job. I think there were reasons for that but mainly I just wasn't good enough on the day.
I felt demoralized and prepared for a long and arduous job search.
Then I went to see 'Sunshine' to cheer myself up, and wait for other people to get out of work, which didn't really work as although the film is beautiful and the themes profound and dealt with in a clever way... I just couldn't seem to care. I'm not sure if this is a flaw in the film or myself.
Then I went to see zoe_far_away and we had curry on Brick Lane which was very nice and a nice man in an Indian Dessert place gave us his reccomended pudding which was lovely and cheap! Also green.
On Wednesday I was still quite glum and so went to see 'Fracture' with Lisa (who I did once give a nickname of sorts but I cann't remember it now).
'Fracture' is excellent.
There's great acting - Antony Hopkins, well yeah, of course but I was glad to see that Ryan Gosling can more than hold his own. There's mystery. But also some lighter comic moments (just peppered in there like in life) which are mainly done by either Hopkins being awesome as a bastard playing games or the two of them trading eyebrow twitches. There's a romance but it isn't cheesy and it actually has a point in the growth of the character and doesn't overwhealm the plot - it fact forms a valuable nonsentimental part of the plot. I actually really want to go see it again and was for a brief moment considering retraining as a lawyer.
Then I realised that in order to actually become part of the L.A. District Attorney's Office and fight crime I'd probabily have to become an American and that seemed a step too far.
So I might as well become a social worker. Speaking of which...
Today was almost the direct opposite to Monday in every way.
Yesterday evening I got my housemates to give me a mock interview and that was terrifying - mainly because I live with vicous carnivores. They disected how I sat and asked impossible questions... It was really helpful but I dread the day they really are interviewing some poor newly qualified. They treated like a blood sport. I did okay once I'd ceased the nervous giggling and was satified I, kinda, knew my stuff. The interview was also just around the corner from somewhere Zo and I had coffee when I was in her neck of the woods last October - I went there for a coffee before hand and I think that really grounded me.
Let us also not underestimate the power of the woman behind the desk smiling at me when I walked in.
All in all I felt relaxed and confident. The interview was for a Learning Disability Team in Zoe's borough (comence Zospeth jokes on three...we won't be in the same office but we could meet for lunch if we wanted). Since this is kind of what I'm doing at the moment with Mencap it was all fresh in my mind. I've decided that since I've loved all my placements I should apply for a variety of things and see where I end up - let the fates decide. And low, they have spoken.
My answers were clear and conversational - mainly because the women interviewing me were so very friendly. I felt it was going very well.
Then it was time to leave and one of those lovely, lovely women said "we don't normally do this but since you're the last person we're interviewing, and I'd hate for you to be stuck on the train worrying about things, why don't you go sit in reception and someone'll get you a cup of coffee while we look over your written answers."
My coffee had not yet arrived when they called me back, told me they'd been really impressed by me and asked me if I'd like the job.
And of course I said yes.
So different. I love the world once more.
There may be problems with the time they were thinking of taking me on which would be after my formal registration with the GSCC which could be as late as November rather than when the course ends. Often Councils will take you on at a lower rate until you're registered but that's something we'd need to 'discuss'. That could put me in a temporarily bad spot financially. But, of course, having a job to go to means it *would* only be temporary. I'm waiting for the formal offer to worry about that.
But yeah, Horray for me!!!
And now that I've crowed...
I'm sorry that so many of you are having such a crap time. I really want to be there to hug you all. In the meantime; hug each other for me, call me if you want to talk and go watch 'Fracture' 'cause it is awesome.