Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Someone took...

...In these pants

I think I've finally decided what job I want to be doing. And it's the same one I'm doing now.

My second interview at the Videogames stores Head Office went well, but I was a bit disillusioned by the benefits they had on offer. Which was no pension, no shares and a bonus (but they couldn't give me an idea as to how much that would be). I did get a 25% discount on games, but I realised that in order to get the same benefits as I do at my current employers I would have to buy about four thousand games a year.

So that leaves me with either staying where I am, or the job where I work for six months & then perhaps get a promotion at the end of that. And looking at it sensibly the new team has only four people in and therefore little promotion opportunities whereas my current team is around 20/30 people strong.

Looking at my opportunities it's best that I stick where I am. Bit of a surprise to come to that conclusion considering I really hated my job a couple of months ago, but I think that was just boredom. I'm doing more important work now and I think it's getting appreciated by everyone. I also liked it when big important managers came up and said they'd like me to stay. Which was nice.

In other news my old college where I studied for my accounting qualifications are using pictures of me to show how successful they are. Scary. But I expect lots of girls will now study there just on the off chance that they might see me. Sorry girls, I've got a girlfriend!

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Come on Jessica, Come on Tori...

...Let's go to the mall, you won't be sorry

Things I meant to blog about over the past few days but forgot:
  • Planning on starting a new regular slot, have no real idea what it will contain but expect to do it monthly. So hopefully will have it in place by Thursday.
  • Got the internal job, but because I was rubbish in the interview I'm on my old salary for six months & it'll go up if I do well (which I will, natch).
  • But! I'm still in the reckoning for the Video Game Retailer job and I have a second interview for that on Tuesday. I think if they offer me it I'll accept. This is why I still haven't accepted the internal role.
  • However! My current team might also offer me a higher role, due to the fact that there will be no-one left who knows anything about the unique features in Distribution (three people have/are moving internally, one left and two are pregnant - which would leave me)
  • I had major problems getting a Belkin wi-fi adapter working on my network, so I got a Netgear one instead. Everything works fine now.
  • Forest are rubbish. But hopefully we'll get promotion.
  • The people next door are really into their music & play their instruments (which sound great). But why play them at eleven at night! Come on guys...
  • I've been spending too much time playing New Star Soccer. But scoring goals for my club is too addictive.
  • PC Format is rubbish. I knew this yet still bought it. Therefore I am rubbish too.
Cheerio!

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

One is the loneliest number...

...that you'll ever know

And also how well I'd rate my performance in my interview today. I was rubbish. I got across that I can do reports easily enough, but not that I can talk to people as well. The interviewers spoke to my manager afterwards though (it was an internal role) and it seemed as though what they wanted me to do was work similar to someone currently two levels above me. I wish people would point this stuff out before I interview for things. Grrr.

The interview yesterday was different as well. I felt it went ok, but I'm not too sure as the interviewers didn't really give me much clues as to whether my answers were good or not. The company was a lot different to my current employers.

I think the first thing that showed they were a different kind of company was the Xbox 360 in the reception. And then the signed autograph of Charles Martinet on the wall. Yes, very different to the leaflets advertising pensions in our reception.

The company I went for is one of the main videogames retailers in the UK. This is pretty much an ideal job for me. A way of making accounting (slightly) interesting. I love games and I think the company is much better than it's rivals. So why in the interview did I say I like games but haven't bought a new console because of the HDTV issue? I did at least say I had a DS lite. You fool Ben.

Hopefully I'll get a second interview and then I'll go in a Sensible Soccer t-shirt.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Eggs I really love you...

...Like the sky above

Re-reading my last post & it doesn't make much sense. I can't even use being drunk as an excuse for it as I wasn't. And I won't be again for a while. I've decided to give up the demon booze. It's been on the cards for a while. At Christmas I drank for the first day we were in Germany and then never again for the rest of the trip.

And I've never really enjoyed getting drunk. Sure I've had fun, but I think it's the kind of fun I'd have enjoyed without drink anyway. And the hangovers! On my Dad's side of the family we've never really got on well with hangovers. Even on three beers I've woken up feeling rather rubbish.

The tipping point was on Friday. I went out for a few beers and it was good, but I came home feeling a bit dodgy. Then when we went to sleep I just couldn't. I had to get up and play on the pc until about 1am. Which is not good, even on a weekend.

So now I won't be drinking for a while. I doubt I'll miss it. Even on nights out I should be able to have fun without drink. Let's see how long it'll last.

In other news 1up has a good website about free games on the pc. Have only played one - the phone. It's good but rather short. I'm quite intrigued by the Hitchikers remake which rather appeals to the geek in me*.

* And I need to go on about the geek in me in another post.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

You say I've nothing left...

...to offer you now

One good thing that came from my interview on Friday (other than the fact the interview went well) was that I remembered how much I loved theaudience. I listened to their songs all the way home on the bus.

I can't really remember why I got into theaudience. I expect it was because I read that a cute girl was their lead singer. That usually got me into liking bands. And it still does (see The Pipettes, CSS, Metric, Long Blondes). But, as with the other bands, I found that I liked theaudience's music as well. More than I found their singer cute.

I recommend you go find their music, it's jangly britpop era but with smarts*. If they're available anywhere. Or ask me to send you some of their tunes.

I even made a website about them, but it got lost in the internet. Perhaps I should bring it back, even if no-one would look at it. I'd know it was there & that's the important thing.

Oh and here's a picture of the lead singer, scanned by my own fair hand.



* Now you know why I don't review music on here

Monday, January 15, 2007

Hey...

...I don't want to go to work today

But I did anyway. The desk move wasn't so bad. I feel a little exposed as loads of people walk behind me to get to the lifts now, but other than that it's ok.

I didn't get the job in Tadcaster I was applying for. Which is not good. But the only reason I didn't get it was because I didn't have the right experience. Apparently I gave a really great interview and the person who interviewed me was really upset to not be able to offer me the job.

Ah well.

It's annoying though that I've given two good interviews only to fail on experience. Surely they should be able to get that information from my CV? And haven't I done this rant before?

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Without despair...

...we will share

Someone thinks I'm funny. Well my Dad is anyway.

Friday, January 12, 2007

Nineteen...

...You're only nineteen for God's sake

My blogging has slowed a bit since January has started. But my job situation looks slightly more promising. I had an interview today and for the first time I felt as though I got all my points across. It helps when the person interviewing shows up on time.

Which wasn't the case when I met up with a recruitment agency in the afternoon. After showing up at 3.30 the bloke I was meeting showed up at 3.50. Remember back in December I didn't show up for a meeting? Well now I know how that guy felt. And I will never be late for a meeting again. Unless I forget.

However as I had absolutely nothing to do I gave the guy the benefit of the doubt and heard what he had to say. Not a lot as it turns out, recruitment people are very boring and only interested in getting you a job without really caring what job you're after. They might say they only want what's best for you, but they're after the commission aren't they?

Sunday, January 07, 2007

What do I hear, what do I hear...?

...Chit-chat, and clinking glass

We booked out trip to Japan yesterday. I'm getting very excited about it.

It'll be our first 'proper' holiday together. We went to Malta in 2004, but that was a short break away and everyone spoke English so you didn't feel as though you were in a foreign country. Apart from the heat.

Looking at the calendar we're going over on a Japanese bank holiday which is called "the holiday between two holidays". So hopefully the trains will be working and my brain will remember enough words to get us to the hotel in one piece.

I think the day after we get there (5th May) is the day that inspires all of Animal Crossing to get paper carp and have them as flag outside their houses. So that should be fun. Children's day I think it is called.

Freya's been getting me ready for Japanese food by cooking a miso soup sort of meal. It was really scrummy. But seeing how I hate sushi, I think eating noodles in soup everyday may get boring. Any people got any ideas on other japanese foods I might like?

More than words...

...is all you have to do to make it real

I'm trying to smarten my blog up a bit. Mostly by adding an RSS feed (subscribe now readers!) and also by adding a twitter thingy that allows me to do small updates on what I'm doing.

Already I have a twitter 'follower' and I'm freaked out by that. Mostly because she's a cute girl and I always worry about them. Her name is sara18sexxx and that freaks me out even more. Freaky in a bad way, natch.

And now I have a friend apparently on twitter. Who's also in Italy. Why am I suddenly attractive to Italians of both sexes. Must be the jelly I have in front of me on my twitter avatar.

Friday, January 05, 2007

Found something crying...

...it was my soul

Friday Feast No. 4

Appetizer
Which celebrity (or celebrities) do you think will make headlines this year?
Michael Jackson. It's a given really, isn't it?

Soup
They say that good things come in small packages? What is something little that you think is great?
Nintendo DS.

Salad
Name a song that makes you want to dance.

Pull shapes by The Pipettes.

I love doing the washing up and dancing to this.

Main Course
What is your favorite font?
Courier, as it's typewriter style.

Dessert
If you were to write a do-it-yourself article, what would it be about?
How not to get a promotion.

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Alala, Alala...

...Give me three wishes

Remember how I was saying I kept feeling really tired at work?

I've solved this problem (fingers crossed) by returning to my unhealthy lifestyle. So now I have a Coke at lunch rather than more water and instead of porridge for breakfast I have two slices of toast.

Could it be that my body has got so used to my unhealthy lifestyle that it rejects any attempts to be healthy?

Perhaps joining a gym will cause me to collapse to fall and have a seizure on the floor. Before I get on the treadmill.

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Ooh my little pretty one...

...my pretty one. When're ya gonna give me some time Sharona?

In a weird desk-calendar-imitating-life situation I will be moving desks at work. As is happening on the Dilbert calendar I got from Secret Santa. Although I won't be working in an ice cube, having my PC nicked or having to cover myself in butter so I'll fit into my cubicle*, it's still pretty bad.

See I'll be working on Rejects Row in two weeks time.

The desk move is apparently the first step to seat our two new teams together. Currently we're in three different places. So team A will be sat together and team B will be sat together. Unfortunately there's not enough space for all of team B (my team) to be sat together, so some of B will have to be sat with A. I am one of the people.

Now this wouldn't be too bad (we've only got seconds between us) except the only people who've been separated from team B are those who have been given temporary (or interim as management like to call it) jobs. Making us feel even less a part of team B than we did originally.

Nice work pointy-haired boss.

Oh and remember how I said they called us interim workers rather than temporary staff for PC reasons? Well on this desk plan I and my other interim workers had (T) by our names and the permanent people had (P).

Amazing work pointy haired boss.

* As we don't have cubicles. I'll still be covering myself in butter though.