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10 10 2007

The day is finally here.

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Originally published at The Apochrypha. Please leave any comments there.

“I’m gonna clear out my head

I’m gonna get myself straight
I know it’s never too late
To make a brand new start”
Paul Weller – Brand New Start

So today was the day. We all sat waiting for the email to appear at the back of 10 letting us know just what job we would be doing. By 10.15 some people were starting to get worked up at not knowing but thankfully within 5 minutes we got the news. It was almost like a minutes silence stretched over 10 minutes or so. There were no office noises and barely anyone moving about. The odd mouseclick anf that was it. Then the managers started wandering around making sure everyone was OK and if they needed time to themselves or someone to talk to they’d sort it out. The office seemed to gradually wake up as people started quietly asking thier colleagues what job they’d got and how they felt. I didn’t get a post.

Everyone seems to think I should be upset or should have taken time to myself at some point today away from my desk. The way I’m looking at it I’ve dodged a bullet. Sure when I opened the email and found that they hadn’t identified a post for me my heart stopped for a second but then I realised just what that meant. I was about to say its been well documented in the past about my bad annual report last year but now I think about it I’m not sure I’ve actually mentioned it. Anyway to cut a long story shot for those that don’t know between Nairn being born, moving house and the problems Vonnie had during her pregnancy with Erica my head was elsewhere for most of the year and whilst the office did thier best to help me out at times it showed in the report. Personal and professional differences aside the report did try and explain why this was the case.

When the news came through that we were going to have to apply for posts in the new structure coming into place in March 08 we were all a bit worried about what that would mean. We were reassured that there would be no job losses but there might not be any ‘permanant’ posts for some of us. Those in that situation would then either be covering for people on temporary promotion until such times as they reverted to their normal grade or being used as temporary support for the teams that need it until such time as either a post is identified for them or they get a posting through the quaterly postings rounds elsewhere in DFID. Looking at the posts up for grabs at the beginning I could point at one job that I was interested in. It was along shot but it was the step I was looking for that wasn’t there before. As I mentioned though I didn’t get it. And I didnt get any of the other posts I said I’d be interested in doing. And this is the crux of it. We didn’t so much as apply for these posts as write down the top 3-4 posts we were interested in and the top management put you where they wanted to whilst trying to take into account your wishes. If you didnt get the job you wanted you were stuck with the dross. The next step down from that are the people that have been given jobs to cover for those on temporary promotion. They don’t even have the security of knowing in 14 months time they will still be doing that job as after 12 months they’ll have to get another job of thier own when the temp promoted person reverts to their old job. Those in my position, and whilst I know theres a couple I havent bothered my arse to find out who they are, don’t even have the luxury of having the jobs identified for 12 months.

When I say I dodged a bullet I do mean it. The way I see it as of March 2008 I’ve not got a ‘job’ to keep me in HR so I’m free to apply for whatever jobs in DFID that tickle my fancy without fear of losing the job that I know. That was the main problem before as if you wanted to apply for a new job you automatically lost your current one so there was a good chance you might end up somewhere you didnt want to be without being able to go back. I don’t have that fear anymore of not being able to go back. I’ve also been told that my boss doesnt have a clue how I got such a bad report and that by March 08 my next report will be amn good if I keep up the level and quality of work I’m producing just now. Not promotion quality good but bu enough to blast my old report out of the water. I’ll also be in the position from next month to actually apply for jobs properly and by that I mean complete an actual application for, be able to sell myself., and if it gets that far prove myself in an interview. I’d rather have that chance to get something myself than be stuck in a job I didn’t want never mind a job i didn’t actually apply for.