The Friday blues
Policy: Skype banned on Company machines.
User: departs for overseas for two weeks. Tomorrow.
Time: 5:21pm. Friday.
User: "I want you to install Skype."
Me: "I'm sorry, I can't do that - policy prevents me from installing Skype on Company machines."
User: "You won't install it? Fine. I want local admin rights."
Me: "So you can install it yourself? No."
A dialogue in which I politely explain the policy for acquiring admin rights follows, in which I explain that it requires management approval at his side and mine. Along with a good business reason for the use of admin rights.
User: "What, family reason isn't good enough? Company are sending me overseas for TWO WEEKS and YOU say I cannot talk to my wife and children??"
I explain that I do understand his position, but regardless of my personal opinions, I am required to apply company policy unless management explicitly allow an exception.
He hangs up in a hump.
A new grind
So. Second day on the new job. I'm eternally grateful that Tobes let me spend up large on suits, because this is definitely a formal workplace. Yesterday was suit, blouse, sensible black boots. Today, skirt, purple plain tee, stockings and purple wedge heels. I feel pretty, anyway.
The job itself... it's a job. I'll be more than capable of it. Mostly j just want to get into DOING it, but I'm doing Important Induction Stuff. Blah blah blah, meeting people, signing papers, meeting more people.
Still! More money, no shift work, no weekend work. Can't complain about that, can I? Especially with various house repairs coming in.
My desk here doesn't have drawers. I'm going to a dollar store today to pick up a pretty box for the assorted crap I like to leave at work. Food. Sewing kit. You know, stuff. I want to make this desk feel like mine, because it's a really odd feeling not being At Home at work. I've been little miss know it all since 2007, and I don't like being low man on the pole again!!
Moving on up…
I rang my boss this morning, Kiwi time (it's 9pm in Britain).
I've formally accepted an offer of employment from someone else; so I've handed in my resignation. I fly home, work for my soon-to-be-ex-employer for a few weeks, and then I'm off to something new.
It's been an interesting process, actually. A couple of weeks before we flew out, a recruiter contacted me; the company in question were SO KEEN on me that they asked if I would be willing to interview via Skype whilst in the UK.
Under the circumstances, I felt quite free to be entirely honest about my own abilities, to insist on a few things (like a seven-week notice period, so that I could finish my holiday in peace and spend some time tying up loose ends); the confidence of already having a job seems to have paid off, because I've ended up with a fairly significant pay rise, no more shift work, and a few other things.
A technical interview over webcam was an experience that I found amusing. I don't know that I'd want to do it again, but it was most definitely entertaining.
I'm actually quite sad. I've really enjoyed this job; mostly I've had good experiences, my colleagues have usually been good, and the management has been good all along.
So. Moving into a new job is going to be really weird; I've been with my current company three years, and I'm comfortable there. Well, obviously not so comfortable that I wasn't happy to accept a new job, but...
Wibble? Yay?
The decade in review
I'm certainly not above being a memesheep here - and, really, the last ten years have been full of changes. As you'd expect when you transition from your teens to your twenties, I suppose.
2000
Finished high school. Spent a fairly miserable year as all my school friends were no longer at school (either being a year ahead or having chosen not to do seventh form). Graduated high school with pretty damn good grades, all things considered. Started going out with Cyclenut.
2001
First year of university, studying business. Mum had surgery to remove an ovary. Stressed out about money. Survived.
2002
Made the decision to switch into computing, having realised that I'd stab someone with a letter opener if I stayed in accounting. Started teaching computing.
2003
First year of the computing degree. It was a good choice! Was mostly miserable in my home town, had no local friends (although there were one or two people who I periodically went to movies and such with, they tended to be less than wonderful). Lived for the chances I got to leave and visit Cyclenut, mostly.
2004
Uni uni uni, work work work. Started making Internetfriends, beginning with Colitis I think. Started cycling and swimming, and running more seriously. Originally mostly due to Cyclenut's influence, I enjoyed it. Eventually ended up swimming with a tri training squad, although that may have been in 2005 now I think about it. Started working at my first helldesk role. I enjoyed that job.
2005
One of my worst years, and yet I achieved a hell of a lot. Got Internet access at the maternal abode for the first time. The final project at uni, which was a horrible series of ups and downs and disappointments. I eventually passed, though. Spent my final semester getting burned out and doing too much. Miserable in my home town, was officially Nellie No Friends. Cyclenut and I parted ways. Met Internet friends in real life. Finally sucked it up, went to GP, diagnosed with depression. Did a Special K triathlon. Met Tobermory. Graduated. Made decision to leave childhood faith while planning to leave home. Went out with my workmates for drinks. Went to the Christmas party. Spent time with friends in Auckland and Hamilton. Rhonda the Honda died, and I was obliged to rely on shanks pony or my bike for transport.
2006
Graduation ceremony, did the walk in the silly hats. Worked for the web-dev company, worked for EDS (worst. decision. ever.) Bought my first car. Moved to Auckland, on April Fool's day which I still think is hilarious. Officially left childhood faith. Tobermory moved to New Zealand. Purchased Spinneretta. Dyed my hair (went through a rainbow of atrocious colours, in fact). Purchased various stupidly cheap appliances off Trademe until we could afford non-shitty ones. Had first birthday. The couch attempted to eat Reiver.
2007
Left EDS. Discovered how truly psychologically destructive that place was. Started working for my current workplace. Reconnected with Pstyken. Tobermory was hospitalised for the first time with stomach issues. Candycat moved in from the neighbour's place. Played World of Warcraft. Cooked a lot, had various work / money dramas with Tobermory's revolving contracts. Got continually sick with various lung-infection type bugs owing to shitty damp horrible flat. Survived.
2008
My beloved Sharkie-car died. Bought the Scoobaru and Buzby. Tobermory bought a house! Moved into said house. Lots of drama related to house buying and so on. Tobermory got residency! and much rejoicing was done. Moved into house, bought furniture and various necessaries. Spent several months wondering how the hell we'd survived in the tiny flat of hell. Unoffically promoted internally as trainer of new staff, etc. Parked Buzby under an SUV in an attempt to avoid another accident. HOUSE! Had our first Christmas and New Year's parties here.
2009
Made a lot of jam. Attempted cake decorating. We bought a lawnmower and I became the de facto lawnmower of the family. Met the Tobermory-parents for the first time. Was proposed to in front of said parents, burst into tears even though I more or less knew it was coming. Acquired the Tigra and Boomer cats from the SPCA. Thaqui moved in. Bought a piano. Promoted to team leader. Dramas with the Ford, leading to it's eventual return. Attempted gardening. Adjusted to having an entire house available instead of two very small rooms. Mum had dental surgery, during which the family suddenly realised that I was actually a grownup and capable of looking after my mother instead of the other way around.
It's funny how summing up the events doesn't really cover just how much I've changed from age sixteen to age twenty six. Still, here I am. And I'm happy.
At the end of the day
Annual reviews have happened at work. It's reiterated my decision that, if I want to have any career progression, I probably need to find a new job. I have no complaints about work, but there really isn't much room for job-change there.
I suppose that's a good thing, really; an environment stable enough to have very low turnover, and that turnover usually being people leaving for better jobs. Still, of our team of eight, three are hunting for new jobs, and I suspect two more will go in the next 18 months.
The Boss is well aware of it. Not least because he knows full well what the various members of the team want, career wise. He's one of the lovely sort who are happy to provide training, in the full knowledge you'll take advantage of it and bugger off to another company. For example, my ex-coworker did his MCSE on work's dime, then left to be a junior sysadmin at another company. Boss wanted him happy whilst he was with us, and paid quite contentedly.
The next year or so is looking pretty busy anyway, on a private level - not least because we're travelling to the UK for a month, getting married, etc etc - so I am not hunting with any particular fervour. But if I see a good opportunity, I'll throw my CV at it.
After all, the worst-case scenario is that I don't get it, and I go back to a job that I do actually quite enjoy. The coworkers are good, the boss is fantastic, and we have a lot of freedom over how we do our job.
It's secret-santa-christmas-party today. The organiser was stacking presents up yesterday, and one of them started singing, to our immense amusement. No idea what it is or who it's for, but it sings!