My Job Hunting Progress (EnenDaveyBoy Asked!!)

(Probably not interesting for most so apologies in advance)

EnenDaveyBoy asked me about my progress and I thought I would start a new post. I thought it might be a little disrespectful, in a way, to reply in the post it was asked. (The LEGENDARY Memnoch post! - If you haven't read this please do as the post shows what this forum is all about)


Well then, my progress...I was actually going to start a thread at some point but as it is still early days I thought I would leave it a little longer. Because I have been asked I will post now.

I resigned from my old position and gambled on the fact that I would find something that would be more challenging and a happier role. I hated every minute of my old role with the exception of a day here and a day there. No joke! The reason I hated it was because the role was trivial, corporate to the highest extent, full of tossers who think they are intelligent when they are not! What did Memnoch say in his signature? I can't remember properly but it was 100% spot on. Something about knowledge not making someone intelligent but worded in much more succinct way.


Anyway I digress...


The job was also full of miserable people who are motivated by money and concentrate more on looking better than others and worrying about others trying to stab them in the back rather than getting the job done. I fell into this trap quite a bit and found myself becoming more and more miserable as time went on. I was trapped and needed to get my personality back. I achieved one of my goals as a youth and that was to work for a large successful, well reputed company. I've done it and don't want to do it again.

(The above was to make sense of why I have posted for others that didn't know the history of this - It's also quite cathartic!!!!)

Now I have actually found a really really 'nice' job. I was out of work officially for 11 days which was superb and I completely landed on my feet and found a new challenge. My new role is an application support position in the Financial sector in the City of London. The company is 25 strong with an office in Telford and an office in The City. Every single employee in the office I work in are really really really nice people. They have a laugh, they speak to each other normally, we work as a team and basically, I THINK, we all have the same motivations. To be happy and pay our mortgages.

I have taken a marked decrease in money (I was never on a lot of money anyway) and I'm now doing a role which will be very very varied. The Managing Director said in the Interview "You will be able to get involved in what ever you want to!"

The best bit...It's a software company! So...this means I may be able to get involved in some coding work somewhere along the line (In web form to be realistic). This has always been one of my goals but I've never quite fulfilled it as I've been lazy with study and too interested in going to clubs and having a good time. There's obvoiusly nothing wrong with that as it was my choice. Do I regret not concentrating on my studies? Yes and no but that's another story.

The company know about my web design skills which I have built up courtesy of this forum and the help from the wonderful people that use and moderate it. They have said that they will utilise these skills in some way shape or form. Yippee!!!

The first day on the job I was playing with vbscripts and this week I've been messing around with SWF files and trying to edit them. I've never done that before!!!!

So, it appears that I've landed on my feet as I can now go to work with a smile on my face and leave with a bigger smile on my face. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING!

I feel very lucky and very grateful. I know 100% that if I hadn't joined this forum and stayed with it, I wouldn't have got this job. This is 100% correct for sure!

EnenDaveyBoy thanks for asking and paying an interest. As you can see I'm very happy in the new role but it is early days and anything could happen. I'm going to enjoy the good times whilst I can!


PhilCollins99 (Please call me Phil btw)
(The one with far too much to say!)
P.S. It's good to be back and I just hope I can find more time to post as I do enjoy it quite a bit.
P.P.S. I hope you are looking after my home City for me!!!
P.P.P.S. I've drawn a bigger circle around a circle!!!

Hi

Yep sorry memnoch for going off the point in your post.

Well Phil, guess its just another day in paradise , I am glad to hear that you landed on your feet, and good luck to you, seems your insperation to us all.

I hope everything works out well, as i am sure it will, smiling if the best thing for everyone.

And you even but my siggy into use, I am impressed lol.

I will crack open the bubbly for you

May the happy time role and good luck

Congratulations Phil....

I was in a similar situation and it was like being released from prison when I left.

It's much more enjoyable to work in an environment where the people are nice and everything isn't centered around "Office Politics".

I would say this happens at least once in a persons career. You get stuck in a crap job for a while, then when you finally escape, you realize how enjoyable getting up in the morning and going to work can actually be. And how physically, mentally and emotionally draining it can be to work in a bad environment.

Congratulations Phil

It's good to hear stories of people doing what they want and the happiness they get from it. It's even better when *we* have some part in that.

Office politics is one of the biggest, undocumented, detractors from workplace productivity and staff satisfaction. I know how it is, I've worked for a couple of major international organisations, and without exception office politics has been the reason I've left each of them. Give me a smaller company with personal interaction any day.

I hope the feeling lasts for you, and you get your hands dirty on lots of 'interesting' work. And if you need any help you know where to come!!

In a way I'm pleased to hear I'm not the only one that has gone through this and that I'm actually quite normal. It's a massive shame this sort of thing has to happen and I think one has to be a very very hardened character to put up with the sort of atmosphere I had to put up with. Being a northerner in a southern dominated environment was difficult to say the least and it made office politics impossible for me (Different cultures, etc). That coupled with the fact that I need to be able to get on with people and have the support from my superiors was just a recipe for disaster. AND IT EVENTUALLY WAS!!! I even changed my character to adapt to the situation and kept quiet and out of 'trouble'. WHAT A MISTAKE THIS WAS! This ruined my personality, hence the previous comment in my first post, and it didn't work in the end anyway. I should have listened to my insinct right at the beginning. But I guess I have learned and moved on. I think that's what life is all about. Learning, progressing and finding that point where you can take that momentary pause and think to yourself, "This is actually what I want".

I've made a massive step doing what I've done and it looks like it's going to pay off. Well, it's up to me now and no one else, so I will only have myself to blame.

Thank you very much for all your comments and I'll definitely be around for quite sometime. PROMISE!!!! I don't know how much longer you will put up with reading my essays though!!

As for being an inspiration to you all, I sincerely wish and hope that one person reads my comments\posts at somepoint and it just helps them that little bit to take that metaphorical step back and think. Oh my god, what am I doing???

One last word I will say is: There is a phrase that people use very very often. "You should take your opportunites when you can as they don't come along that often." This is very very true, but in this instance I manufactured my own opportunity to the greater extent and I think if someone can do that, then they've got a fighting chance too. I never thought it was possible for me and it appears it was. I am actually shocked and I think this will be one of those life defining moments. (I feel like I'm writing rubbish at times but this is how I feel!)

Speak soon!

Phil Collins
(Yes that is my real name EnenDaveyBoy!! BUT SERIOUSLY! To be absolutely true to the word, take me at FACE VALUE!!)
P.S. I had two very very large Banoffee pies in two days last week. All to myself!!!! Oh yes!!!!! )

Congrats++ to you, Mr. Collins... very well done!

I'm very glad to know this forum is helping people beyond programming... makes it even more fun to be here.

Luckily enough, I wasn't in such situation... my current workplace is ideal in terms of atmosphere and conditions... the boss know me for all my life and treats me as his own son - long story but bottom line is that I feel very lucky to be in such place.

And now, reading all this, I will think twice before moving to different place that would offer more money. after all mental health and good spirit are priceless!!!

Good luck Phil. I hope things go well in your new job.

I too made the move from a large company to a smaller one for less money but less politics and less back-stabbing, so I know exactly where you are coming from.

I've been lucky enough to have a job with the type of company that Phil has moved to. Everyone's friendly, we know each other, talk, laugh, and all help each other out, and no-one cares too much about "office politics." 'Tis a blast where I work

Congrats on finding a good job. I know I couldn't live in your previous type of work environment for more than a week. I work at my job because I enjoy it, not because the money's real good.