This week has brought with it a few surprises. On Wednesday, I was just randomly surfing around football related websites when I stumbled across a list of job adverts. Expecting not to see anything interesting I didn’t really pay much attention to it.
Scrolling through, they all looked beyond me. Then there was one. I couldn’t believe the luck. A job for a PA and office administrator. Based in London, yes, but no matter. I’m prepared to relocate anyway.
Small problem. The closing date was the same day.
This job, to me, is probably what I’m looking for. I love the work I do for my football club. It is work, but it’s work I really enjoy, so the time just flies by. Now, sure, I won’t be doing the same in this PA job, but the crucial thing is that it is going to combine footballing interests with, I think, my abilities to organise and run things efficiently. I think I’m a pretty good administrator. I demonstrated that when I worked for an MP, and again in all the things I run for my club.
I don’t think there’s a logical job progression from it, but it will put me in a field that, for certain, I want to be involved in. Plus, by moving to London I will be a lot closer to the political world, which may or may not be my next step… but it certainly becomes so much more of an option by being close by.
Anyway, I e-mailed them at 3pm, rushed through the application and got it back to them by 10pm. They said they’d let me off with missing the 5pm deadline because of how late I’d spotted it. And it was just a pure fluke. I wasn’t actually doing my usual daily trawl of the job listings at the time.
Two days later, a phonecall. They want me for interview next Thursday.
Now – my train of thought is that, they know I live a fair distance from London. So I guess that’s why they’re giving me enough notice. But… at the same time, surely they wouldn’t make me travel all the way there if they’ve got no intention of at least hearing me out? Therefore, I must actually be in with a genuine chance. So many times I apply for jobs and just get the feeling that it’s already an internal stitch up, that someone has already been lined up for it but they have to go through the formal process of advertising it, etc.
I’m delighted to finally get this opportunity to put my case to someone. I feel like I get a chance to show that I’m actually a pretty likeable person face-to-face. I will feel fairly confident when I go in there… just as long as I keep control of my nerves.
I don’t want to speculate too much about what happens after that. I just hope it’s a worthwhile use of £70… which is what it’s going to cost me to get there! I’ve had to calculate a very careful plan to get me there on time, but all is reliant upon trains and other connections working perfectly. Please don’t let me down. I don’t want my first impression to be negative – having to call them up to say I’m going to be late. Urgh.
Either way, Thursday is going to be an entertaining day. I’ve got nothing to lose, after all. I would definitely love to get the job – things are starting to get a little too much for me living here – but I must try not to pin too many hopes to it. It would work out very well, but maybe there are other opportunities down the road just in case.
They do have a habit of springing up from nowhere.
A Grown Up Now. In Theory. 