Pastures new!

So... I'm changing jobs again!  I know, I know, looking back at my Time Hop app thingy apparently it's quite a trend, new year - new job!  So here's hoping this one carries some kind of longevity.

I do love the job I do currently, the prople I work with are amazing, the team work is outstanding - but the company’s a-changing.  This might not be for the worst, and it certainly isn’t why I’m jumping ship, but it is a factor I guess. 

The couple who owned the company when I started, sold it to their biggest rival and with the two powers merged, ultimately it should be a force to be reckoned with in the industry - once all the changes are completed, the new policies and procedures are embedded and the staff are settled.  But for me theres been a shift and I can’t really explain what that shift is completely, but it’s not one I’m comfortable with 100%.  And hey, you know me – if it isn’t right I’m an impulsive risk taker – and I’m off!

 

I guess part of the shift I’m not entirely comfortable with, is the purpose of the company and how it is presented.  With the couple that owned the company previously, I never felt like we did this just to make them money.  They worked with us, they were involved in the business on a ground level, they said good morning to every single person in the office and would help in every way they can.  They were always around, always approachable, laughed and cried with us and rewarded their staff in the most amazing ways – prosecco and pastry breakfasts, yoga at lunch and so on…  

 

The new management just aren’t like that.  They come to work every day in a different brand new super expensive car, are very show offy and just don’t speak to the little people.  Now I’m not saying I need to be mollycoddled, because I certainly never have been in any other job.  I don’t insist a manager says hello to me every morning, but I also don’t think anyone should be above a polite and courteous nod.  

Strip the fluffyness away from this job and I come to work, work hard day in and day out all to make a profit for a person who then spunks it up the wall on cars, well very materialistic things (my opinion solely – he could do a lot for charity who knows!)  There is nothing invested back in to the community from the company, I don’t do anything that makes a difference to anyones lives (other than the boss) and that just doesn’t make me happy I guess.  

I could ignore it and keep going, but you only get time once.  If I waste that time making the rich guys richer and not even enjoying it, when I could be making a small difference somewhere else, then I’m picking somewhere else!

No, it is no different to how the company was run before, but I guess I felt more ok with it then.  It wasn’t rubbed in my face that the whole reason I was there is to make money for a little man at the top.

 

So I’m off to work for a company with a social purpose, no shareholders and their profits are ploughed back in to building houses for those in need, sustaining communities and regenerating neighbourhoods.  It may not be the same as volunteering with the homeless or animals and making a real grass roots difference, but it’s a start and one I’m happy to start with. 

 

New day, new week, new start.

 

I’ll keep you posted, Sammy xx

 

Quick catch up!

So it's been a month.... It's meant lots of training, meeting new people, learning new things and it's been fabulous! I've been having such fun, I'm so exhausted from all the brain exercise, but I can say my new job is fab and I've loved it!

It's nerve racking starting a new job, everything being new, the people already being friends and learning how to fit in; but d'ya know.... It's been fine, they are all lovely. (That and one of the girls that works there is one of my best friends who I've known for over 20 years!)

I'm so pleased I plucked up the courage and left my old job, I hated it more than I could ever express and it was just soul destroying. Try as I might, I can't even remember the black place it put me in now, even though it's little more than a month ago I left.  I took a pay cut to get out, didn't get as close to home as I'd like, but it's marvellous. I can go back to being happy - and really that's all that counts!

So I have loads to tell you, pampered chef parties, weightwatchers, complaints, shopping.... Bear with me! So much to say, so little time!

TTFN, Sammy xx

The Devil Wears Prada syndrome....

So that scene in the film.... 

Anne Hathaway has to source Meryl Streep a flight home in a hurricane. Meryl Streep won't take no as an answer, Anne Hathaway has no idea where to start or what to do and the sense of panic is rising... Welcome to my life on a daily basis.

This damn holiday cannot come soon enough and I swear if they cancel me.... God help them!!

I'll keep you posted, TTFN Sammy xx

Finally some good news!

Yep apart from the fact I'm still poorly! Bad chest and throat, loads of pain from all this coughing and now man flu take 2 to boot!!

I only went and got the job! Yahoo, hooray, bluddy marvellous, we aren’t going to starve come January when I'm made redundant! Yippee!  Plus it is a job I so want, albeit a bit far from home.  I did it for six months around this time last year and I loved it, it was fab.  Made me remember why I wanted to work in housing in the first place.

 

Although I can’t remember ever actually wanting to work in housing, and I am still not really sure what I want to do when I grow up!  I left school wanting to be a vet, hated college and only finished 2 of my A Levels and was desperate to leave education and go to work!  I worked lots of part time jobs for a while, in a pub, in a chip shop, and then finally landed myself a full time job in telesales – whoopee!  Now don’t get me wrong, I met some lovely friends, some I am still friends with now, but I was rubbish at telesales and got sacked!

Needing a new start after what was turning out to be a bad year, heart breaking time with an ex; which ended in him cheating on me, my grandad was diagnosed with cancer, sacked from my job because I was rubbish at sales and left not knowing what to do. Well I grabbed Kat and dragged her to Chichester uni with me (I missed applying, I missed clearing, hell I didn't even have the right qualifications - but I was obviously good at selling something!) and got me a place on a degree course, Social Studies. I worked (sometimes) hard for 3 years, met some very beautiful and lovely people and graduated.

Still had no idea what I wanted to do when I grew up, just knew I needed a job! I met Barney in my second year go uni after taking a trip to Oz and I was very luckily able to give up my part time work in my last few months of uni with Barney supporting me, I knew I needed an income. I ended up working in a place my cousin works for a year or so in the facilities dept, which helped pay for our wedding, but for some reason I was determined I wanted to be an estate agent!

Next stop, a recruitment evening for an estate agents in Fareham, which nothing came of. So I took it upon myself to write to all of the local estate agents in the yellow pages and ask for a job. I did get quite a few interviews and settled on Fox and Sons in Fareham as a negotiator, sadly I forgot I was rubbish at selling! So I moved to branch administrator and loved it. Sadly sales was part of the job and I hated sales, but loved doing the 'sales chasing' and getting involved with the solicitors, so a new idea was born! Again I hit the yellow pages and wrote to all the local solicitors to ask for any vacant positions in conveyancing.

This time I was less successful, I only managed 2 interviews and I got a job at Coffin Mew, Fareham; working in the New Business Team in conveyancing. Lots of moving around the office, shuffling teams, promotion, saved from redundancy a few times, but in the end I got the chop.  Home not knowing what to do with myself and needing a job quite desperately, I managed to land myself an interview in a residential Lettings office as their administrator.  Only problem.... It was in Bognor, a 50 mile round trip from home.

Lettings.... I loved it! It is so for me. No sales pressure, busy often panic stricken environment, every day is different, it was brilliant. Had the wage not been so low and the office so far away, I think I probably would still be there now. But, itchy feet I get, and the need to work closer to home became apparent and I started looking around again. It was then that the job in my current company came up as a receptionist, more than the basic wage I was on in Bognor and being such a big company, scope to progress further hopefully!

I loved reception, I worked there for 9 months, until a position came up in Customer Services, which was again more money and I was sadly seduced by the pay packet and accepted a permanent position there. Don't get me wrong, some people love customer services, I did for a few months, but the call centre type strict environment is not for my nature and it was only going to be a matter of time before I was desperate to move on.

Miraculously a 6 month secondment in lettings came up, which it was able to apply for. Now when I first applied for a job at this company I was torn between two positions, one in reception and one in lettings; I only applied for reception as I was convinced that the only way in was to start at the bottom, so now I was shown this opportunity I wanted it more than ever.  It just comes back to what I always knew, I love lettings! I enjoyed working for the company again, enjoyed going to work and had such fun working against deadlines and juggling everything and loved every day being different. Sadly that 6 months came to an end and I landed back with a bump in customer services.

Well we've had a few changes since then and I am being made redundant. I don't feel sad about it in the slightest and am ready for the new challenges and know it will give me the push I need to find another job rather than languishing around doing something I don't like.  I recently got short listed for a job with the police in the control room answering 999 calls, but after spending a day doing assessments and an interview, I just didn't make the grade; which did knock my confidence somewhat. But a job in my current company came up in the lettings team!  

I applied, studied hard for the interview and was yesterday offered a full time permanent position in the team. I am so chuffed, so pleased and so looking forward to it! Just waiting for a start date and the new chapter begins!

TTFN, Sammy xxx

P.s sorry for the chapter and verse, have always had loads to say!!

P.p.s I lost 2lb this week at WW!!!

Yaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy all round xx

Busy, busy!

Well I've been a little busy of late, which is of course, an understatement!  I am planning a massive party, a celebration of reaching 30 at long last.  I am having a joint birthday with my friend, Kat.  We have been friends for about 26 years now, so it's definitely a fitting tribute for our 9th anniversary of being 21!  We've had mums 50th in February, a party, a day out and a day at a beauty spa to boot.

Next came a long awaited and well deserved holiday! We went and stayed with Lauren's nan in West Africa and had the best holiday for a long long time.  Luckily the Barcroft holiday curse only saw us have our cases searched by customs on the way back and me managing to get a dose of shingles!  It's the first time I've been away since everyone died last year, and I was wary of leaving my family who I talk to daily, but I managed 12 days with no phone, telly, t'internet and survived!

Back at work now, sadly my secondment in lettings has ended and I am back in customer services :0(  It's not my most favourite job, but still I try to smile and keep the mantra "I am grateful to be employed and lucky to have a job" going whilst searching for a new one! I'm certainly not ungrateful to have a job, but you know when you've done 8 hours a day and truly believe you haven't enjoyed it at all and you're never going to get those hours back? Yep, time to take stock and stop wasting my precious time and life feeling like that!

Now the weight watchers has slipped a little, I've missed a few weeks but still lost when i went back, put on 2.5lb last week (post holiday)and have been struggling to get back onto it. But I sit with fresh determination (after sleeping through the meeting today) and am ready to write a list of goals and rewards. Y'know.... Lose x amount get shoes, type of thing.

My first 7 lb I treated myself to a new shellac nail varnish, I haven't reached my second 7lb just yet, but simply ave no rewards planned.  Barney is helping with encouraging me and said he will buy me a pair of Laboutin's (sexy shoes) for 2 stone, but I'm not sure 2 stone is enough?

So.... Any thoughts, suggestions, tricks to keep me on track? I am pen and pad poised ready!

Ttfn xxxx

A few things to be grateful for....

It is very important to stop for a while and take a look at what is around us. We are always ready to moan about things we are not happy with, but do we very often look at what we are grateful for?  I do pride myself on trying to be as positive as I possibly and when I am not being positive it's amazing what t can do to your mental health! And to say I've not been very positive of late is the understatement of the century.

I have been working in the same place for nearly two years, (although I'm now on my third department!) I love the people I work with, it is one of the best teams, always there to help each other, sociable, happy and very vocal and the company certainly isn't too bad to work for, yet I'm finding myself more and more unhappy.  The work isn't particularly hard, but we all tend to feel more and more like we are paid to be shouted at by customers and staff alike, picked up on every single thing we say or do and need to retain more information to carry out our roles than most cardiac surgeons do. We have to think on our feet, placate everyone and are given almost nothing to aide us.  Life is just impossible.  I'm sure it isn't really like this, but just how I have blown it out of all sorts of proportion in my mind.

I guess it started half way through this year when my family was hit with tragedy, death and destruction, I guess it started me thinking again about how short life actually is and how we should try and enjoy as much as possible and not waste time unnecessary.  Becoming increasingly unhappy at work is probably linked more to my grief process that I'm still trawling through rather than anything else, but none the less its been a major part of my life for a few months this unhappiness.  I am sick of the sound of my own voice, I dread to think how my neighbouring desk feels (sorry Loz) and I am sure I am making everyone around me negative too. I have turned into a right moaning Minnie!

I have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to go and work in another department for 6 months and I think this is definitely what I need, after all a change is as good as a rest! I am embracing my change whole heatedly and am happy to report.... So far so good.

But life isn't just about work, unfortunately it is usually a large part of our life, but I have other much more important things in my life.  My husband, my family, my puppy and my friends are way up there with the most important things in my world and I am pleased to report that my family has expanded this week!  Very excitingly, my beautiful little sister has been busily, quietly, with lots of health problems, been growing herself a daughter, and yesterday she finally joined the world to meet us all and I couldn't be more proud of her. 

Rebecca Ellen Martin-Yates joined us yesterday at 10.06 weighing in at a very healthy 9.2lbs born to two amazing parents, Charlotte Martin-Yates and Rob Yates and her big brother, William Martin-Yates. How amazing is my sister for growing her and keeping her 
safe, as indeed she did Willam 6 years ago.  I am secretly even more chuffed that she 
shares the same middle name with my Nan and I, but even if she didn't I'd still be as pleased as punch.  

I am sad that Nanny is not here to meet Rebecca in person, but I know she is busy at Charlotte's looking over her and making sure her and William are safe and that Charlotte is recovering well.  So, this aside, for October I am eternally grateful. Change of job, 7 year wedding anniversary and a brand new niece for a start and its only the beginning of the month!

So here's to new beginnings, changes and new life. I'm finally remembering to accept what I have gracefully and have the grace to change what is making me unhappy and stay positive throughout.  It's not about having the best of everything, but making the best of everything 
you have.  

Thank you all for being the best and helping make the best.

Ps... Nanny, she is beautiful and I'll give her a kiss from you, but no poking her to make her cry, Charlotte needs some sleep!!

TTFN, Sammy xx