Job Hunting, A New Approach.....

I just thought that I would renew my request for help in finding a new job:

As long-time readers will be aware, I do not know exactly what I want to do, but I have a good idea of what I don't want:

• I don't want to work night shifts any more;
• I also do not want to work 12 hours every day, I don't mind it occasionally, but every day is too much;
• I don't mind working weekends, in fact I probably prefer it at the moment, as long as I get at least 2 days off most weeks;
• I don't want to work with food, or in a bar;
• Nor do I want to work in telesales or in recruitment.
• I would ideally like to do something that will stimulate my mind, something that is rewarding and enable me to use my creative impulses;
• I would also really like something that enabled me to gain qualifications while working, either on the job or giving me enough time off to begin studying;
• I don't mind working alone or within a team;
• I am looking for a permanent position ideally, but a long-term contract would be acceptable and a short-term contract would be considered depending on the nature of the opportunity.
• I am currently living in Barbican, London and would prefer to work within 30 minutes travel each way from home. If the right job comes along though I would consider travelling further. I am also considering moving back to Torquay, Devon though an on-site trial here would be difficult and costly for me;
  

What I am looking for with this particular request is an opportunity to prove myself. Given the right position I would be willing to work for free for a day to prove I am capable of doing the job. I currently work 4-on / 4-off and so am available at some point every week for these trials.

I am criminal record clear and can provide personal and professional references if required. A C.V. is available upon request and I would also be willing to provide examples of my written work, or to write a report or article on the subject of your choice if you would prefer.

If you are interested in giving me a trial then all you have to do is send me an email at alex.robins@hotmail.co.uk with full details of the position you have a vacancy for, including the wage, and I will contact you back to tell you if I am interested.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Back Again

So, once again, my days off are over and I am back to work.
What has changed since I have been off?
Nothing!!
OCS are still useless employees who cannot manage anything. One of the day guards had to wait here at work an extra hour and a half before he could go home because one of the schedulers, the same one I have had problems with before, forgot (again) to tell someone that they were working. It's lucky that the expected guard was actually willing and able to come in and did so in really good time, otherwise they would not have been able to get anyone for hours.
I still have no replacement uniform jacket for the one that was ripped in January, despite having ordered it twice.
I still have no response to my complaint about my wages being wrong so many times in the last 9 months.
And I am still ill with the chest infection that was incubating when I was last on shift.
I also still do not have a working laptop or television at home to call my own.

While I was off I really wanted to get out and socialise on the Thursday and Friday, but was in no shape to do so as I could barely stop from coughing for more than 10 minutes at a time and from blowing my blocked nose about as frequently. When Saturday came around I decided that I really needed to get out and so, as I was feeling slightly better I did. I wish that I hadn't though as I didn't see a single person that I knew and the only people that I got talking to were drunks! I ended up in Chariots (AGAIN, when will I learn) and got home at 06:00!

The good news though is that I have managed to find a job to apply for tonight so, fingers crossed for that, especially as it states that the pay rate is up to £15 per hour! I am overdue some good fortune like that!

A Sad Day To Die

I have no feelings toward Jade Goody at all, neither love nor malice, though it is always sad when somebody's loved one passes away.
What I do feel today is empathy for her two sons. Now, they are possibly too young to fully understand what has happened and thus deal with the grief over their mother's death. Over the next few years though, as they grow up and become more aware of life and what they are missing, that is when their grief may truly hit them. I know it did with me.
My dad died when I was 7 and so I don't remember having a dad around much at all. So, when I was young, I didn't really "miss" it. It was only upon becoming an adult and realising all the things that my father could have told me and taught me, that I began to realise what I had missed out on. That was when the grief really struck me.
Another unhappy affinity I have with Jade's two boys is that my mother too died around Mother's Day. In 1998 my mum was in hospital after learning she had inoperable cancer. She died the day after Mothering Sunday and I have disliked the day, and the incessant media advertising blitz that accompanies it, ever since. I hope that the boys will not find this media insensitivity too hard to bear over the rest of their lives. And I hope that the media leaves them alone to live normal lives out of the spotlight.
Good luck boys, many people's thoughts are with you today.

I've Made a Decision, or Have I?

I think that I have made a decision, though I am not certain as yet whether I will stick to it. I think that I am going to give up buying comics. Quite shocking to those who know me, but I have given up my collecting a couple of times before, though it never lasted more than a year at a time.
I made my decision unconsciously really on Thursday when I went into town to buy this weeks batch of comics. There was only one new comic which I really wanted, and under normal circumstances I would have selected at least 2 others to tide me over. I decided not to buy any and once I got home I realised that I still had a couple of comics from last week that I hadn't read (and still haven't). It had turned into more of a habit than a hobby, so I am going to attempt to kick the habit.
I have decided to do it in moderation though. I love reading the handbooks that tell readers all about the characters, their history and powers, and the index books which show who first appeared when and where. I guess that all goes with my love of reference books, I have numerous dictionaries and encyclopedias on such a variety of subjects as astronomy, Irish mythology and fossils (among others). Collecting these handbooks will enable me to keep up with what is happening in the Marvel universe and even that may wane in time.
Another decision I have made linked to the first decision is that I will try and sell the majority of my non-Marvel comics on eBay. I doubt that I will get an large amounts of cash for them, though I do have some complete collections of some titles. It will mainly be to create some space and lessen the load of "junk" for when I next move home. At the moment I estimate that I have approximately 1,500 - 2,000 non-Marvel comics. Even if I get just 5p for each comic that works out at £75 - £100 which will help with something. Unfortunately I will have to wait until I already have a new computer before I can do this, as access to eBay is banned here at work! But it is a plan.

Once these ideas are implemented I can begin to spend the money on better more productive things: Like buying a new range of clothes.
I'm not going to go mad, but the majority of my clothing is over 5 years old, with many items over 10 years old! I need new clothes to make me look and thus feel better in myself, thus with improved confidence I should find talking to new people easier and making new friends (and finding a boyfriend) is the ultimate goal.
This last week has been the first step in this process too. I purchased one new item of clothing and that alone, with some carefully selected older items that I already owned, made me feel better when I went out. Yesterday was the payoff and I hope to have more confident and fulfilling days like that.
Clothing I also aim to buy will be smart-wear in preparation for any interviews and subsequent new jobs that are going to be coming along in the near future! It's only a matter of time before something comes my way.

Change is good.

Great Day

Just to break the monotony of my whinging and moaning, thought I would take the time to tell you about my great day yesterday.
While I was out on Thursday, having a pint in Comptons, I noticed a sign saying that the matches for the Six Nations rugby were being shown in the upstairs bar. I hadn't realised this, but decided there and then that I would go there for the England match on Saturday (yesterday) as I was off work.
Yesterday morning I was in two minds whether to go or not as I wasn't sure how busy it would be and I knew I wouldn't want to leave town early, but would have to as I am working today. I decided that I had nothing to lose by going and I am glad that I did.
I had a quick sandwich in Soho Square before going to Comptons. The bar downstairs was ominously quiet, there were a few people there but no noise coming from the upstairs bar, which I thought that there would be considering that one of the matches was already being played.
I bought my pint and made my way up the stairs. There were a few people already there and I managed to get a fairly good position to see the match and to keep an eye on a rather fit-looking guy who took my fancy.
By the time the match started the atmosphere was great, the sound had been turned right up and I had already chatted to a guy I see about in town quite a lot (though can never remember his name). During the first half I also got talking to this fit guy, who turned out to be straight, but with a gay mate, and allegedly plays for Gloucester, though I could not see him listed on the First XV Squad list on Gloucester Rugby's site today. He was a really nice guy though. We chatted with a few other guys during the exciting match, yes, it was exciting which makes a change for English rugby lately. We won eventually, but it could have gone either way. I really enjoyed myself and decided to stay for the Ireland v Wales match which followed immediately afterwards. I gave up on this match halfway through the first half as I was bored. I had nothing invested in this match and so didn't really care who won or lost.

I went on to Rupert Street for a drink. I saw Tim having a drink outside with a friend, and was debating whether to join him or to let him have a night off from me, when they disappeared anyway.
I got chatting to a guy who came into the bar though and he seemed really nice. I was a bit wary of him though as he didn't actually buy a drink when he came in or the whole time we were talking, which was strange. And he insisted on giving me a hug after we'd been chatting for about 20 minutes, as I "seemed so nice". I found this a bit strange too, but am always up for a hug from a nice looking guy, especially when they are also nicely built as he was. I don't get enough hugs. He said he was a part-time tennis coach (and also told me what his full-time occupation was but I forgot what that was) and we swapped numbers before I left at around 20:00 while agreeing to meet when I am off next week.
I could have stayed longer, but having to go to work the next day I wanted to get an early night. As I left I also saw Alfredo and he told me to give him a ring when I'm free to go out for drinks. I explained that I had lost my phone and thus his number and so we exchanged numbers again. I was really happy to be in touch with him again as I used to really enjoy his company when we went out.
I was really reluctant to leave by this point and hating the fact that I am so reliable. Most other people would have stayed out drinking and having fun and either suffered the hangover in the morning or called in sick. Me, no, I am far too reliable for that, not that I get anything for it. Oh well.

So, all in all, a really fantastic day which I was certainly overdue for. I got chatting to 7 guys that I really fancy, got the numbers of 2 of them and quick snog too. More of the same please.

By The Way

I just wanted to say that although I can access Blogger enough at work to post entries, I have limited access to websites which means that I can't actually view my blog. Therefore, although I can read comments that are kindly posted I can't acknowledge them or reply, so I apologise for that. I am not ignoring you all and want you to keep on commenting as that is what helps make blogging worthwhile.
Once my access is restored at home I will endeavour to go back over the comments posted since my absence began and reply to all.
Thanks for still being there.

2Moro

It is the last day of the Six Nations Rugby 2009 tomorrow and England are playing Scotland. It should be a good match, if England can maintain the form they showed during the first half of last weeks match against France. Despite having lost track of the tournament over the last couple of weeks, due to having no internet access and home and work interrupting my viewing pleasure, I would really love to go to a bar and watch it with some friends. It's a shame that I don't know anyone who is into rugby. I do know that Comptons will be showing the match on their big screen upstairs and the Duke of Wellington may also be showing it. It is on at 15:30 so not too late, considering I have to be up for work the next morning. I could just go along and watch the match and hope that I get chatting to someone nice there. What do you think the possibilities are? I've been out quite a lot over the last 2 weeks, with no luck but once more couldn't hurt could it. And I know I WON'T end up at Chariots if I have to work the next day!

Back To Work

I am once again back at work, in case you hadn't guessed, and still stressed out about my wage situtation and the lack of respect or care shown to me by my employers.
I was sent another hostile email on the 17th, but of course only had access to it today, by my regional manager telling me to provide proof of the alleged holiday entitlement I am missing (I've been asking since mid-December for them to tell me what I was entitled to and apparantly I was not entitled to accrue any holiday between January and the end of this month!). He also insisted that I send a wage query form to initiate the process to claim back the difference missing in my wages since they messed up my last wage query, stating that I should know procedures (because I'm psychic?).
I already had a sleepless night last night worrying about the stresses that this place is causing me, I didn't need another reason not to come into work. I really feel like walking out, AGAIN. It is taking all of my control to stay seated and carry on.
It doesn't help that I am having to explain things very slowly to a relief security guard who barely speaks English and certainly doesn't understand it very well! Another stress I can do without.
To top it all off. I tried to speak to my (immature) manager to explain the stress that I am under at the moment and the fact that I could walk out at any moment and all he was interested in was the another tale of how he was going to get rid of the receptionist and the stresses that he is under (which were obviously greater than mine).

When To Take Offence

I read in this weeks Pink Paper that Ashton Kutcher chastised someone who wrote on his Twitter page, "stop being so gay." Mr Kutcher admirably replied, and I am quoting from the PP, "Can we just get clear, calling someone "gay" or "fag" is as derogatory as calling someone a "nigger." This got me thinking:
I have a work colleague who constantly says things like, "That is so gay," when he means, "That is so bad / wrong / stupid etc."
He does this in front of me too, even though I am out at work, and despite the fact that he allegedly has a gay uncle too. I DO find it offensive, but am not sure that I should. I began thinking, "What word would I use?"
Normally, I would just say, "That is so bad," but other words I could and probably have used are "lame" and "dumb." Are these words offensive to disabled people? Or should that be differently-able people?
Offence can be taken at almost anything we say or do. We all innocently comment on or describing those who are fat / thin / blond / ginger / bald / big-nosed / big-eared / tall / short ....... I could go on forever, but surely we should only take offence if the intent is to offend, otherwise maybe we should advise and educate.
So maybe the next time someone uses "gay" as a synonym for "bad," I'll point it out to the offender.
Or I could always sink to their level and call them a "breeder," those dirty heteros hate that!

I See A Pattern Forming....

I got to work tonight to find an email waiting for me concerning my wages. Apparently I was correct about my holiday pay, it should have been paid at my new, higher pay rate. But, guess what, I will have to wait until next pay day to get the difference. AGAIN! This is becoming ridiculous. I feel like there is a vendetta against me from my employers!
I really just want to tell the f***3rs where to shove their horrible job!
I can't imagine them getting next months wages correct anyway, as I have worked under two different site numbers (reception here is different to security), two separate pay rates, and three different shift lengths. I really do not hold out any hope of my wages being correct any time this year.

Managing

I am at work again, as you could probably guess by the fact that I am blogging (no, I still don't have internet access at home), and I have just discovered the roster for next month. I have been put down to cover for the manager yet again while he has two days off! The "senior" supervisor is gonna get p'd off again when he spots that! And, this was all after the manager came back from his suspension and immediately changed his computer password as "Too many people" (i.e. ME) "have access to his stuff!"
Yes, it all looks good on a CV that I have covered for the manager position, but every time I do him a favour like this, and like covering the receptionist's holidays (as I am doing next Friday) I lose money. If I do a normal overtime shift it would be 12 hours. When I cover reception it is 10 hours (with lunch being unpaid, so really 9 hours), at the same rate of pay as I get at the moment. When I cover the manager it is for only 10 hours, and even though it is at a higher rate I end up about £5 worse off, I know that it's not much, but I resent doing all these favours for him without actually getting any benefits back myself. Does that make me selfish or does that make me a mug?
At least tonight is a "short" shift (11 hours), and then I only have one more night shift before 3 days off! See, I can think positively sometimes!

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

I am in the last 30 minutes of the last shift before I get the 4 days off that I truly deserve. Today, luckily, has been a lot less stressed than Friday was as the recently reinstated manager had calmed down a bit, but it still felt like a long day.
Tomorrow is pay day too, which means that I will be able to do a lot of things that I couldn't do over the last few days, especially as I will not be working. What I can do exactly depends on whether my employers pay me exactly what they should pay me this time. I know what I should take home, roughly, but I have a feeling that they may mess it all up again, as they did last month. I'm hoping that, if there is enough in may pay packet, I will be able to get a new laptop and thus be able to get back to regular blogging again. I have missed doing it and I feel like I've lost touch with those of you who read this regularly, all three of you!!

The new regional manager visited site today, the first time that I'd met him, although I did talk to him last week briefly a couple of times. He seems like a complete dick! I had asked him about my missing holiday, approximately 6 days and he had sent out a letter basically saying: "Yes you should have accrued holiday during this period, but it's too late to use it now, so tough!" He pointed out today that I had I could appeal against this. I had to bite my tongue, as I was getting wound up and wanted to say; "There's no point appealing as no one has replied to the last complaint that I made 2 weeks ago!"
My building manager has said that he will try and get me at least some of this time back, out of his budget, so it's not a total loss.

I can't wait until tomorrow! Hopefully I won't be too stressed when I see how much (or little) I have been paid! Keep your fingers crossed for me please. Cheers.

Another Stress-Filled Day at Work

And it is not even 10:30!

On Thursday, while I was still in the managers chair, I was arranging, with the scheduler at head office, which guards would be covering the three spare shifts that we had for Friday, Saturday an Sunday. I informed him that one of our regular guards could do the Sat & Sun shifts, but he insisted on putting in two separate guards, one of whom wasn't trained in this site.
When I found this out I emailed him back to say that I would prefer OUR guard to cover the shift (because he knows the site, is trained here and also to help him out as one of our regulars who wants to work extra shifts for extra money!). The scheduler never got back to me, so I assumed he had left the manning as it was.

This morning no relief guard turned up! When I enquired with Head Office, they had our guard rostered to cover the shift. I am guessing that the scheduler changed it for our guy to work, but hadn't let him know.
It then transpired that they couldn't get a hold of this guy to find out where he was, or when he could get onto site, if at all, so we had to wait for a different relief guard. All the while one of the night shift guards was waiting to go home after working 12 hours already. He eventually got to leave at 10:00 when the (untrained) relief arrived. I will do my best to make sure he gets paid for the extra hours, but my company are notorious for not paying this extra time worked.

I now have to try and find out who is covering tomorrow's shift so that this mess does not happen again (and I've told the guard who stayed extra this morning that he doesn't have to work tonight if he doesn't want to, but to let me know either way). Unfortunately Head Office are now not answering the phone.

It is times like this that make me want to just walk out of this job, when you know other people aren't doing their jobs and you realise that if you complain, you run the risk of these people making your future working life really difficult and never knowing for sure if it was them of not who have messed things up for you. I mean, my wages, holiday entitlement and uniform supply gets messed up all the time anyway and that is without pissing anyone off, so you can imagine how bad things could get if someone had "reason" to mess things up for me!
It is also times like this that remind me why I don't ever want to be a manager again. Because you cannot trust anyone else to do a job properly without chasing them the whole time and you are not always able to just do the job yourself.

I want out. ASAP.

It's Back

My headache and upped stress levels are back!
Why?
Because my manager is back and as obnoxiously annoying as usual. He made good on his promise to come in early and was actually in before me (I guarantee that won't happen again this month!). One of the first things he made me aware of was the fact that he has now changed the password on his computer so that I no longer have access and then proceeded to make me aware of the one mistake I made on "his" database!
His music was back on full blast and he got his hammer out of the drawer I had placed it in and put it back on his desk. Not for any purpose. Just as one of his intimidation tools (along with the cricket bat). All day he has been shouting, swearing and slagging people off, mainly the people who have been keeping this place going while he was on suspension for failing to get into the receptionist's knickers!! He really did my head in.
He also made a point of telling me personally to get the relevant post and deliver it around to our contractors entrance, and to deliver some forms to reception. Both are jobs that I don't mind doing, but when I have offered to do the post before he has aggressively told me that "They can f*****g come and collect it themselves." I'm sure that it was a way of him putting me in my place. And I told him so.
Then, I almost laughed in his face when, at just before 17:00 he asked if I wanted to leave early to join him and the building manager at the pub. I don't think so. Even then, after I had said a firm "No" he got the building manager to ask me again. Twice! Why do people never take "No" for an answer, especially when it comes to drinking?
He has also just phoned from the pub to tell me a couple of things for tomorrow and also ask me why I was in a foul mood. "Is it because I'm back?" he asked and I truthfully told him that was only part of it (the other part being the fact that I hate this job anyway!). He did apologise, to which I replied, "You can't help being you!" Which shut him up!
A few seconds later the building manager phoned and asked if I was in a foul mood because of something that he had done. I reassured him that it wasn't (although indirectly it was because he had let this inept manager come back!).
I hope that the next three days go really quickly as I intend to really enjoy my days off following that.

Feeling My Age Again

Today marks the 18th birthday of my eldest nephew. (Happy Birthday Arron.) I don't really feel old, but events like this just remind me how quickly time passes. It sounds a bit morose but in fact it is a comforting thought in a way. I have had a really bad time of things lately, but thinking how quickly time can seem to pass makes me realise that it will pass and better times ARE on the way (or at least different times). See, I can think positive sometimes!!
Another thing that made me realise how quickly kids can grow up was today when I was checking Facebook and I saw that my youngest niece, who is 10 (or 11, I'm terrible with their actual ages), has "become a fan of Getting Drunk." I wonder how long it will be before my great-nieces are proclaiming the same!

Is He Really Necessary?

Today, I am still covering for the formerly suspended manager. All I have had to do all day is complete the actual manning for yesterday and print off one email to take to our reception (because her email wasn't working). Other than that I may as well not have been here. I have tried to occupy my time by perusing Facebook, Wikipedia, BBC News, my email and the work email (of which there was only the aforementioned one).
I am slightly annoyed that head office haven't even bothered to phone or email to check that everything is okay on site, considering they had taken the manager off site and there is an untrained person (me) dunning things. I would love to be able to say that it is because they trust me, but I can't as they don't know me as we hardly ever get visits on this site and when we do the visitors never speak to the actual guards! They just do not care, which is evident from the way that my pay situation and subsequent complaint have been dealt with (or not as the case may be!).

I am so bored. I really can't see that this position (security site manager) is needed AS WELL AS the supervisor's position. They should save some money and merge the two positions. Oh well, only one more shift as "acting" manager after today and then we have our "beloved" manager back which everyone is looking forward to immensely!

I HAVE managed to potentially employ a former work colleague for the supervisor vacancy we have at this site, though I feel guilty about persuading anyone I know to work here as I hate it here so much myself, but if someone needs a job all I can do is tell them the truth and let them decide.

I have just under 2 hours until I can go home and have run out of ideas for things to do.
Any ideas?

Just a Quick Note

I just thought that I should update y'all to tell you my time as a manager is halfway done. I was told about an hour ago that I have 2 more days "on the job" before the manager comes back to reintegrate himself into the team that coped so well without him!
Not that he has ever tried to "fit in" anywhere. He just does what he wants and if you don't like it, then "F**K Y*U!"
He is going to be absolutely insufferable, telling us how he has "defeated" yet another complaint against him. From what he has told me, it seems that every job he has had in the last ten years has involved at least one complaint about him. You think he would wisen up and change his ways, but no, he remains the same, if not worse. He will think, again, that he is even more immune to the rules (which he never follows as it is!) that he expects everyone else to abide by.
If anything it is even more of an incentive to get out of here, as I will not want to take any of his NEW shit!

A Good Day (No, Really, I'm not Lying!)

Yesterday was my first day covering for my manager. He is off work at the moment as he has been suspended for sexual harassment of our receptionist! I really did not want to cover his shifts as I've not been shown what paperwork needs doing or what gets sent where etc. And most days when he IS here, it appears that he doesn't do anything!
The day didn't start well. The guy who usually covers for the managers holiday (who has been shown what to do) was away at the weekend, hence the reason why I volunteered to do the shift yesterday, so that he didn't have to rush back. He volunteered though to cover the receptionist's shift, as she was off too. Well, yesterday morning he didn't turn up! I phoned him to find out where he was and he said that he had emailed the building manager to tell him that he wasn't doing it! The BM hadn't received any email from him. I think this other supervisor was just having a hissy fit because I was doing "his" job!
On top of this we had one guard off sick and the replacement guard didn't turn up until 3 hours later! The building maintenance guy was also off sick. So, three people down. Talk about being thrown in at the deep end. But, despite this, I didn't get stressed. And, the building manager seemed quite happy with what had gone on today, and believe me, he doesn't do "happy" very often!!

The day went surprisingly easily and the only time I came close to getting stressed was at 17:00, when I was about to leave and one of the guards managed to stop the CCTV monitor from working. I eventually managed to get that working again, but left work nearly half an hour late. It could have been a lot worse. I was actually feeling quite good, which I haven't for quite some time.

When I got home I had a letter which also made me feel good. It was from one of the companies I owe money to, saying that one of the debts is now fully paid off. Yes, it was one I was paying the least to each month, but now I can put that money towards one of the other debts to pay that off even faster (which I have sorted today).

I also discovered that I had inadvertently locked Frank, the cat, in my room this morning when I left for work. He had been let out by the landlord, but not before leaving a little puddle on my bedroom floor! Nice.
But, despite this tiny matter, all in all it was a very good day. Lets just hope that today is the same.