Then, Lady Thinker gave me an affectionate clip round the ear for not having any posts. At all. She was quite right, she usually is I find! Well, of course, I do still have all of them plus your comments and I am carefully hoarding them to reread on rainy days in my retirement.
I like reinventing myself and so I'm having a great time now, enrolling for courses at the adult education centre and filling in job applications. I have discovered incidentally that I could learn flamenco dancing there - swoon! - this has set off a whole new train of idle thought. I can do the hair and the haughty face but I'm not at all sure how my feet will react, poor dear clumsy things that they are. Unfortunately I'll have to wait until next September - I can hardly bear the delay!
So, the job search - yes, going ahead, hindered slightly by my dustiness. I'm very dusty in fact. When bright young women ask me challenging purposeful questions I endeavour to shine back engagingly but I have a thought processing delay - currently about 30 fatal seconds. They look at me aghast as if I'm on human standby. BUT never fear, I'm working on it - I used to be bright like that, once upon a time - I just need to try and remember exactly how I did it ...
58 comments:
ha. you're better than those bright little things. you GLOW.
you'll find something you love. settle for nothing less.
good luck and i wait to hear from you.
You're being too kind Merryweather. It was, I thought, a bit of a handbagging rather than a gentle clip.
The cartoon looks just like me - too.
Thanks - take care and Good Luck.
Thanks Laurie - you were quick! That's good advice.
Lady Thinker - a handbagging?! -chuckles-
let's keep the exact details entre-nous... it was very welcome whatever :).
I've come back again to annoy you further -- I mean assist -- with a rilly rilly brill idea - at next interview tell any young bright thing that you are a little on the dull witted side today as you were blogging into the early hours. Then show off all your blogging skills - mention links, links lists, blogroll lists, uploading photos and comments from readers from USA and Australia etc. Ask them about their Blogs - act really surprised when they invariably confess they're not aware of what you are talking about!
Then remind them that all these Blogging skills are transferable to the workplace - done.
Yes, I will mention that LT, good idea.
At one place they gave me a mother's return to work CV planner - amongst other things it says don't forget these points:
You are skilled at feeding awkward people.
You are good at teaching language skills
You are adept at time management
You are able to cope with complaints
... yes - so what's new? - I thought ...!
You will be fine Merry, and anyone who gives you a job will be the lucky ones to get you.
Looking forward to hearing how you get on.
Best wishes.
Now there was a nice surprise! I had got out of the habit of slipping across to see you - and all the while there you were, blogging again behind my back!
It's lovely to see you there again though. And I do wish you well in the job-hunt. It sometimes helps I think to go on the offensive - ask not what you can offer them, but what they think they can offer you!
It just might work. All good luck anyway. I'm sure you'll find just the right thing in the end.
Ah, yes, jobs. Well. Good luck with that one. Hope you find something you enjoy that fits in with the family. A little reinvention goes a long way, I find.
I so recognise that dusty feeling.......good luck and lovely to see you back.
Jane - Best wishes to you as well
Beatrice - that's a good point - I am quite shy, so maybe I'll try being bold for a change...
Marianne - thank you
Good to see you too @the Mill
I'm looking forward to hearing about your adventure.
Good luck.
Merryw - dear Lil Sis - you can be quite shy - I think most of us are ... but in an interview you can ACT differently. Act the part ...
I tell you from experience of also sitting on the other side of the desk - as an interviewer who is quite shy - it can be just as nerve wracking.
I found at 40yrs old I started to Act up - assertive and confident - and found it quite liberating ...
It was a bit like 'whistle a happy tune whenever I feel afraid' ... Cue, Music and ...
I don't know how you did it but they probably do it by drink, regular sex and lots of sleep. Occasionally, they may also take pink pills. You could try that. Alternatively you could fill up the silence with laughter. It may get you a few funny looks but that would be a risk you would have to run. Or coughing maybe?Then you could ask for water and that would get you a few more minutes. Or you could remember to bring a newspaper with you and just open it up and pretend to read an editorial. I hope that helps.
You seem bright enough to me. Just keep searching, the right one will land in your lap soon.
Crystal xx
Then again - many companies are now setting up Blogs to advertise their services/wares/mission statements - you could ask if they have one and if not offer to set them one up...
Then you could carry on blogging in your work time !! ;-)
Hi Crystal - hope you enjoyed your weekend away!
Thanks RC
Wife - that helps a lot actually! Well observed, I'll think of this next time...
Lady Thinker - a friend in need is a friend indeed and you're a diamond! Acting up eh? And why not. Thank you :) x
Tell the bright shiny wee things that you have exmplary writing skills, an ability to empathise with all sorts of situations and people, that you are calm and a safe pair of hands in a crisis and not too precious to take on whatever job they lob at you because you would never ask anyone to do a job that you wouldn't undertake yourself! The tell them that in you are dependable, mature, thoughtful and most importantly, exactly what they need. Y
You are the best marketing document that you know - use yourself wisely and practice, practice, practice answering all sorts of answers to even the silliest of questions you can imagine and you will sail through.
You come over as a terrifically nice person - that is a huge plus. Good luck.
Any news Merry?
Hello MOB - thanks for visiting, I like your blog. Those are sound suggestions and I shall practise replying - good thinking!
Hi Jane - no news yet, still bobbing along...
Hm, are those the bright young things who have short skirts and beautiful hairstyles? I've met them. Apply for a job in a university instead. Then you'll be interviewed by a disorganised and self-important academic, and you'll be able to exercise all those skills you developed looking after a 2 year old (not that I'm speaking from bitter experience or anything). The whole package isn't great, but the interview is a doddle compared to the short skirts.
You know, I quite liked the snail and the sitemeter - symbolic somehow. But I like this post better, as it suggests to me that there will be more, even if infrequent.
I loved your recent comment on WITN, by the way, and I think your philosophy of trying and humour will see you through in the workplace - if you can just find a niche where it is appreciated.
I've thought of an idea for the silences. If one gets really long, say "I'm sorry, could you repeat the question?" but say it in a way that suggests the question is a bit odd. Then say "Ah, I see" before you answer it. It will undermine the questioner's confidence and put you on some kind of high ground. Maybe.
The spirit and the humour, not the trying and the humour. Sorry.
I'll shut up now.
Human Standby I love it
Ah Iota -
No, no don't feel the need to shut up at all... I loved reading that!! Particularly the disorganised and self-important academic who's best managed like a 2yr old - Ha! Thereby must hang a tale .....?
I took your "Ah I see" to heart some time ago when you first wrote about it, it's perfect in many situations I've found, it's as useful as a good old fashioned penknife in many ways :)
Henry - it's an art form I practise...
Another blade in the verbal armoury penknife that might come in useful for interviews is "sure" instead of "yes". Of course it's very American, but I picked it up for a short phase years ago as an affectation, when coming to America wasn't even a twinkle in anyone's eye. It makes you sound very confident (useful in the short term, hard to live up to in the longer term).
Ha! I'm fully loaded aren't I - no more excuses...
Interesting, how one gets more comments by not blogging as it were! Hope all goes well and look forward to future instalments.
another useful verbal put off is
I'll do it shortly... Good for a variety of uses and doesn't tell the other person how shortly or how longly you'll do it in.
As in I'll be back shortly...
Hi Marianne - how're the kittens? Yes, it's amazing, but people are very supportive online I'm finding, and very helpful - it's touching.
Henry, that's neat and much more polite than the truth which is I'll do it longly, I'll be ages... :)
It never failed to impress nurses and other colleagues... I happen to love the idiom of it all.
Or I'll be with them presently... Means absolutely nothing but reassures in a gentle way that I'm busy but I know about it.
Gentle and busy Henry - just as a doctor should be :)
Why don't you ask them some questions and see if they've got anything interesting to say. If not just thank them for their time and wish them luck finding a suitable candidate...
Glad you're still around.
Thanks sahd, that's sensible - thankfully the fog has lifted, things are on the up again :).
I hope you are OK Ms Merry, and things keep picking up!!
Yes they are picking up thanks Mr M - confident and purposeful, that's me!
Much like me self then...
Glad to hear that ;-)
And the same to you Ms Merry - I like your flower by the way...ahem.
-grins-
It's quite bold isn't it, makes me think of summer and long hot days...
Just checking in Merry, everything OK?
Hello Jane - Everything's fine, nice of you to ask - guess I'd better write a new post...!
Like I Beatrice - I too thought I'd drop over and check out how you are doing -
Unfortunately I don't have a single bit of advice on going back to work. I personally just can't bear the thought of leaving my desk and my cats and all the comforts of home....
But - good luck to you!
I'm looking forward to that stage of life Aims! Can't wait... Thanks for visiting, like Beatrice, you're a great storyteller I see over on your blog.
MERRY CHRISTMAS MERRY WEATHER MERRY CHRISTMAS MERRY DAZE!!
and speaking of weather.... we're getting pounded with snow today.
hope to read you in the new year!
Happy Christmas to you!
Have you got a job yet? Have you found a company that will pay you to read blogs full-time?
Merry Christmas Merry Weather - many blessings for you and yours. Love. xx
THANKS LAURIE! And same to you! Ah, snow - you're so lucky over there...
Hi Iota - Glad you're still around :)
No job yet, but much more sorted out, confident the right thing will come along, eventually! Hope you keep writing...
Lady T - that's lovely - you're a sweetie, wish you all happiness in 2008!
Happy Xmas Ms Merry - take care and speak soon, and look forward to a better 2008...
Happy Christmas Merry!
Hope your Xmas was OK Mr M! I expect your helpline is busy, I shall join the queue nonetheless.
Hi Jane - coming to see you soon.
Any chance of a New Year reappearance, Merry?
Shall do my best - good to read you again!
Come back. All is forgiven.
Okay - I see your comments here and there - but no post from you!!!
Are you ever going to grace us with a post from you again?
I shall look forward to this!
Hello David and Lynn - you both have great blogs! I'm a hopeless blogger you know, but a good reader. Thanks for coming by.
Aims - Hi, hmm, possibly :)
Nice to see you again.
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