Six Month's Graft

Today is a milestone in my career. Exactly six months ago, I started this new job, in unfamiliar surroundings, trying to get my head around the concept of a sales based industry. Those first few months, proved the most volatile, with personnel changes and a major learning curve to overcome. Now, looking back, I can only find some lyrics from Blue, to summarize, how I feel right now. "And we made a lot of sacrifice, Undid a lot of ties, Fought a lot of fights, To get where we are now, Just don't ask me how". It is never important to look back at where we have been, but to look forward at what we have yet to become. This thinking always brings out the best in me.

My job is not perfect, I am happy to admit, to anyone who may ask or care to listen for that matter. Yet it is the willingness to make an effort to be that catalyst for change, which keeps me going. My motivation? On my desk there is a photograph of my family, standing before the Taj Mahal. Need I say any more?

Last night was my first 'official' work outing with my division or should that be office family? You never know exactly how to play the game here. Once a few of your coworkers have tasted a drop of the amber nectar, they change. Most people just start talking to you more as their friend, rather than a manager, with some authority over you. Others tend to use the opportunity to melt into themselves and let the others do the talking. Role reversal, if you will. You discover that the quiet, focused individuals, suddenly have a life outside of work and tell you in detail their adventures rock climbing last September in Australia.

For as long as I can remember, I have taken great pride in meeting new and exciting people. Yet, in their professional guise, they lack that reality, that sense that they are actually one of us. Nights out like this, brings everyone down to same level and you enjoy each other company. You would not take it to the level that you are suddenly great friends with these people, that just would not work. Yet, you slowly come to the realisation of some home truths. I was trying to be clever and quite the final words of Tim, from the Office Christmas Special, 2003, but cannot find the exact words used. Anything less, will be criminal offence. Perhaps someone will be kind enough to add it as a comment and finish this posting as elegantly as I have started it.

I am one of the lucky ones, ladies and gentlemen. I have been blessed to be in full employment almost from the moment I left university, with only a total of fifty three days unemployment, which includes a three week search when I arrived home June last year. To this day, there are people with first class degrees from world class universities, still hunting for jobs, two sometimes three years after graduation. Pity those souls, for I lost my motivation within a few weeks. Life becomes a spiral and you slowly find yourself falling into a world of self pity and low, very low self esteem. That story, however, can wait for another day. For I am sure there are many more 'in between' job days to be clocked onto my speedometer. Plus, the experience of being made redundant, don't want to miss that off my 'to do' list! ;)