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JWPopps · 17 August 2017 at 9:54AM

Ok...

My GP has given me Naratriptan to try next time I'm hit with a migraine, but hopefully that won't be until next month now.

On another note, I am very confused about a thing and I have no one to talk to about it so I'm gonna blurb it all out here :think:

My colleague will go on maternity leave at the end of October and we all got an e-mail this morning to say her maternity cover has been advertised. Great, because I was freaking out that they might not replace her!!

She is my senior colleague, and in the last few weeks I've heard a few people jokingly comment that I'm likely to be 'the new [colleague name redacted]'.

I wasn't too worried about it though, because my colleague has never suggested that to me, and my management team have never suggested it so I was just excited to find out who the new person would be...

....except they've only advertised it internally. Now, we're not a massive organisation, and unless there are people working here I don't know about (could be the case, to be fair), I think I'm the only internal candidate who could meet the requirements of the job, with things like 'must have experience of X' when 'X' is what I do day to day.

And all of this sounds really good, right? But I really don't know if I want to apply. I don't actually know if they *want* me to apply, so I could be making all of this up in my head, but if they *do* want me to apply, or are expecting me to - what do I do?

Should I try to talk to someone about it, or will that look really arrogant that I'm assuming this is their plan? Also, my managers are all off this week and I'm off next week so that leaves the person whose maternity they're trying to cover... is it inappropriate for me to talk to her about it?!

Argh!! I'm not expecting answers, I'm just venting!!

Sun_Addict · 17 August 2017 at 8:49PM

Seriously would you like to be her cover? What would be the benefits? Think of yourself in this and what you want not what might be expected.

JWPopps · 18 August 2017 at 9:35AM

Sun_Addict wrote: »

Seriously would you like to be her cover? What would be the benefits? Think of yourself in this and what you want not what might be expected.

Hi SA, thank you!

I've thought about it and I'm still not sure, but I've spoken to the colleague involved and she made some really interesting points - one of which is that for consistency's sake I will likely be asked to cover some of her role regardless of whether I apply for the promotion or not... and as she pointed out, I might as well get paid for it.

PROS:
- I am confident I could do it (it's not significantly different to my current role)
- It would be about £130 a month extra for a few months - every little helps
- It would look good on my CV when I eventually decide to leave this job, or if for example another role became available
- My colleague seems to think I have a good chance, and also seems to be happy with the idea of me looking after her role for her.

CONS:
- I have to apply, before Wednesday, when I also have 3 assignments to finish this week
- I will also have 3 assignments to complete next year, so could I manage that and a senior position?
- I've only been in my current role a year, am I experienced enough?
- Will I find it difficult to go back to my current role in a years' time?

However, my colleague also pointed out that if I don't apply for it, I won't feel able to complain if they hire a total fool - which is a reasonable point.

At this stage I think I'm going to make an application and see what happens. I can always decide I don't want to take it if it becomes clear I wouldn't have any support, and if I do get it, accept it, and hate it - well, it's only temporary and then I can come back to my current role.

I think that's for the best? :eek:

Sun_Addict · 18 August 2017 at 9:04PM

Go for it - you've got nothing to lose. Good luck

SavingAtNumberTwo · 21 August 2017 at 12:49PM

JW it sounds like there is more 'for' on your list than 'against'.. do you feel like you want to do it?

JWPopps · 24 August 2017 at 11:21PM

Hi guys,

Thanks for your input. If I'm totally honest, I literally don't care either way at this point. I've made an application and will find out early next week if I'm to be interviewed but I just feel... neutral. I think I'm supposed to feel excited about the prospect of a new job but I don't, which I think is because frankly for the first time in a long time I'm genuinely happy in my job as it is now. So the idea of doing something else less than a year later is just... eh.

Anyway, I've been away writing assignments this week, which is still happening slowly but surely. It's a massive slog but progress is being made! I just hope the stuff I'm writing makes any sense ha.

I will keep you all updated on the job front!

Sun_Addict · 30 August 2017 at 8:53PM

So - did you get the job?

JWPopps · 31 August 2017 at 12:28PM

Hello SA,

I've had a shocking few days...

I got my house broken into on Monday, by a young person who had been staying with me through the charity. It's not as major as it probably sounds, basically he left the Velux windows open in the room he'd been sleeping in, and it didn't occur to me to check when I made him leave the house. I then went out, and when I got back some of the kids on my street told me he'd been shinning up the drainpipe all afternoon, nipping in and out via the roof.

He took some cans of fizzy pop and some yoghurts, and basically he was just trying to show off. The worst bit is that by dropping from the Velux onto my spare bed, he's broken it.

It was pretty awful, he hadn't been the pleasantest young person I'd ever had to stay anyway, he needed a lot more support than a volunteer host could ever have given and clearly he has very poor decision-making skills. The worst thing is, by doing something so silly he's completely ruined his own future now because the charity have washed their hands of him (I mean, they could hardly place him with anyone else could they?!) and he's out of social services support options. I don't know what he's going to do now.

He did come back that evening after he'd been told not to, but luckily there was a police officer there (I didn't press charges but wanted it recording in case I noticed anything else missing in the future) and she scared him away. I don't think he'll cause any more trouble.

Anyway, with all of that going on I've been a bit sad, and I don't know if it's because of that or not but when I came back to work on Tuesday I mentioned to my manager, as a courtesy, that I had made an application for the job, and she did not seem pleased.

I don't know, I could be imagining it, but she seemed really down on the idea and it left me wondering if I should withdraw my application. They've extended the advert by the way, so it closes today now. I won't find out probably until next week if I have an interview, which is now on 11th.

In the end I've decided not to withdraw it, because I could just be misinterpreting things and to be honest it's a good experience to interview for something even if I'm fairly confident I won't get it. I won't be even remotely bitter if I don't get it, but I think I'd regret withdrawing it as much as I will regret not doing so, so it's kind of a decision-via-making-no-decisions. Does that make sense?!

Sun_Addict · 31 August 2017 at 12:43PM

That's awful JWP

What a stupid lad to jeopardise the chance he'd been given. Some people are beyond help

I suppose your manager could be worried about losing you in the job you have now and finding a replacement. Glad you didn't withdraw your application. Even if you don't get the job at least you've tried. Good luck - you never know

JWPopps · 31 August 2017 at 12:45PM

Today marks the end of August...

As suspected, I did not clear my credit card, but I have managed to get it down to £675, which is £200 off the beginning of August.

My loan is currently at £6,500-ish (interest is the 'ish').

I have managed to get my savings to £230 already, which was an original goal for the end of September so at least I'm overachieving somewhere, right?

So here are some realistic goal for September:
- Credit card to £300 (payment of £375)
- Loan to £6,300 (payment of £200 plus interest)
- Savings to £300 (nice round figure).

September shouldn't be a hugely expensive month; it's busy at work so I won't be going away anywhere. I shouldn't need to buy train tickets to see my boyfriend until after I next get paid, so hopefully I can keep out of my overdraft and make a dent into my debt payments.

This whole 'becoming financially solvent' thing is such a drag some months...

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