I am being upgraded from Mum to Nan - I need a plan!

Mum2Nan

@Blackcats - Thanks so much for the link.  That is a very useful site.  I've been studying and reading like a crazy woman.

I've seen the new structure for my team.  I was shaking as I opened the e-mail but looking at it, it looks like I can put myself forward for more roles within my salary banding than first thought.  Some of them appear to be a slight demotion for the same money so I have raised a couple of questions with our employee reps to ensure I have understood the new structure correctly. 

4 people have now applied for voluntary redundancy and 2 so far have been accepted.  The other 2 are expecting a response by Monday.

Definitive timescales will be issued tomorrow ahead of the second consultation. 

In other news, I have received £12.44 into my Quidco account and have requested it be sent to my PP account.  I have been squirreling money in there from previous train compensation delays (they seem like a life time ago!), eBay sales and cashback.  It goes to show how much it all mounts up over time as I have a tidy little sum in there.

Mum2Nan

Again, my motivation levels need working on.

I am going to get the rubbish news out of the way first.

I did misread the team structure so no more roles are available.  I have tweaked my CV in line with the JDs now received and is back for immediate boss’s review.  I have a mock interview tomorrow morning at 8.45 with cameras on and another one at 6pm on Thursday.

I have lost count of my NSDs but looking at my everyday CC card and my bank account I think I am winning.  I did pop over the shop on Friday though.

Now for the happier news…

I had an expected knock at the door on Saturday morning.    The voice was muffled over the intercom and assumed it was my Sainsbury’s delivery but it was my BF.  After I got over the initial shock, I started crying.  I think with all that’s gone on at work and the worry of it all, my debts and then to see him face to face totally overwhelmed me.  We haven't seen one another since early March although have been in regular contact.  He left for work this morning and is coming back this evening.  My Sainsbury’s delivery turned up half hour later.

I didn’t see my parents yesterday.  I did feel bad about this but called them early to let them know I was staying at home and why.  Dad said ‘go for it’ and Mum said ‘enjoy yourself’ and whllst I tried to my job situation is a very real worry. 

beanielou

Glad that you got to see your boyfriend.

Baileys_Babe

What a lovely surprise, i think i would have cried as well even without the job stress.

Blackcats

So glad that you got to see your boyfriend.
work situation sounds stressful but you are doing everything right.  Researching the process, updating cv and mock interviews.  

I've had to run redundancy processes as part of my job and it's always tough. If it's any consolation after the process has finished many people have shared with me that going through the process itself helped them to re-evaluate their priorities and even those that didn't get a role have subsequently said that things actually worked out ok or better than they anticipated.  

I don't say this to be disrespectful of how stressy it is, but just to give a perspective from after the trauma of the actual process.  x 

Mum2Nan

Thanks for stopping by @beanielou and @Baileys_Babe

@Blackcats I understand what you are saying and it didn’t come across as disrespectful at all.  My worry is trying to get another job at my age if it should come to it. 

The mock interview on Tuesday morning didn’t go very well.  I came across as too nervous and not coherent with my responses.  I haven’t had an interview for 9 years or so, so not surprising I guess and there is a lot riding on it.  I spent much of Wednesday and Thursday during work time trying various relaxation strategies using YT.  This in conjunction with reading thoroughly the JD, my PDR and printing off my CV Thursday's mock interview was much improved but still more to do.  He has scheduled in another two for next week.  If only immediate boss was on the interview panel.

BF went home this morning but is coming back tomorrow evening.  It’s been wonderful to have his support this past week.  Zoom and FT have been great to keep in touch but it’s not the same.

In other news, Laurel & Hardy have now had their booster jabs and are fit and healthy.   I think I am winning on their food experimenting but two days are never the same.  As sad as it seems, I am keeping a daily record so I can monitor their intake and compare.  This continues to be a work-in-progress.

Yesterday was potentially my last salary and I was debating whether to pay just above the minimums to save money or continue with debt repayments as per my spreadsheet.  I went with the latter.   As no-one else knows about my debts I had to make the decision on my own.  It needs paying back so only time will tell if I have made the right one.  It’s too late to change it as I have already made the overpayments.  I will see my balance drop into the £13K but only just and really means I still owe nearly £14K.  Once my regular payments go out I will see my loan drop to sub £2K and Halifax will be £7.5Kish. 

I am going to visit my parents tomorrow but not for dinner and only if the weather is good so we can socially distance in the garden.  As I have been with BF this week, I don’t want to put them at any unnecessary risk. 

Blackcats

A few interview tips from me - 
it is entirely up to you what you say in your interview to answer the questions.  As a politician once said "here's my answer, now what's your question". 🥺
so, you can prepare your best possible answers to the obvious questions like 
tell us about yourself - tell them the good things, the things that match the job description, the things they want to hear.  so many people are too open and honest and say the things that they themselves perceive as a weakness.  For example, there's  No need to say "I'm a bit rusty with excel" you can say you know excel and if you get the job then refresh your excel skills.  Don't feel the need to draw attention to your age .... its irrelevant to your application but so many times people will say, I'm a bit old .....you never hear a different generation say I'm too young or too in the middle!

Use words in your answers that are in the job description, your interviwers will sub consciously recognise them and like to hear them.  

As your boss isn't on the panel you might feel more confident in being bold and positive about your skills rather than feeling embarrassed.
there are usually a few favourite interview questions ... what's your weakness?  Prepare an example of what was once a weakness but no longer is.  Saying something like I didn't always delegate effectively but now I use the following strategies for delegating which work very well.
someone once told me at interview that their weakness was that they got really moody with PMT and they liked picking their spots in the office 🤮🤐.
if the panel ask you if you have any questions then think of a future focussed question that involves you being the post holder eg what would you like me to achieve in my first 3 months?  This has the effect of them imagining you in the job and that's often right at the end of the interview so subliminally you've got the job!  

Finally many interview questions are hypothetical.  When I'm coaching people for interviews I use the daft example of "what would you do if the building caught fire?".  No one is going to say that they'd panic, forget the fire drill and run around screaming.  But, of course, they might!  The panel will never know will they? 

Hope that helps.  I've got loads more tips so send me a personal message if you want some support.  In case you can't guess recruitment and selection is part of my job so it's nice to be able to help.
prudent money saving tips, however, will need to come from other wiser people on these boards 😂

Baileys_Babe

@Blackcats thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I am a SAHP with no plans to return to the workforce in the foreseeable future, but I am going to take a note of what you have said as you never know when you might need it.

Mum2Nan

I logged on here yesterday to update my signature and wow @Blackcats with all those wonderful tips.  I will send you a PM tomorrow morning for further advice please.  My CV was finally submitted (the deadline was extended) so it's now a waiting game.

I drove over to my parents yesterday afternoon.  I know Dad didn't mean it quite the way it came out but he said I looked like a bag of bones and he is right.  I am not eating very h at all. 

To give some context around my family and why we are so close, my mum is only 17 years older than me.  It was love at first sight on her part.  She saw my dad with his then girlfriend at a disco and walked up to him and said one day you will ask me to marry you.  50 years later... A true love story.  I wish I could be so decisive.

Arrived home to find BF sitting in his car.  I have enough to worry about so have given him my spare keys.   I'm not worried, just cautious.

I have paid over 50% of my debts!

beanielou

Hurrah for 50% off your debt. 😀