NORMAL LIFE: Let The Bidding Commence?!

It's 10am...

.... and the waiting began already last night. I slept a little bit better last night though, having learnt yesterday afternoon that Company A wants to employ me into a very responsible position in a very reputable company.

As soon as I found out that Company A wanted me to sign the contract at 1pm today, I contacted Company B to let them know that I would be unable to attend an interview tomorrow morning. To do so would have been foolish as the job would have been a temporary one anyway. So, I withdrew my application albeit in the final leg of the process.

However, when I contacted Company C (which I really like the sound of), I was told that they still remained undecided as to who the successful candidate would be. However, they have a meeting at 10am today to decide who the final candidate would be. Hopefully, my job offer might spur them into making a decision. The lady in HR said that she will let me know personally before lunchtime.

My worry is that they will call me around lunchtime, an hour before my contract signing, offering me the job. How will I know which job to take? I don't want to decide by comparing figures or by closing my eyes and picking one of two company names on a piece of paper! Both jobs have their benefits and disadvantages. Oh, I know, I will do a SWOT analysis!

It's 11.15am...

.... and Company C just called to tell me that, unfortunately, none of the candidates were suitable for role. As a far as I know, there were eight initial candidates and this was shortlisted to four and, later, to two. And I was in the final two. Somehow neither of the two of us were suitable. Tell me, how does a shortlist even start if no one is suitable?

Anyway, Company C is going to readvertise and start the all process over again. Perhaps they can be a little more descisive the second time around. It is this decisiveness that I have to credit Company A with and is, in the end, the thing that decided it for me. Final negotiations and contract signing are at 1pm today so keep reading...

It's 3.30pm...

... and everything is done and dusted. After our very amicable and pleasant negotiation and contract signing, I thought to myself how could I have doubted Company A for a minute? I feel really good about the job now.

Once we got all the formalities out the way, he (my new boss) put a contract in front of me. I scanned the information, it was all correct, but the salary was slightly higher than the amount we had agreed in an earlier telephone conversation; from the other side of the table, my boss said that he put a little extra there to welcome me to the company!

Another thing the contract specified was that there would be occasional international travel. I was like, yes! Company B and C can stay well away now as far as I was concerned!

So, yes, I am happy. After spending two months back in the UK, four months in temporary contracts and doing freelance work, I am once again employed. It didn't come easy, though. It took 238 job applications so a lot of perseverance and, of course, a lot of support from Bree and my friends.