My horrendously stressful week, mentioned in my previous article, “Mindfulness for Depression”, led me to seriously consider resigning. The following weekend as I contemplated leaving my job, I felt a rising sense of elation, empowerment and relief. I had been thinking of resigning for about six months for various reasons. I liked my job as a recruitment manager but I wasn’t passionate about it. It could be boring and when it wasn’t boring, it was stressful. I kept thinking about leaving but I was reluctant to leave such a lucrative position and every time I made plans to leave I was filled with fear. This time was different; I could feel in my gut that it was time to go.
The final straw was when my car broke down at 10pm in the middle of the country, as I mentioned in my previous article, “If Everything Happens for a Reason…”. I made the mistake of logging into my work emails on my phone while I was waiting to be rescued and I saw that my favourite bitch client (I bless her with love) was sending her usual demanding emails. At 11pm. Didn’t she have a life for fuck’s sake?
It was nearly midnight when the Green Flag arrived. I knew that I would need a rest the following morning, so I text my boss to tell that I would be starting work late. He replied that the said client needed us to arrange interviews urgently and he’d already been doing my job for me as I’d “clocked” off at 6pm, so I would have to start on time. I was absolutely furious.
When the guy from the Green Flag eventually turned up, it turned out that I had run out of petrol because my petrol gauge light wasn’t working. He put some in from a petrol can and followed me four miles to the nearest petrol station to make sure I got there safely. How he kept up with me I don’t know. I always drive like a bat out of hell but when I’m angry my driving is like nothing you can imagine. I seethed all the way to the petrol station and all the way home. I was determined to hand in my notice the next day. I finally got into bed and curled up with my hot water bottle at 1am (at least three hours past my bedtime). I was so cold that I left the heating on. It took me ages to warm up. I was chilled to the bone.
I resigned the next day, which was Wednesday, had an interview on Thursday and was offered the position on Friday. I am lucky that I am really good at manifesting and I’m also really good at getting jobs. I managed to get this job despite making a huge bloob at the interview. I do have a habit of making huge bloobs due to spending lots of my time off with the fairies. I once attended an interview where I had to do a psychometric test and the results showed that I am always getting myself into trouble and “situations”, but I usually manage to charm my way out of them, which sounds pretty spot on. Anyway getting back to my huge bloob. I decided to get up nice and early so that I had plenty of time to get ready and arrive at the interview on time, rather than doing everything by the seat of my pants as usual. I was really pleased with myself as I rolled up 20 minutes early at 9.40am.
The receptionist told me that Harmoni were in the Levington room. I went upstairs to the room and I was surprised that there weren’t any other candidates milling around and there were no signs outside the door. Puzzled, I knocked on the door. A lady answered my knock but didn’t give me space to enter. She looked at me expectantly.
“Can you come back in ten minutes?” she whispered.
“Is this Harmoni?” I replied, in the same hushed tones.
“Yes, I’ve just got someone doing a presentation and I’m timing it.”
As I walked away I felt that this was all a bit odd. I went back to the reception and the manager confirmed that yes, Harmoni were definitely in the Levington room.
I went back up the stairs and I noticed coffee and cakes outside the room, so I helped myself and fished out my phone to talk to my friend Areej on whatsap. After a few minutes, the lady came out of the room and asked if she could help me.
“I’m here for the assessment day,” I said, licking the telltale remains of cake from my lips.
She frowned, “I don’t know anything about an assessment day.”
“You are from Harmoni?” I confirmed.
“Yes,” she replied, “but I’m doing train the trainer.”
I wondered if Harmoni had another room booked. I furrowed my brow and as I did so a vision of the confirmation email came into view. “Holiday Inn, London Road.” I realised with horror that I was at the wrong Holiday Inn. It was 9.55 and I had five minutes to get to the correct venue on the other side of Ipswich.
As I hurried back to the car I called the HR department to let them know of my predicament. They didn’t seem unduly bothered. I was concerned. I knew from my experience as a Recruitment Manager that lateness for an interview could automatically exclude you from being offered a job.
Luckily the wrong Holiday Inn was right next to the A14 and so I speed along a couple of junctions to the correct Holiday Inn and arrived at 10.05am. I parked and headed to what I thought was the reception and turned out to be a fire door. Luckily it was open, so I slipped in. The receptionist directed me to sit in the lounge and wait to be called. I sat there for a while and I thought it was odd that nobody called me, especially as it was now well past 10am. I debated whether to go back to the reception. I spotted a guy walking past and I had a feeling that he was from Harmoni. I asked him and he took me to the room where a presentation about Harmoni and the NHS 111 service was taking place.
We had to fill out a great pile of application forms, have a one to one interview, do a role play and a group exercise. I knew I had performed well in all of the exercises but I was concerned that I might be declined due to my lateness or being overqualified.
Anyway, as you know I was offered the position and I started work training as a Health Advisor a week and a half ago. My drop in income means that I can no longer swan around having shellac nails done every two weeks and I’ll have to pluck my own eyebrows, but the trade off is a better quality of life. I feel like a new woman. I am so much happier and my whole body feels more relaxed. I have a certain amount of fear about my finances but I believe that the Divine will take care of me. Life is too short to be in a job where I am unhappy and it’s time for me to follow my heart and pursue my dream of being a writer. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that everything happens for a reason and everything always works out for the best.
