post interview stress

You got eldest son this time. Again, totally not stumped – just amused!

Well, I didn’t get the job/s – Ethiopia/ Eritrea. However, there were 6 applicants. The guy I interviewed with had been flown in from India so I feel reasonably OK not to have got it this time. In fact if the truth be told I was in a stress Wednesday with the thought I would have to be over there by November and the impact that would have on J1 and J2. Next September 05 would be ideal, once J1 has left home. Anyway, today I rang to get my feedback and I will endeavour to get them to cough up whether it is just a case of improving performance or I just didn’t fit into their scope of what a VSO Country Director should look/be like.

Basically I had 30 minutes to prepare a presentation on how I would consult/construct an education strategy for an entire country, a one and a half hour interview, a group exercise which was about moving ping pong balls between boxes to complex rules which you had to clarify and agree on first, and an office exercise which included an excel spreadsheet I just utterly bombed out on. The rest I felt OK about. I wasn’t stumped for answers, I didn’t detect from their questioning or body language that they thought I was a prat and I didn’t come out thinking ‘s**t!’ What did I say that for?!!

The meeting over in Cambridge last week turned out to be some high powered group lobby I was totally not expecting. However, I did OK. I found L sat in his garden, still drinking strong lager, but in the company of an attractive, articulate care worker, so much happier, which was good to see.

Work is absolutely manic as all seem to be in a state of panic that I will not be here for 2 weeks and laying down demands about what I must do before Friday. Loads more people are leaving the organisation at the moment – to travel, to get better paid work etc.

I’ve had a couple of nice week-ends since I wrote to you last – chilling in the nice weather. FP does chilling extremely well and I really revive after a week of late night shopping, ironing, community meetings, Scarman, horse and children, being allowed to flop, meander, drink wine and cold lager (which I prefer in hot weather) and stay in bed. Have I got sad these last two weeks? A bit, when FH took the kids to his Mum/sister and then the next day I got the happy family shots from which of course I am now excluded and the fact that apparently they are talking about how I am wasting money smoking when fags are £6 a packet. I can’t win, so I really don’t know why I bother, but it still hurts – losing a big chunk of family and a lack of sensitivity, that actually weak as it was/is, I started smoking again because I was sad and stressed. There seems to be zero compassion.

I won’t have time to write now till I get back. A* and J1’s exam results come out on the 19th so all hell could potentially break loose on my return. I hope you are OK. I am still thinking of you – especially when I see open top cars which reminds me of that day we spent in yours which was great fun for me. I am very excited about Thailand (J2 less so as I was forcing malaria tablets down his throat last night) and determined, as with Egypt, to make the most of what will very likely be a once in a life time trip – although they do have VSO in Thailand!