first week

So, my first weekend blog post.

My original plan was I would actually post on both Saturday and Sunday, but to be honest I pretty much forgot to do one yesterday.

Anyway, what have I been up to?

Well, obviously I started my new contracting job this week.  That doesn’t mean I lost my job or anything, but it does mean I’ve been working at a different location.  The best way to think about it is the (much maligned) consultants.  I mean, I’m not a consultant, but it’s the thing people know that’s similar.

The job was... okay.

When I did the interview there was lots of talk of the type of work that I enjoy.  I won’t really talk about the detail, but it was to be quite technical and number-crunchy - that sort of thing.

However, it’s become apparent that this part of the work has kinda ‘cooled’ a bit.  I’ve not had specific confirmation that it’s no longer needed, but there’s been some strong hints that the looming deadlines aren’t really that looming any more.

Now the last time this happened to me it was with the same group and what happened on that occasion was that I ended up playing about with something that didn’t really need doing.  In essence they had to make up something for me to do, and it was very apparent.

While I sort of enjoyed doing what I was doing it wasn’t really productive, so I felt a bit rubbish about it.  When I’m doing contracting I like to be working on something properly so that it feels like I’m giving value for money.

This time there’s not the same problem.  There were actually two projects that needed input and the second one hasn’t dried up.  It therefore doesn’t feel like I’m thumb-twiddling, so that’s good.

What’s not so good is that the work I’m doing really doesn’t play to my strengths at all.  In essences I’m having to do lots of phoning around and trying to get things from people.  This is the sort of thing I really don’t like.

What makes it worse is that I’m not really 100% sure what it is I’m asking for.  Again, I won’t give specifics, but there are two basic issues.  Firstly, I don’t really know much about what this group does and so I’ve been given a very steep learning curve.  Secondly, I’ve not had the clearest instruction and have basically been dropped in the deep end - I’m coming in after some work has been done, but not much, and I’ve also not yet gotten access to the background.

As such, I’m kinda calling people up going “Any chance I can have some x?” and they’re going “maybe - what sort of x do you need?  how much and what, specifically about?” and unfortunately my reply has tended to be “er... I’m not sure.”

Hopefully I should get better access to the background next week and find my feet more.

What also hasn’t helped is that I’ve had to do loads of “training” and induction stuff.  It’s good that it was all set up and ready to go (last time I worked there it was days before I even got a computer) but it  means it’s all been a massive info dump.  I’m also having to hot desk, which is rubbish.

The commute has also turned out to be a bit longer than expected.  Well, I can do it in the anticipated hour if I set off at seven, but if I set off much later than that, then it takes about an hour and a quarter.  That means I’m getting up at six.

The up side to it is that I should therefore be able to go home at four, but I’ve not really been able to take advantage of that yet.  This also means I struggled to do my idea of going for a short walk after work each day.  Although saying that I lost four pounds this week, but I think that could be due to diet re-adjustment and stress and lack of sleep and stuff, rather than effective diet and exercise activities.

Although to be fair I think part of this is because my landlord has been away, so I’ve been having to fart about sorting the lights out and stuff.

Well, until next week, I guess.