(Possible) jobs ahoy!

So last Friday I found out for certain that they are making me redundant, which was to be expected really. We've been quite lucky in that we are being allowed 10 days fully-paid off work to search for jobs, so I've now gone down to a four-day week - hurrah! Only trouble is, there is so much to do between now and the end of the post, so I'm running out of time.

In terms of jobs, I've applied for a few - another rejection, this time from Wessex Water, was there to greet me when I got home from work today - again, to be expected as I knew I didn't have enough experience, but it was worth a punt!

Strangely, what is basically my old job at Natural England has just been advertised (I was tipped off in advance - thanks to my contacts!), so I'll be applying for that. I really hate their application forms though - a lot of corporate speak involving competencies, so my completed form stands at 14 pages long!!!!!

I've just handed in my 'expression of interest' for the in-house ecologist vacancy at the Trust's consultancy Chalkhill, even though I don't have three years experience, and don't have a bat licence/am not close to even achieving one! But as I'm their only candidate at this stage, and I have 13 weeks to be trained up to their required standard, it was worth going for it anyway. We shall see.

So it's looking a bit more hopeful!

Busy Busy Busy

Well, comparably anyway! Yes, there's lots to do at work at the moment, with a lot of our efforts concentrated on the impending arrival of four new volunteers to help Sarah and Neil out, and do a bit of planning stuff when I'm gone.

Talking of which, I find out this week if (more like when) I go. I have not heard anything remotely positive, so am frantically looking around for something. I've applied for a couple of ecologist posts so far, so we'll see what happens there - doesn't look good though.

I've taken those prints of some of my pictures out of Devizes Fine Arts, where nothing was happening at all. Trying to find another place to sell/display them, but in the meantime I've set up a Redbubble account, where people can buy my work online, and I don't have to do anything! So far, lots of positive comments but no sales.

I've also been very busy with social events - including cooking around 50 pancakes on Tuesday of course, and meals out with various people including the old Natural England crowd (hot that they're at all old but you know what I mean) and Caz. And last night it was Sarah McC's birthday drinks in Devizes (happy birthday for Tuesday), which was most pleasant indeed.