Next Step

Finding a place to rent in Helsinki metropolitan area.

As a matter of fact I'm going to Helsinki tomorrow to see this apartment that I really like and want. I've already offered to rent it without seeing but I guess the landlady wants to screen potential tenants at the showing. So. I'll be there to maximize my chances.

The good thing is that I won't have to get up at the crack of dawn on Monday morning like I originally intended -- and will do in the future when I'm staying the weekdays in Helsinki and weekends in Turku.

So, I got a new job

Sometimes things happen so fast that afterwards you're not sure what just happened -- or if it happened at all. This is the case in how I got my new job.

Things started to rock 'n' roll on this past Friday when I went to Helsinki to be interviewed by the recruitment agency's rep. After the interview I really didn't know how it went even though I had a positive overall feeling. They promised to get back to me in the beginning of the week to let me know if the company rep would like to meet with me.

On Monday I got invited to visit the company and meet with the team leader. That chat went well and we seemed to get along fine. She would've hired me on the spot but unfortunately it is the company policy to take it one level higher for the decision making. So, off I went again. I was on the train waiting for it to leave when I got a call that they want me back the next day to meet with the sales director.

So, on Wednesday I met with not only the team leader and the sales director but also with the managing director. They asked me all the "tough question" and "grilled" me with some other issues. I think we all got along fine. When the managing director left, she said to the sales director that in her opinion it's all good. And that was that, they hired me right there on the spot.

I start on Monday. In Helsinki.

What the heck just happened?

To make a long story short, I'll just say that from Monday 21st on I will be employed again.

I'll tell more later, but I feel too surreal to elaborate now. I'll just have to let this sink in a bit... Wow!

End of an Era...

Tomorrow's the last day. I just emptied my work laptop and cell phone. I'll take them back tomorrow morning. I might end up doing some final duties, but I'm not gonna stay a full day. It's time for them to start doing the things themselves -- just like they wanted to.

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Added on Monday: The ad agency job went to someone else. No problem, at least they let me know about it. In a way, I was also relieved as I didn't have to choose between this job (the "Monday") and the one (the "Friday") I got interviewed for last week and will be interviewed for again tomorrow. Because the "Monday" wasn't really my kind of job in the end...

Master of (Being a) Puppet(s)

One of the most frustrating and annoying things in my life at the moment is the fact that I feel I'm not in complete control of my own life. My future is in the hands of some strangers who're basing their opinion about me on my resume and maybe a brief chat. I know I'm good but to convince them to believe my own assessment of myself to be valid and true is something I struggle each and every time.

Because in new situations I rather stay on the background and observe what's going on before entering the stage myself. And yes, I'm one of those people who you either like or you don't, I'm not the in between sort of person (or so I've been told). But you won't really know that until after a while because I may not show my true colors right away. I'm complicated, I know. However, I honestly do get along with all sorts of people (even though I don't like them all) quite well. And as I try to steer clear of conflicts and such, I'm quite diplomatic most of the time, too.

But back to not being in control. It's actually pretty oppressive feeling not really having much say on your own life. Well, work-wise anyway. And let me remind you that I'm not in this position by my own choice either. I'm just having one of those evenings when all this just seems so utterly unfair and frustrating.

Will know later...

I had the interview today. They'll meet one other candidate on Wednesday after which I will know where I stand.

This is my last week in this job. After that the part-time assistant is on her own with many of the things she hasn't had any knowledge of prior to this.

Exciting times, eh...

What Next?

April 14 is nearing...
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Edited to add:

On my last round of trying to find a new job I made one major mistake (if you can call that): I tried to get into the wrong kind of jobs. But I didn't know that at the time. Now I'm more aware of my qualifications, skills and such much better and can try to find the right kind of job for me. As a matter fact, I've already applied to a handful of them. A couple of them have rejected me already (no biggy, it's just the reality). Some of them I have not heard back from yet. Then there are those of which application times have not ended yet. And those I haven't even applied to yet.

I should hear back from an ad agency tomorrow whether they want to interview me or not.

Whether or not, I've got a whole bunch of applications to write still. I've figured, the more bait I've got out there the more likely I'm gonna catch something. And since I pick my spots carefully before casting, I can just reel it in... (Yeah, I know. This was a horrible fishing analogy... Since (a) I don't fish, and (b) I don't eat fish. LOL!)