Sense and Sensibility-ness-ing-ly

It's official.

I work with at least one web-savvy person who did their research and found my blog. That, and they have a big mouth.  ;)

SO... given that at least 3 people I now work with have fessed up that they've read my blog, I guess that means that my work updates have to cease/go underground for a little while. Which means I must work at being more interesting again and recommence blogging about inane/vaccuous/partially obtuse things.

Where will I find the time? Where will I find the subject matter? Who really cares?!

Me, for one. Don't worry, I'm compiling a list. It's almost time for another "Your Choice" blogging interactive, so be ready.

Having the 2008 Beijing Olympics on television is, for me, like any other program - if I see it, I see it. I won't necessarily go looking for a specific event (although I do enjoy the men's hockey specifically), but I will watch it if it is on. I know Michelle likes the gymnastics and the swimming and some of the athletics - so it'll be on a bit here. If nothing else it at least it makes for a decent screensaver for your big screen TV.

There are some serious issues that need to be highlighted, however, with the coverage that Australia's Channel 7 is offering. I feel it is my duty as both a student of modern popular culture and as a consumer to make you all aware of these concerns so you can also be as equally outraged.

1. Everyone that has anything to do with the telecast has become an instant expert.
You expect commentators to provide expert opinion on the sport they are yapping about. Channel 7, to their credit, have employed some of these people (Liz Chetkovich and Phil Liggett are prime examples of such experts). The rest of the talking heads are just that - clanging gongs that clearly enjoy the sound of their own voice. Additionally, while some have clearly done some research to get to know the events they are responsibile for, the rest are making it up as they go along. The one thing they have in common - they all are filling the silence with as many words as possible, no matter how non-sensical and cliched they may be.

2. There's too much of it.
OK, it's the Olympics. There are lots of events. There are lots of things going on at the same time. We don't need to see all of it. Certainly they've missed the boat by not parallel broadcasting (using the other 3 channels allocated to them!) to show  a number of events in full simultaneously. Surely this would only open additional income streams to cover any extra cost? Couldn't Channel 7 then also save one of their digital channels to maintain some amount of 'normal' non-Olympic programming? How about at the 2012 London Olympics, IOC, perhaps you can rationalise what events are on so that we can have just stuff on for 4 hours a day? It's day 5 and I'm all Olympic-ed out.

3. Technology has allowed the broadcasters to make up footage.
The latest scandal to come to light is that the little girl that sang at the Beijing opening Ceremony didn't only just mime, but that it wasn't her singing - it was some other girl considered to be 'too old' (and presumably not chinese-cute enough) to perform the song for the ceremony. Additionally, a number of the overhead fireworks shots from the opening were digital composites from the rehearsals with smog "added" to reflect the weather conditions of the day. This was because the Olympic stadium was a no-fly zone for the ceremony to stave off a terrorist threat. It does, however, beg the question: so how are we to know if that competitor really won then, given the ability to digitally alter footage in sync with the fact that so few events are broadcast live? Are we as a global community being lied to so that the nationally local heroes are winning just to  keep us all watching? It's all a conspiracy... we're through the looking glass here, people...

4. There is no 4th thing.
Just be happy with that.

5. The tie-in ads are driving us all crazy.
I don't care that Coles feed our Olympians; that Lenovo have laptops that can be used by our swimmers and their coaches by the pool; that Qantas flew our Olympians to China (and with their recent safety record blemishes, our 2008 team could well have been our record smallest). Big deal. As so many people are watching the event the cost for these ads must be killer... at least offer us something interesting and not the same old rubbish about how good a corporate Olympic supporter you are. Be creative, dammit (considering we have to watch the stupid ads to watch the Olympics).

6. Channel 7, you missed the boat releasing TiVo now to the Australian market.
Plain and simple... anyone who was interested in a PVR would have one by now. TiVo doesn't really offer anything new. The ads for it are innane and base, at best. I've had TV my way for a couple of years now, and I don't care for your last minute approach to link the Olympics with your second hand PVR. Let's be fair - it's not like I can tape a specific event with it - I have to tape hours of stuff to hopefully catch the event I want. Silly little alien TV thing.

7. Most importantly - the rest of the televisual viewing schedule is compensating as well - leaving us with nothing to watch.
Michelle and I went through at the start of the two weeks and deleted all our regular schedules that we tape on our PVR because they either aren't on or in repeat. Two weeks of REALLY old shows and ads for the upcoming shows that start (on all the channels, conveniently) after the Olympics are over. I've got to warn you, too - Channel 7 aren't just advertising what's coming - everything is tied in with an Olympic theme or is "look at this cliff hanger we left you with and expect big things when the show is back". Go away and give me some first run movies or something. It's insane that all the channels should give up just because the Olympics are on - they may be surprised with their ratings if they actually tried.

I guess I could always go outside and do something.

Or I could just sit here and blog my whinging about it. Yes... that sounds more satisfying...

Recent pressure from the collective readership of this blog (Brett, Louise & Maureen, just to name a few) has led to what I now offer...

I must admit that my first 8 days at work have been... well... frustrating. Partially because I have high expectations on myself as to how quickly I become 'helpful', and partially because the whole IT department is in such a state of flux with my new boss boss finishing his first 90 days and starting to make his changes and impressions on the department and my immediate boss being away for the past 7 days. So, while my new boss gave me a brain dump before he left at the end of my first day, the goalposts have somewhat changed in his absence.

Work is going well in itself. There's lots to learn, lots to review, and so very little time to do it in. The new boss boss has set a deadline on all his teams to have their areas of influence in place by Dec 31 - this is rumoured to be because the company is planning to start its new acquisition phase come January 2009 thus everything needs to be prepared. One of the difficulties I've had is working with the new boss boss to come up with a new structure and organisational flow for my team (without the input of my new boss). He's an interesting character that I will learn a lot from, however I'm still trying to get a mark on how he operates. That said, I think I am making inroads and starting to get there. I'm having some small wins with my team delivering some stuff that was pretty simple (and that I can't believe they hadn't delivered prior to me coming on board), so that's at least a good step forward.

Reflecting this morning, I've gathered all the bits of info I need over the past 8 days to really move ahead with the team now. I'm planning to meet with my new boss on his return from leave tomorrow and not only bring him up to speed, but also get a marker on what he wants me to achieve. I think this will be good, but also a little frustrating for him given what he spoke to me about before he left and what has happened in his absence. I'm there to help him, so we'll manage to deal with it I'd imagine. I'm not sure my new boss will necessarily be happy with some of the new boss boss's ideas and that may be additional straws for his camel's back - but I hope they won't break said camel's back... just yet...

Very shortly I expect to have my new team structure approved and in place, which will mean an amount of immediate hiring, and an amount of travel to meet the existing team members who are remote (Townsville and Santiago, Chile). I'll probably also have to go to Perth in October to support/work with my team to deliver the integration of a company we acquired 12 months ago but haven't yet brought into the company proper. So there's no shortage of stuff to do... and learn... and change.

I think the thing that has made me most uncomfortable so far has been that I've had to come in and review and prepare changes really quickly after starting - I'd much prefer to settle in and learn the lay of the land over a couple of months - no such chance here. So keep watching the skies and asking me how it's going - it certainly will be an interesting couple of months.

...and having a weekly pay day for the first time in nearly 20 years isn't a bad thing either! I've not been paid weekly since I worked part-time at the local Fruit Shed during high school...

I cut up an apple for the kidlets morning tea. I told Luke he couldn't hop down to play until he'd finished because he insisted he wasn't hungry after one bite, although moments before he was "starving" - for a biscuit. I went to make a coffee.

Suddenly, his apple was all gone.

Hmmm....

Mysteriously, Lily's bowl was very full of sliced apple...

I looked at Luke with that "mother look" and was informed...

"I was sharing!"

I knew going into day 1 of my new job as IT Manager for this engineering services company it would be pretty easy - it was mentioned in the interview that if I started on Friday it was a pretty good way to start, as the company was having its 6 monthly corporate update Friday afternoon. No idea what it meant, but it sounded good. Little did I know...

The recruiter also found out for me that they wanted me to start at 10am, so that my new boss could get a little sorted and tell the team - which he hadn't done yet (so I found out later). So all in all it sounded like an easy start - get in there mid morning, and then have some sort of meeting in the afternoon. Not too bad. When I got in, one of the HR people that interviewed me met me at reception and took me down to the IT area, where I was introduced to a couple of people and eventually handed over to my new boss, Brett. We talked a little, he took me out and introduced me to the whole team (mine and associated others), and then took me on a tour to meet a bunch of people - most of whom I can't remember - and see the place and get a general vibe. All of the people I met pointed out how good a day it was to start with the corporate update on that afternoon... a common trend I was soon to appreciate.

We got back to Brett's office eventually and sat down and started a basic brain dump - all of which is necessary as he is going on leave for 10 days at the end of the day... so whatever he could give me was important. we were called into Brett's boss's (Peter) office for a basic discussion around projects on the go or needing to get started. It's some list. Luckily nothing is expected of me to progress any of these in the next two weeks.

Then it was outside with everyone else and onto buses that took us all to St Lucia Golf Club for the staff update. We were all greeted with wine and beer (BEFORE the update?! Normally the grog comes out after the presentation, doesn't it??) and then inside to our tables. I knew I was seated with Brett, so pretty much shadowed him, being introduced to a lot of people on the way. The wine and beer flowed freely before, during and after the presentation - the joys of working in an engineering company I guess. The presentation was excellent... given by the CEO, COO of the Coal division and the CFO (his presentation on the sub-prime crisis and how it is affecting everything on the share market, including the company's share price, was enjoyable and informative to say the least). Not overly long, and set out the 5 year plan for the company, and WOW... with such a clear vision and very bold and audacious goals, it was a great day to have as your first - I'm in. I want to be a part of a company that is achieving what it is and wants to achieve what the plans are. Just spectacular.

Brett made sure I was introduced to all the 'important' people at the end of the presentation, which was nice - and they were all really nice and happy to speak with me. I also got to spend a little bit of time with a couple of my time, which was very cool. So far, they've taken the news they have a new boss pretty well. Opinions have been formed.

Back on the buses after a yummy lunch during the presentation and then the buses stopped at the Regatta Hotel (just down the road from the office) - and everyone promptly got off: CEO, CFO, everyone. Nice after party. A very casual hang around and have a couple (hundred) more beers or whatever with everyone. It proved for me to be a great time to speak to a couple more of my team, speak with Brett about work a little more, and then have both of us be roasted by my opposite number the Information Systems Manager (Ross) over talking about work at the pub. Ross seems very cool - a volunteer lifeguard at Broadbeach and I've already learnt he plays guitar, so I'm sure we'll have something to talk about next week once we've worked through the work stuff.

At the end of Friday I could actually remember the names of everyone in my team. Now, not a chance. I'll have next week to learn them again as I take the time to meet with them all and listen to them and learn from them. I'm really looking forward to the relationship building there, as I know that is gonna be core to my success (and it is something I do well). The short answer is I have 10 in Brisbane, 1 in Townsville, 1 in Perth and 1 in Santiago, Chile. To add to this I know already I'll have to hire extras for the team to achieve what is being asked for this coming year, and Brett has the money in our budget to do so - so as quickly I'll settle in, I'll be growing the team.

I am really excited about this new job and am really looking forward to how it is gonna play out. I've already been told by Brett that he sees no issue on me becoming permanent after the 3 month contract is up, and he and I see eye to eye on a whole lot of things and have a very dissimilar disposition on things. I think we'll make a good team... bring it on. I can't wait.

Enough of the clandestine updates - now for some real news...

It all happens at once. The interview I had 4:30pm Wednesday afternoon went really, really well. The company is super progressive with a real challenge on their hands - they've grown very fast and need to restructure their IT team to suit their growing environment so that it can grow and roll with the punches. I was interviewed by the role's manager, his boss (the Executive Manager Business Processes) and two HR ladies, and they were really interested in me and what I'd done, as much as what I wanted to do. They spoke clearly and directly about the challenges facing the company and how they perceive the role to fit in.

They made it extremely clear that the role is a 3 month contract only becase they are working out how they want to structure and situate the team as part of the growth phase they are undertaking, but did ask if I was interested in a full time role at the end of the contract if it were offered and I said yes - to which they replied that was good and so they'd run the interview with that in mind. The whole process was very encouraging, and I felt like I'd nailed it once I'd left. I got good verbal and non-verbal feedback to my responses, and they all seemed very positive about me.

Thursday morning, and I was expecting a phone call from the recruiter about this "engineering services to the resources industry" IT Manager job, and figured I'd get something later in the morning. This recruiter rang 8:45am, just after she'd got in and checked her e-mail. It seems company I interviewed with were so impressed with me that they not only wanted me to start, but start tomorrow (Friday). The recruiter read me a line from the e-mail they sent her: "We're confident Steve will work well with the culture here and are excited about having him join the team". Thank you very much. So a meeting was setup for 2pm this afternoon (Thursday) for me to sign the contract and all the paperwork so I could start tomorrow. No problems, after all, it's not like I'd seen the Rio Tinto contract at all and had no indication that it would surface any time soon (the one I'd been waiting for now for over two and half weeks).

Then, at 10:30am, the phone rings again - this time, it's the recruiter for the Rio Tinto contract. "Hooray", she offered, "I've got the contract in my hands FINALLY! I'll be drawing up our contract for you and sending it through in an hour". Oh crap. You mean I have to choose now? It was gonna be easy when I only had one offer on the table and it was the recent one, and not the one that had screwed me around. Now I had both, offering similar packages, with vastly different companies and roles. What do I do? Wait to read the Rio Tinto contract, I guess.

Wait.

And wait.

And wait some more.

It still hadn't arrived by 1pm when I had to leave to get into the city to sign the other contract. Before I left I'd laboured with Michelle to make this decision, and apart from the obvious 'screw them for screwing me around, they've missed out' it realistically was the recent role looks more in line with what I want to do and what I can do, without falling between the cracks in a giant like Rio Tinto.

Into the city, sign the contract, all good. I call Michelle afterwards only to find out the contract arrived at 1:40pm, just before I was to go into the meeting to sign the other contract. To quote a couple of my friends today, "too bad, so sad".

I also laboured this afternoon/evening as to when to tell the Rio Tinto recruiter. After some discussion with Michelle, I called her this evening and filled her in basically saying that Rio Tinto has missed the boat with all their stuffing around. She was flabbergasted, as I hadn't told her I'd kept looking until now, but I had to. I HAD to. This was my family we're talking about... I can't go through the stress and crap of not having a job and nearly having a job again and again.

So, by 6pm, all done. Cut Rio Tinto loose, signed a contract, and start with the new company in the morning. As it turns out, they are having a corporate update tomorrow which means the whole Brisbane (and head) office is bussed off to a local conference place for a kick-ass lunch and 5 year plan presentation. What a way to start with the company - nothing like getting the business laid out before you so that you know where you fit and what you can do to align IT with the company strategy.

This is looking like it's not only gonna be a lot of fun, but also a very cool and interesting ride. Bring it on.

Shhh! Can't talk now, but will update you all later, after I've signed the contract (YAY!)...

31/07/08 10:30am UPDATE :: OK, now I'm in a pickle. The long overdue OTHER contract has arrived also... now I have have two firm offers and I don't know what to do...

(Settle in, this is a biggie...)

Ew.

I was gonna lauch into a massive diatribe about how soul-less these vile creatures are, and the necessary evil to whom you sell your eternal commitment to when looking for a job. They feed off you, tell you everything that you need to hear so that you commit to them and their role. They'll straight out lie to you and you won't even know it. They'll string you along if they think it will do them and their commission well.

There are, of course, exceptions to every generalisation. I can gladly report I've found a few angels among the demon spawn. It's these ones that give me hope that the industry exists to place people in the right job, not simply build up a database of humanoids they can dsiplay to potential money bags at their will.

I've tried very hard to keep all the recruiters I deal with onside and wanting to help me. I'm polite. I return their calls promptly (hardly a personal trait of recruiters, let me tell you). I am helpful and slightly humourous (at least I attempt to be) so that they warm to me in a way that hopefully makes them want to help me and most importantly... remember me. If this role that I've applied for doesn't pan out, I need them to think of me above the others when the next role comes about. This may be the next day, week or even month(s) later.

What hurts me is when they are plain rude to me, when you can tell they haven't even gotten past page 2 of your resume (and I've worked hard on mine to make it helpful but not voluminous) and have pigeon holed you already, when they fail to return calls ("sorry, I've been caught up all day"), and the killer - when they fail to do what they say they are gonna do. This is what reminds me that human nature isn't all cherubs and pretty fawns frolicking on grassy hillsides.

So, where am I at?

I missed out on the RedHat (open source operating system company) role - and only got told by e-mail after the recruiter returned from holiday. Where's that relationship we were working on? I had two interviews, for goodness sake! Meh. The irony of it all is that the support manager from Scodge's work got the job. Good on him - it'll be a cool role at a cool place to work.

I passed up the Canon (IT peripherals company) role - mainly because they weren't offering the package I was led to believe they were, even after I knocked back their first offer saying exactly the same thing. At least they counter-offered. It also represented a change to the plan I think I have professionally, and I'm not sure I'm ready to go through the job change like that just yet. Plus I couldn't see an easy progression path with them. The GM of Canon had a concern that I might start and after 6 months be bored or disenchanted and go off and get something else, so was after an assurance that I wouldn't do that. On reflection in conjunction with the offer, I couldn't promise that (given it was such a big change professionally for me - what if it didn't suit?!). The recruiter for this has been one of those angels... very helpful and supportive, and understood when I said no.

I am still - yes, STILL - waiting for the contract to materialise from the multi-national mining company. Thanks TJ for your words of wisdom too... hard words to hear, but I totally get it. The suckiest part of this now is that I called the recruitment company yesterday to speak with the recruiter to find out the latest and if I hadn't had the phone on speaker I don't think Michelle would have believed me - I got the recruiter's boss, and he basically chewed me out for calling her (the recruiter I've been dealing with) "every day - after all, as soon as we know something, we'll call you". He then went on to say how the company had called me and been keeping me in the loop also, and THAT was not true. I was gutted. Here are the people meant to be helping me (or so I thought) and I'm getting roasted by them. The end result is that I am now to deal with the recruiter's boss and not her, and I am not to call them unless I get a message to do so. This kils me. I've had nothing but good conversations with the recruiter; I understood that she and I both felt left out in the cold on this, but we were in it together. Seemingly not. I got a second phone call from the recruiter's boss yesterday to tell me they'd heard from their client and they still want me, blah, blah, blah, just that they were waiting for my desk to be in place before they could release the contract so I could start (apparently a WH&S requirement for the company, which I can understand). I have heard that excuse at least once in the past two weeks, however.

It now just makes me question if I want to work for this company and even deal with the recruitment company at all, but at the moment I don't really have a choice. There's great opportunity here in the role itsef, and a chance to really get my hands dirty at a management level in a serious global company that would hold me in good stead anywhere. But to get there I have to deal with all this inept communication and management too. So what am I to do?!

All is not lost. I have been looking still, and saw an ad for a 3 month contract for an IT Manager that is effectively serving as the probation period for a full time role - the ad clearly states that the company (no hint as to who they are) looking for this IT Manager are offering the contract as a "two way try before you buy" deal - at the end of the contract, if either party aren't interested, then it can all be terminated without a problem either way. It's a risk, sure, but given it's a 3 month contract both sides are gonna know within the first 3-6 weeks if it is going to work. So I applied. On Friday last week, while waiting for this now 'magical' contract to appear.

I got a call Friday arvo from the recruiter to discuss me and the role. She would put me forward, but wouldn't have feedback on her shortlist until Tuesday. No worries - if I get the contract then I just call and say I've got a job. Tuesday comes, still no contract, and the recruiter calls to say they want to meet with me as the only person they've picked off her shortlist. The company is "a leading provider of engineering services to the global resources industry"; they have an IT team of 8 (with no manager?!); they have offices around Australia and in Chile, with other offices to come in Russia, China and the US soon, and they have business in a number of places around the world. So, this afternoon at 4:30pm, I've got that interview which I am really looking forward to. Who knows what could happen with this?! Michelle is so stressed about the protracted process with the missing contract that she now wants me to get a job - any job - so I can tell them where to stick their "it's coming" contract. Maybe this is the better job that people keep telling me is coming (and that I feel I so sorely deserve)?

A little while ago I spoke with my mate Brad who suggested quite nicely and innocently that maybe in the interim until I found a job that I could become an IT recruiter with a company and earn a wage there. I do appreciate he has my best interest at heart, and that there is some decent cash to be made as a recruiter if you're any good.

But become a recruiter?

Ew.

OK fellow settlers, this is where we're at...

It's been two weeks since interview with the mining company. Contract was offered quickly after the interview, but nothing has physically materialised and this is necesary for me to start. I've heard possibly every reason in the book, the most recent reason has been that "it's caught in HR". Apparently it's still there, and all of the contacts the recruiter has have been in working groups all day and so even the recruiter hasn't had any contact with them today (so she says). I'm at a loss, and it's mentally cruelling me and the stress is having significant impact on me and my family.

I was offered the job with the IT peripherals company, but their offer was a joke. I told them so (nicely), and the last I've heard from them was they'd see if they could come up with a better offer. We'll see (that was 10am this morning). The recruiter for this job is now also sussing out another role with a different mining company which sounds OK.

I've still heard nothing in feedback from the open source operating system company, but I expect that will come tomorrow. At least, again, I hope it will.

There are a couple of other jobs that have popped up and I am now waiting to hear on my applications for them... however they'll take at least a couple of weeks to play out, so we'll just have to make ends meet in the interim (we were expecting me to be working LAST Monday, and here we are with nothing even for me to start on tomorrow).

I now just want to know either way so I can focus on starting with this first job, or give up on it and look for something else. Soon.

I'm keeping hush about the whole job thing because I'm on the edge of receiving an offer, but haven't yet received it. Figure I can't shout about it until I know for sure...

Of course I'll then let you all know too! Things certainly looking up such that, all going well, I start work tomorrow... PHEW!

21/07/08 6:30pm UPDATE :: Apparently my new employers have failed to work out how to attach files to e-mails, as I am yet to get the offer I am waiting for... at this stage now, I am waiting to see what Tuesday brings...

22/07/08 5:30pm UPDATE :: Hmm... it's no better, yet. The word from the recruitment firm is that because the contract is a long one (2 years) they have to get special approval within the company the purchase order to cover me as a cost centre - so here I am, still waiting. The recruiter was assured that they'd have the contract to her by close of business today. It is still yet to surface, and so I face another anxious day of mental stress. At this rate, it'll be for me to start Monday, so I should just relax and enjoy the last days off I'll have for a couple of years. It also gives me a chance to have the other interviews I already have lined up/know are coming. I may yet end up somewhere else...

25/07/08 7:30am UPDATE :: Still nothing, although I have been assured they are expecting me to start on Monday 28/07/08... but without a contract, I don't think so. It's apparently caught in the haze that is HR now. It may surface this morning or later this afternoon - I have a final interview this afternoon! Someone better sort something out ASAP!