Workin for the Guv - Part Two

I've been in my new position for 3 weeks now and I am settling in quite well. I get to do real work and I am used to the 1 hour lunch and leaving at 4:30 pm. I really like the job and am looking forward to the Business Analyst courses I'll be taking in the winter. It is too early to say, but I may switch from PM to BA.

I have to say, my coworkers are a great bunch. There are lots of stories and lots of laughs. I couldn't ask for anything more. When it comes to training though, there has been a bit of tension. I tend to want to be pointed in the right direction, given a few pointers, and then sent on my way. I feel this is OK since there is a ton of documentation and I have some experience in the field.

I also tend to work pretty quickly. There are a few thinkers in the group who I feel think I am acting rash. On the contrary, I just function better when jumping in and making things happen. So far, no one has tried to cure me by reminding me of the story of the tortoise and the hare. Besides, I know my limits and wouldn't do something permanent without asking for someone to check my work. To demonstrate that fast is not always bad, I have compared myself to a hummingbird. This seems to have worked and has turned into a project to find the "bird" in all of us. Though when I take my time with something, they are quick to wonder what happened to the hummingbird. For those that know me, you are probably placing bets on when I will show up with a bird craft.

Workin for the Guv

Well, today was my first day working for the BC Government (The Guv). All in all, it went well. I was able to crack a few jokes, I didn't have to do any work, and my direct co-workers all like animals.

I wasn't that nervous, but that didn't stop me from taking a while to get to sleep. It didn't help that the fleacircus brigade was in full force at 5:45 am this morning.

The day started with a tour of the facilities which include numerous coffee stations (BYOC - caffeine and any apparatus you may require), a cafeteria, a gym (with classes and everything), and bike lockers (which I am on a wait list for). The day also consisted of forms...lots and lots of forms. Snore.

One such form was to say I wouldn't do anything bad, or install programs on the computer. So, my suspicion that MSN is a no go was right. That is OK though -- I have ZERO privacy in my semi-fishbowl cube. Besides, having 'clean' workstations directly impacts me since I'll be responsible for ensuring new applications work on all types of workstations.

Things I found out today:
1. There are 3 Heather MacLeod's working for the BC Gov.
2. I get to swear at work...and they book 15 minutes for it. OK, so I'll be swearing an oath, not a blue streak, but still!
3. There aren't enough shower curtains in the shower stalls at work. I hope I don't have to go freestyle!

The predominant sentiment today was grief. Grief over the loss of working for a company (ACD) that I knew inside out. I could recognize almost anyone by the sound of their voice, and a select few by the way they walked. On the up side, there are just so many people in the office that I don't feel like I stand out like a sore thumb the way I would at a company of 30-60 people. As the hours wore on and my mid-morning feeding came and went without food, I found it harder to embrace my new surroundings. Fortunately, some food, caffeine, and a bit of fresh air helped.

I am hoping my sleeping habits get back to normal so I don't have to drag my butt around like a zombie tomorrow.

Leaving the ACD nest

Well, I accepted a job with the Government ("the guv") and bade farewell to ACD. My last day at ACD will be May 11th, and my first day at the guv will be May 22nd. That is right, one week off between jobs to rest!

I'll be cutting my contract a bit short, but things have slowed down so it shouldn't be so bad.

I'll miss ACD. I learned a lot here over the past 5+ years. I was given many opportunities, and sought out many more. I went from a little green QA tester to a PM managing our flagship software. I'll be leaving with tons of friends and many fond memories. I hope I will be able to say the same after being in the guv for a few years.

I am still green by PM standards, which is why I have chosen to take a QA/BA position with the guv. I will take a cut in responsibility, but not in pay. This position will give me a chance to learn the government ropes before I get thrown to the 'Project wolves' as a PM.

According to facts like this one:

45% of managers and 35% of bargaining unit employees in the BC Public Service
will be retired by 2015. (buried deep on this site -- http://www.gov.bc.ca/bvprd/bc/home.do)

...I stand a great chance of moving up the ranks before I know it. I was pretty up front about using the QA/BA position as a stepping stone, and my new boss is completely on board and supportive. Besides, it isn't like I will be switching jobs any time soon -- I have a lot to learn, including taking BA courses.

I'll be celebrating my departure by having lunch with Janet (my boss and uber-mentor) and then I'll probably close the week with a night out. One last ACD party (sniff).

Things I'll miss:

• the people (you know who you are)
• 24-hour relay (especially the volleyball)
• my nice green office with a window, fancy chairs, and a door!
• walking the halls and knowing everyone by name
• MSN during the day (something tells me taxpayers don't want to pay me to msn friends during work hours)

Things I won't miss:

• the 17 km drive (I'll be down to 2.5 km's! w00t)
• the predictable food at The Roost
• the roadmap (or lack thereof)
• the people not included in the above 'list'

Things I am looking forward to:

• 2.5 km drive (not on bus route, and lots of hills, so it will be a while before I bike it)
• opportunity
• 9 - 5 baby!
• Pension (the bennies are about the same, but don't kick in until Nov)

Still Here

I'm still here. Just a little busy with work and feeling a bit of writers block I guess.

So, on the work front. Still looking for a job, but have had a bunch of interviews and a bunch more lined up. In the meantime, my contract at ACD was extended until June 1.

I am leaning towards working in the Government -- it is more stable these days and I seem to be craving that.

Once I am settled into my next full time job, I don't think I will wait too long to get the kitchen done. I'd like to get my condo complete so that if I notice condo prices going down (new condos are going up at record speed), I can get out and into something a bit more competitive.

What a concept

So, I am back at work, managing not only the projects I was working on before to the layoff, but also a few more. I am busy to say the least. But not as busy as my co-worker who has to fly off to Kiev for 10 days.

All that work doesn't leave much time for the job hunt, so I spend my evenings working on my resume. I've put a few out there, but need to fire off some more.

What is great about this whole layoff-contract thing is that I have the luxury of being completely open and upfront about my job search. In fact, it is socially acceptable to bounce ideas off co-workers and use HR to network. What a concept!

And to add further bounce to my step, the property tax winfall I confirmed last week has gone through and I no longer carry a balance on my credit card! Of course, the monthly fees and interest may not have been calculated yet, so I could still see a balance owing over the next few weeks.

I still have ~$3000 from that winfall and I am reluctant to do anything with it, including putting it in my RRSP or against my mortgage. That would be the wise thing to do, but I have become a bit of a miser and don't want to lock it away somewhere. I am also getting cold feet about my kitchen reno now that I may be able to bump it up by two years. The idea of jumping into the demo and rebuild process is a little daunting. Not sure I am ready for that as I am still recovering from the bathroom reno of 2006...which has about a weekend worth of touching up to do...11 months later!

The cat came back...

I'm back at ACD for a 4 week contract. I would have liked one more day to really fine tune my resume and get more sent off, but I wanted to get back to my old projects.

It was wierd being back because I got so much positive attention. I really am a humble person, and attention goes straight to the tear ducts! I kept it together and made my way to my office which hadn't changed a bit.

Before I could get deep into work, I got a lead on a position at a company in town. I was pretty excited as I've heard they have a similar culture to ACD. So, I ran through my resume one last time, whipped up a cover letter and sent it off. If they really are like ACD, they'll be so dazzled by all I have to offer and look past the minor limitations and let me learn on the job. Cross your fingers!

Farewell ACD

Well, I’ve joined club layoff for the second time in my life. Yesterday I got the surprising news that I no longer had a job. I was shocked to say the least. The last layoff was 5.5 years ago (PureEdge) and for a number of reasons, made for the most stressful time in my life. Because of that, I was not looking forward to the emotional roller coaster that would be my future for the next few days. But, by 7:00 pm, the migraine I thought I would get ended up being a bad headache that was cured with a few Advil, my spirits were up, and I was book marking jobs I wanted to apply for. I even turned down the sleeping pills my mom gave me.

My severance package was generous this time round, though the government took nearly %45 of it. I’m also entitled to a bit more as my vacation time jumped up a week after reaching 5 years of employment at ACD. Finally, I was offered a month contract to wrap up the projects I was working on. I’ll need to think about whether I accept the contract and whether I want to negotiate some of the terms. I’d hate to dump all that work on Janet, but at the same time, I don’t want it to get in the way of looking for another job.

After getting the news and the package, I had some time to collect my thoughts before meeting with an employment counsellor who specializes in getting people back on their feet after a layoff. She was great and I have a meeting with her on Wednesday. I’m going to have her look at the CV and cover letters I want to submit for the jobs I want to apply for. Fortunately, both are up to date as I have been looking for a new job off and on for the past 2 months. That also means I was already disengaged from ACD.

I describe the layoff as a shock, but not heartbreaking. While I was hoping to be the dumper not the dumpee, at least this way I get a chunk of change out of it.

Overall, I think my first day went really well and if I can keep up the momentum, I’ll be working in no time.

I’ve begun organizing a traditional trip to a local pub were survivors and those laid off can say good-byes and mingle one last time.

Tricks of the Trade

I'll preface this post with a warning that you won't see much work talk here. But, today, I couldn't resist.

Here's the scoop. We have an issue with our software and that of a third party component we rely on. We had asked that that third party do the fix and they had this to say about why they can't do it right now:

"...tied up on a project for a very large international corporation (whom we can’t disclose, but it's the largest software company you can guess)"

Gee, I wonder who that could be?

I learned another trick for dealing with partners. When they want something done now, I just have to say this:

"...this would require a one time expedite fee of $15,000".

I already warned an executive that I might play this card if he tries to slip a project in through the back door. No need to worry, I have a good enough relationship with that individual that I can get away with being cheeky. But, if you see me selling stuff on here, you know I went too far.