Who knew I would one day have to master the nuances of accounting? Albeit basic accounting.

I have avoided figure crunching, ledgers, trial balances and cash books all my life. Now they are haunting my dreams. Look, it's fabulous that I am being exposed to this, it's essential information (*mutter* that's what bookkeepers and accountants and office managers are for *mutter*) and I'm the first to agree that learning things the manual way is a noble pursuit in this age of accounting software but... this stuff is frying my brain.

I have been sitting here today and at various points have thought, in a panic, I am never, never going to grasp this. the concepts in isolation are worry-free and easy. But give me a sum of money from a random source and ask me how I record it's passage through the firm's books and drool starts running down my chin.

I. will. learn. this.

It's been a while, I know. I removed some posts, cleaned up a few cobwebs and I guess I'm back in business.

I don't want to give away too much information about what I'm doing. Mainly because I don't want to make location & identity too easy to deduce. As ridiculous as it sounds whilst tapping away at my keyboard, writing on my big old public web site, I kinda like my privacy.

I canned the job route and I'm taking a fast track (of sorts) to qualification. I canned it for myriad reasons and if you read this site a few months back you witnessed me discussing some of them. It hardly matters now, my new plan suits me better. Far and away better.

I've enrolled in post-grad studies, I have a few weeks left of the course I'm doing now, I am settling into the groove of my new set of goals and everything seems to be progressing just as it should. I feel uttlerly overwhelmed in the study department, though. I never seem to see the end of one task before it merges into another seamlessly, giving me no time to breathe and take stock and summarise what I have just learned.

I think I have uncovered the best approach. Keep up to date with the current tasks whilst undertaking daily updates on the final exam-ready notes. Were I to be faced with this latter task at the eleventh hour I think I would crumble. The sheer volume of 'stuff' to know startles me.

I spend the better part of every day staring at my monitor. Whether I am wasting time or tackling it wrongly or doing the right thing I have no idea. The nature of the course is such that there is no time to sit back and test your knowledge beyond the 'tutorials' offered at the end of every subject. What I learned yesterday barely had time to settle in the cavernous halls of my brain before a new bundle of information came sweeping in looking for a place to put it's bags.

So...forgive me if I ramble a little. My brain feels somewhat fried.

I guess the best I can do is sit here and persist. Fight all distraction and persist.

It's good to be back.

No update in a while, I know.

No news on my job start ... still.
The wait has been beneficial, but I am so ready to begin. The more I put it off the greater the opportunity for deeply held notions of self doubt to wiggle their way to the surface. Rationally I don't doubt my abilities, but like all new graduates feeling their way through this, I know it's going to be tough.

I'll be sure to check in and I'm looking forward to having a place to vent once my job commences.

For now though, more waiting.

I received a rejection letter for the 'great job' I interviewed for and mentioned in my Aug 27th post.

Sigh.

I'm disappointed. Also a little afraid.
One more possibility before I am 'forced' to tak Option 1; my first job offer.

Naturally I've been rehashing the interview, wondering why I wasn't successful. I spent a while yesterday feeling sorry for myself and then threw the letter in the bin and made a mental note that everything is happening just as it should. Doors close, doors open. And for a reason I don't know right now, that wasn't the opportunity for me.

I'm still happily strolling along the same road. I might just have to use a different car to get where I'm going.

The interview ....was spectacularly bad.

At least I thought so.

I didn't take it as a good sign when the interviewers were solemn and expressionless throughout. I didn't take it as a positive sign when one of the panel announced, "No more questions from me." I didn't take it as a sign of success when the questions were dull and uninspiring and didn't give me an opportunity to sell my abilities.

Nope, not good signs at all.

Luckily, I was left with the impression that I wouldn't want to work there one little bit. I still would have liked to ace the interview though.

I really wanted to laugh. Why place such importance in the an interview on a particular skill/area of experience that was absent in my CV? Would I simply leave out such an important part of my history? Would I forget to mention it?
If you wouldn't even consider employing a candidate without this skill, why interview me in the first place?

The answer: Any chance that government departments have an interview quota to fill?

Surprise. Was offered an interview at another place today.

Just when I thought the whole process was over...

Not that I'm complaining. This 'firm' is the most prestigious and challenging of all my opportunities to date. I have heard from friends that the interview is pretty tough. They have all required a high degree of effort and preparation, but this 'firm' attracts the cream-of-the-crop and the competition is as ruthless as it gets.

I'm deep in preparation, reading up all I can and anticipating what they're looking for, how I would fit in, what I have to offer, who might be their perfect candidate. Frankly, it's flattering to be shortlisted to interview with them.
They are obviously impressed enough with my application. Now it's my chance to live up to that and impress them even more.

I'm a bundle of nerves, but I've suprised myself how much I have enjoyed the interviewing period. Perhaps 'enjoyed' is an overstatement, upon reflection. Yet I do seem to thrive on the nervous energy.

Tomorrow I plan on spending the day with my head in books/buried in helpful websites.

Like I said, I thought this was all over. Kind of nice to know there were still hidden challenges waiting.

I'm anticipating a really tough interview. Remind me to practice my 'unfazed' demeanour.

Yesterday I had a fantastic interview at a firm in the city.

I was feeling tense in the morning and wondered whether I was capable of selling myself effectively at the interview. But I got over myself, and after scoring a brilliant car parking bay right in front the building, I was ready to market, market, market.

The foyer of the building was plush, the firm itself even plusher. Actually, the decorating budget of this firm was off the scale and the view didn't hurt either.

The partners were friendly and instantly created a relaxed, casual mood for the interview by telling me they saw the meeting as an opportunity to chat with interesting people. Fine, chat away. Try to ignore the fact I am a bundle of nerves though, if you can.

The interview went well. Far from the usual stock interview question and answer session they really made me stretch myself in a way I hadn't anticipated. It went well though and I was left with a very positive impression of the firm and the way they do things.

If I was given on offer I really think I'd take it. They had a fresh, modern boutique feel about them, and seem to offer a very supportive, friendly work environment. I really liked the idea of working there. The staff seemed happy too.

The interview period is over for me now, I will find out the result of my efforts in just over a week. I'm nervous as hell, but I also feel comforted by the thought that whatever is meant to happen will.

So, more waiting.
Patience was never my virtue.

I just wrote a very long post only to receive some sort of error message from Blogger.
Annoying, but the trick is obviously to type these entries up in another editor and cut and paste.
Ahhhgrrr!

Later...