And then I got to choose – 2 jobs in one week, from the French to the Swedish!

Hello again,

I think most of you know that I have been looking for a job this year. You will have followed from my blog that my main activities this year were concentrated on selling our old home and buying a new house, amongst many other things. I devoted the time on my hands to my immediate family: we brought my Father from England to live with us – plus all his books and family furniture. Eladio and I had time to travel and took the opportunity to visit Istanbul and Rome in the autumn and the winter. I cooked endlessly, did many domestic chores but also kept up with friends and all in all spent a pleasurable and relaxed year with the family.

But once my personal objectives were achieved, I was itching to go back to work but finding a new job was not an easy task. My age was against me, plus the fact that there are very few Communications posts; just one per company and most of them are filled. Eladio is witness to the fact that I did all in my power to get my name and CV in the market and a good CV it was too, both in packaging and content.

And in the end I had 2 job offers that actually coincided in time. The worst thing was that they didn’t actually come at the same time, so I accepted the 1st one and started work last Monday with a French telecoms company. I worked 4 days only. On Wednesday I went to Paris to get to know the people and just as I walked out of the meeting I had a call from the other company. For the record I had given up on that company and thought they wouldn’t offer me a job which is why I accepted the job with the French!! The other company is Swedish and they are starting up in Spain as a mobile phone operator and will be the 4th operator. From a professional point of view working for this company was a step up in my career. Unfortunately the French company didn’t see it that way and went ballistic!!! In fact they were very rude and put the phone down on me. Their reaction was a bit of a damper but it was not unexpected. I did not, though, feel comfortable as quitting after 4 days is not my style, especially as they had treated me so well and had welcomed me with their arms open.

I have told just a few people, but word has spread and on Friday my mobile phone was jammed with messages from ex colleagues and journalists welcoming me back to the sector. I got the firm offer on Thursday night and agreed to start this Monday coming. So at least I had Friday to relax and celebrate.

One of the nicest messages came from a journalist who wrote: “justice has been done”.

Cheers/Masha