Dear IKANDUIT,

Thank you. It is amazing what starts to happen once you set your mind right. I even figured out your alias. Had to say your name out loud to hear what it was. Better late than never

quote:

Originally posted by Caroline van der Hout:
Today we got a chance to know each other a little better as he was having lunch with part of his staff, as a "get to know you" session and I had invited myself over and my boss had agreed. It was nice to watch him chair the meeting and there was a bit of chit chat about personal lives and then more about HR things, particular issues within the company but also general things because every company is influenced by demographic movements. And I actively participated because just because I know very little about the company, I still have a brain and a bit of knowledge on demographics, it was a nice and animated debate.

A few hours later, he asked me to come and talk with him. I thought it was about tasks so I brought my notepad but he asked me to tell him how I had come to be in this position with him, had I worked somewhere longer time (oh no!!! thought the job hopping resume lady). So I honestly gave him a brief synopsis of my life and explained that the job hopping was not by choice but there were a few external factors which up to now had prevented me from finding permanent employment.

He told me to "of course go ahead with the job interview but keep me posted" and then he said that he was going to make a few phone calls early next week if I was interested because (parafrasing) "sometimes you come across a good person and you don't want to see them leave the company".

Every secretary in the company that I have met so far and the ladies from the job agencies, all said that it is extremely difficult if not impossible to get permanent employment here. I tested what his intentions were and he made it perfectly clear that he understood that a bread-winner wanted security.

All I did was change my self-talk and think better of myself. My boss is pretty perceptive and it did not take him long to know what kind of stuff this Caroline was made of

That is SOOooo great, Caroline!!! Thanks for letting us share in the excitment.

Love Light and Laughter,
Charlotte

Hello Charlotte,

Thank YOU for sharing in my excitement. My joy over the fortunate turn that my life is taking just keeps on multiplying. And it all happened so easy! All I did was change my thoughts. Do my work with SOGR attitude. Never thinking what am I going to get out of this? But always thinking, is there anything I can do to be of better service? Not out of fear for losing my job but out of joy and gratitude for the fabulous job that I found!

Abundance for all of us!
Caroline

Hey Caroline,
How is the job going? I only just found this thread but now I have goosebumps happening on my Knees!! God bless you and more life to us all :0)

Hello Faye!

There is more about this story in the Job Interviews discussion. Maybe you'd better read that first or what will follow here won't make much sense.

Today I am halfway through my second temporary job which immediately followed the first one. These are really two jobs in one assignment, Monday next the person I was filling in for will be returning from leave and then I move to the next room in the same department. To be trained by the next person who will go on leave the week after.
This is a great job by the way. I am learning more every day. I am working for two great Vice Presidents and their team members and they are all nice people and they give great compliments. Last week was a challenge, I had to organise a trip to Africa for 7 people some of our department some of other departments some in the Netherlands some abroad and some arrangements through the travel agency and some through the security organisation in Africa. Apply for visas and try and find passports and forms and enough empty pages and invitation letters and very little time to do it all and of course no errors allowed.
A very secret mission too so I tried to sort out most things on my own. And got a bit of help from several of the travelers. They had done it before and for me it was the first time.

And this was just ONE of my tasks. I also had to arrange cars, couriers, another visa application process for two people going to a different country. The passport is in Brussels, the person is on the plane to Africa, he won't be coming back to the office, how do I get the passport into his hands next week so he can continue his journey to the other country? These are FUN challenges! And I am so good at being the Rock in these oceans. It is all in the mind. There is never a problem and it is never my problem either. It is just something that I need to sort out and find a way how to do it. Sometimes I come up against a wall. So be it. It is not my wall. I did not build it. You want a new passport in 2 days where the Embassy says it takes 2 weeks. Well sorry Sir, I am going to put the application in the mail and get it there the fastest way I possibly can but now you will just have to sit back and wait.
Created the Brussels Miracle that was required, because there was no wall there. Just a bit of distance that will need to be covered.

Funny how she told me on the briefing that I would not have to worry much about travel arrangements because they had already "all been made and she did not expect there would be many new ones while she was on leave". HA!

Another thing which is fun about this job, I get to spend TONS of money. I am watching the pennies because it is my responsibility but not because there is a shortage of cash. Such a luxury position to be in.
And I also enjoy being in charge. So many people who will jump through hoops for me and all I need to do is pick up the phone. Gee whiz, I am creating JOBS for other people!!!
Can you tell I just LOVE my job??? And I did not even tell you about lunch yesterday. Depending on the calendars, this time it was just a small group of 4 going to lunch. It was the first time that I left the office to join them and this was just so special and unique. I was having lunch with three gentlemen, from France, Argentina and India! What a great international luncheon it was, another unique memory created.

My job interview went well but I don't know what will come of it. The man who interviewed me is away on business trips now and I won't be hearing until the beginning of October. Which also happens to be the ending of my current temporary job. So there is no hurry to hear about it sooner.
Editing this post because I forgot to tell you that my old boss has made the perfect assessment and I believe that I would be a great fit for this position and for this new boss. I would love to work with him and I told him so too.
Which is why I am calling my old boss, I want to thank him and compliment him for the opportunity that he created for me.

I have been receiving two other vacancies that were interesting and applied for both of them. The second one seemed the hardest to apply for but I had a strong desire and God showed me how to do it. And I still stay in touch with the people from the first job.

Up to now I thought I was a failure at networking. But I was not!! Networking is a fun game when you have so many nice people in your life that you want to stay connected to!!!!! Sure it is going to be good for my career to stay connected but that is not the reason. It is just great to keep in touch. Does this make sense?

I don't know where I will be in the first week of October. No job security. But how do I say this? I am not thinking about security much. I am having so much fun in my job. I am having such good opportunities coming my way. There was one that I learned yesterday, which was not for me. Could have been a nice one but one of the people that had already interviewed me thought that that was not for me. I called my friend and told her and she said, I am so sorry for you, what a bummer etc.etc. and I was like the cartoon character with the puzzled frown on her face. I had no idea what she was talking about. This job was not for me, so what? Big deal. There will be the right job for me and if not I already have my plan B ready for another profitable income opportunity.
Hope this does not sound as if I don't care because then I said it the wrong way. I do care and I care a great deal about my future. But I have too much fun and gratitude about my life today. And faith that there will be something else for me to do when this job ends.

Today I am a winner. I am riding on Momentum. And I am not going to step off that ride because I am enjoying it far too much! This is the real me in action. The old me was just a person who was carrying too many bad thoughts around.

God bless you Faye and thank you for asking. Writing it all down reminded me of the many blessings that I have to be thankful for.

Caroline

Caroline, you're blessed!!

You're blessed to be able to see truth and to enjoy the opportunities that make each day unique.

So many of us are often afraid when we don't know what will happen (even murder stories thrive on suspense!) but by creating predictable routines and results we miss out on an abundance of joys.

I too have no job or home security and that makes me very grateful for every hot shower I take and each warm bed I sleep in! I've been at a point when even these things were absent in my life and naturally I felt I suffered but I learnt that we bring each situation upon ourselves, so now I appreciate my past and the breadth of knowledge I've gained.

Plus I look forward to what else I've to be taught...

In my distant past, I was sad and angry at what I didn't have and that perspective appeared to add to my decline. However, after a series of re-education and wonderfully enlightening experiences, I was able to choose happiness.

I now realise that had I found back then what I'm looking for today, those 'things' would probably have been unable to support my growth. And I wouldn't be here, which is actually a really nice place to be!

Live life in the present and see it for the gift it is :0)

Best wishes

PS Thanks for sharing all your news! I love the fact you're doing so well