Work

I turned down another job offer, opting to stay with the safer option (yet again). The first time it was to a competitor in my city, this time it was back to Nigeria, and a return to UX5 where I cut my teeth and learned the bulk of everything I know. There were a number of issues - a few powerful interests stacked up against me courtesy of toes I’d stepped on in the past, and the fact that I’d seen all that and done that before. The key sticking point was that the pay on offer was ridiculous - clearly designed to price me out of accepting (plus rumour has it that on of the lead engineers on the project had a candidate).. ...

Big, potentially career defining, decisions to make.. The safer option - stick with my current job for the next three years and decide what the next steps after that will be: The pros - stay in a truly professional work place where my skills are appreciated, working for a boss whose ar*se I don’t have to kiss, remain in an environment that allows me complete my progression to Chartered Engineer status. The cons - sky high taxes, an increasingly hostile host population, remaining in a section of my field I’ve spent the last six years - and some - working in and a government that seems intent on playing to the gallery on the immigration debate. ...

The job I didn’t take? Turns out that the project I would have got placed on just went sour and the bloke I wanted to work for quit the company….I should be feeling pretty smug, but then I have friends who may have just gotten burned.. Sigh.

Sitting in the boardroom at KOX Corp today i realised its truly a global village. Technical Manager - Scottish; Project Manager - South African; Me - Naija Boy; Integrity Engineer - Mexican; Technical Assistant - Pakistani; Client Rep - German.. It doesn’t get more global, does it? Beannachd Leat

Thankfully this week is over, finally. Its been a maelstrom of activity - two client work sites, hand overs, reviews and piles of stuff to catch up with. The worst bits had to be the getting set up bits - setting up remote access to my company email and network, new log on IDs and network access at the new place and all - plus there’s a first review in five weeks of stuff I was never involved in. ...

Twenty-six degree weather has its perks - especially when one has valid reasons to be within the city centre. Knee length skirts, low necklines, and the occasional sleeveless top are easy on the eye, if not downright encouraging to a mind beaten to senility by spreadsheets and excess coffee. After choosing the worst winter in 20 years to come up to the NorthEast, I can be forgiven for reveling in the warm - almost barmy - weather. Winter was mind numbing, depressing, tiring, and fun sapping. I really wouldn’t be bothered by the excess skin on display, but being stuck in a nearly all male working environment does things to the mind, especially when there is no relief valve to vent it out on in town. I’m so needing to get a holiday men - dang!

One week in and its already shaping up to be a hard long slog….Our honeymoon lasted exactly 4 hours and then it was me being thrust into the deep end…. Sub zero temperatures - the coldest winter in Scotland in fifty years - and a role that seems so much like a continuation of the one that I fled all those months ago - only more intense, only less margin for error. ...

I thought long and hard about the ramifications, but I accepted nonetheless - I agreed to bring forward my start date by 60 days. Truth is the only other option was more sleeping, eating and waking - a totally quotidian experience. The first day is January the 4th; for the first time in a long while I have to dress formally to work. Its totally against the grain of me - the lost, non-conformist son. The alternatives are not exactly great. I would rather have to wear a shirt and tie to work than to file away products in coveralls. For that I am thankful.

They called me. Number was hidden, my phone was on silent, so I missed it the first time. They left a voicemail - asking me to give them a call back. I did and yes we did it! I am to start off the first week of February, so I have a few months to put my feet up and drink some beer (or not)… Thanks to The Source and Myne Whitman who have read my constant prattle for the past few months. You are real Therapists. ...

I think I’ll get the job. Our discussions went very well, the interviewers were very friendly, and only just stopped short of saying they didn’t see why an offer could not be made ASAP. I had scaled through the technical bits of the interview a few weeks ago before meeting up with the HR folks this time. Fingers crossed though. And there is an option to remain in my city! Now that’s some good news, first bits of decent news in a while too.