How was your day? (Random off topic chat)

Not exactly the same thing but I have Asperger's & since being disgnosed 3 years ago, at the late age of 30, I've generally told my various managers when situations have arisen when it makes it easier to explain things. However I don't have it on my CV & I don't think I'd declare it when applying for a job as I assume the selction committee would put my CV straight on the rejected pile in favour of normal people. I wouldn't blame them for it either. I've given up applying for permanent jobs in the last few years, which all seem to require people skils that I don't have, & stick to temping.

Yes, I have a fairly long CV by now: I've been temping for the same company over 11 years, ever since I graduated. At least I know I must be fairly good at what I do, as my current job is my 2nd stint in that department & the previous one was my 3rd stint in a different department, but what I'm good at (repetative tasks involving lots of data, mostly) isn't enough for a permanent job when even a basic admin role on 20k a year can have 70-80 applicants. On the plus side, at least I don't have to do the every more frequent appraisals that the permanent staff have to do which I think would drive me to madness (if I'm not mad already!).

I suppose if they got a really good AI data processing system then I might be redundant but given they've spent 5 years trying to get a not particularly cutting edge data processing system to work & there are still problems with it, I suspect that I don't need to worry for a while! I hope you contine not to smash anything up!

I have a nasty tingly feeling that I might be getting shingles again.

Fingers crossed I’m wrong, because eurgh! Once was bad enough.

Oh no they made you proof read on a bit of paper to 'test' your proof reading abilities. I've also had one on a computer with spellcheck disabled. It's all some HR/employment theory that you have to be tested on your ability to do it without technology to prove you're suitable for the job...which is ridiculous. Because in the job you'd be using a normal computer with spell check. And have access to the internet. And ask colleagues to double check work (as most people do dyslexic or not if it's public facing). 

The excel thing also. I've always worked with saved formulas, and notes/cheat sheets that relate to the repeated tasks I do in excel. Because obviously it's job dependant. I'd never ever claim to be an Excel 'whizz' but I get by...like most people! 

Yesterday was likely my last day in London for some time due to work reasons and what a corker it was.

I'd decided to queue for an All About Eve matinee dayseat and arrived in time to be the first matinee taker. So far so good.

But the idea of going to the Berberian matinee was niggling at me. Two close friends I was meeting later were attending it, and I reasoned that as I wouldn't be back before the end of its run but might be before the end of Eve's run, AND there was a very nice stalls seat available for BSS, I should go over to Plan B.

So I bought the ticket, finished my pleasant chat with a queue guy and headed off to do some shopping. On Great Marlborough Street I saw Simon Russell Beale waiting for Schott Music to open. I don't often go up to people but thought I would as he wasn't really doing anything. We had a very pleasant chat in which he described the Almeida Rii experience as "completely bonkers" and politely asked what I did for a living and about my theatre interests. Throughout this he was carrying a bookshop bag with one of those big fluffy luridly multicoloured dusters sticking out of it. Then the shop opened and we said cheerio, and I left him trying to control the duster which was a-flippin' and a-floppin' hither and thither. I wouldn't have had that encounter if I'd stuck with Eve.

An excellent lunch then Berberian which I thoroughly enjoyed. Cocktails at Scooters, my favourite place in London, with my friends then BFI for my first BUG screening in ages and very good it was. I was greeted by a former colleague I hadn't seen for a while and had a nice chat with him.

A good dinner rounded off a splendid day.

Today's been mainly on the train to Inverness. Oh, and becoming Great Uncle for the first time, to the newly arrived Eric.

Young Dream got their first choice secondary school place today- many, many people did not, so much relief here for everybody.

Indeed. I've found (probably after spending time teaching) I got better at the talking to people bit, but nobody is at their best there. There's also the scenario where you walk in and within seconds get the 'well THEY hate me' vibe and you're stuck still trying to impress them for 20-30 minutes...

Same. I'm good at answering the kind of direct questions 'give us an example of doing x' because that doesn't feel like 'showing off' and it's factual and almost quantifiable, but I don't have the ability to be like 'I AM THE BEST PERSON EVER HIRE ME' 

I remember a job interview (many years ago), whereby they created a scenario and I had to role play accordingly. Basically, I was left in a room, with a laptop and phone, and given various tasks. I was told at some point the phone would ring, at which point I was to answer it, in character, and react accordingly. Unfortunately, a technical problem arose with the laptop, so I had to use said phone to summon assistance (which was definitely not part of the plot). This took a while to sort out but the problem was finally resolved, and the phone duly rang, basically to say fictitious boss had been delayed abroad and therefore all meetings I had set up would have to be rearranged. I set about this, only then to be summoned out of the room, saying I had failed the test because I had run out of time! They completely ignored the fact that the technical blip had delayed all my efforts. Oh well, I never wanted to work there anyway.

On the other hand, you might get the job (which happened to me, after attending one of those group sessions in a hotel where you have to perform tasks in front of others, including taking a mock phone call), only to receive the contract and think "You must be joking - I'm not signing up to this!"

Obviously it was a fairly basic job but it really appealed to me and would have used transferable skills. But the contract included a requirement to work unpaid overtime; if necessary to work from an alternative centre which was miles away and would have involved a long and difficult journey and to attend a 4-week training course in the depths of winter, the whole of which I would have to repeat if I missed even a single day due to severe weather/travel difficulties.

Maybe others agree to this all the time and I'm used to some unpaid overtime working within reason, but I felt I'd have been signing my life away with this organisation.