The NHS is Stupid

I have been working as a secretary for a consultant psychiatrist since June as a temp. It was a steep learning curve but I think I've got a pretty good handle on the job now. I now know who everyone is in the office, I know how to contact my boss, where she is etc. I've even got used to her South African accent when typing her letters. The main component of my job is typing letters. Surely if I couldn't do the job they would have got rid of me and asked the agency for somebody else?

The job I'm doing has come up as a permanent position so I applied for it. I can't get an interview because I don't have a certificate to say that I can type! The NHS is just shooting themselves in the foot here because they're now going to employ someone who doesn't know how to do the job, my secretarial colleagues are going to have to train them like they did with me. This takes up their valuable time. Everyone in the office is so stressed at the moment. My boss is on the verge of a nervous breakdown as it is without having to get used to a new secretary. Just because they have a piece of paper to type won't necessarily mean they can do the job.

But the NHS is like that. They have lots of red tape. If they give me an interview without having the qualification they can face litigation. I can't get the qualification in time. They can't take me on and make me getting the qualification part of my personal development. So obviously I'm not capable of doing the job even though I've been doing it for the last four fucking months!

My boss has sent a complaint to the head secretary and head of the department. She has no say in who her secretary is it seems. She was very angry when I told her that I had to leave and why. My boss has a junior doctor who I'm also secretary for and he was annoyed and sent an email of complaint too. Another doctor that I occasionally do typing for praised the fact that he doesn't have to make any changes to the letters I do for him and to keep up the good work. When I told him that I was leaving he said "Well that's red tape and bureaucratics for you" and offered to give me a reference even though I don't really work for him.

I am especially annoyed today as apparently the trust that I work for is "excellent" according to an Annual Health Check published by the Health Care Commission. Another local trust was considered "weak" so god help the poor bastards that work there.

Hello!

I'm sorry I've had to put this blog to sleep for a while.

I was off work ill for a while, they decided they didn't want me anymore and now I'm at a new place and don't get much chance to go online.

Hopefully I'll be able to revive it and actually have something to say in the near future.

I have an interview on Friday for an admin job at Border TV (a permanent position) so please keep your fingers crossed for me.

I will try and drop by as often as I can. Hope you are all well

Missing

I've lost my weird! My ability to waffle about random crap and make strange connections between things that don't seem connected is missing. My vivid imagination has dwindled.

I think this is because the job I'm doing at the moment is really boring and frustrating and the guy I'm working for at the moment is more than a little infuriating. At least it's my last day and next week I'll be in a different department, where the work will be no less boring but I shouldn't think I'll want to take my boss by the shoulders and shake them.

So if you've seen my random, my weird - please return it to me as I rather miss it.

http://www.madprofessor.net/images/weird-oh.jpg

One less decision

I have had feedback from the telephone interview I did a couple of hours ago and I haven't got the job.

I can't say I'm that gutted as it sounds like it was a bit above my level of experience and had I managed to blag my way to being offered the job I would have struggled with it and found it stressful I think.

OK, so it's between staying where I am, arts admin to cover maternity leave or working for the executives of a building society.

Decisions Decisions

I work as a temp secretary at a solicitors in Carlisle. I don't really want to be a legal secretary forever.

I have had TWO interviews for a PA job at an accountants. I still have one more to go if I make it to the next round. This seems excessive to me for a PA job. It also seems like a bit of a scary job where the expect you to work wonders from the first day and be superwoman and not need any guidance at all and work on your own initiative rather than having your boss tell you what to do all the time. Maybe I'm just young and under confident but I think I need more experience.

I also had another interview last week for a job at a building society, to work in their executive office rather than in the branch dealing with customers. This is less money than the PA job but that's because you're part of a team working for a team rather than a one-to-one scenario.

I am in the process of applying for an admin job at the local museum. The money is good and the job description looks fantastic. However I have not even sent off the application form yet.

A position has become available at the firm I am working at. The work is VERY dull but the other secretaries in the room and I get on really well with. For example I went down to use the colour copier for one sheet of paper and was down there for half an hour and was offered a second hand sofa if one of them bought a new suite. We could've talked for much longer and said we should go for coffee some time. I've also made another friend who might be my yoga buddy if we can find a suitable class. So there are some nice people here.

I've always been a procrastinator and crap at making big decisions so please help me!

BASTARDS!

Neither Vince or I have got the job as library assistant at St Martins :(

I hope the person they pick is totally crap and incompetant. I nearly put incontinent there instead so I hope they're that too!!

Job Application

Everyone do spells for me as I have sent off my application for the librarian job at St Martin's College. Do them for Vince too as he is applying for the same job.

What colour candle should I burn and what tarot card should I put on my altar?