Where to Begin?

I've been coming to this website for quite some time now. And I suppose the first real question is where to begin? As I often feel a jack of all trades, master of none.

My background has been within the corporate sector working as an assistant, often for high profile individuals, in a number of top companies. However the roles would tell you nothing about the real me. The person who enjoys writing, running, volunteering, being around animals, meeting people and learning new things. None of that personality ever comes out in the positions I've taken or the interviews I've had. When questions are asked about major achievements I would love to tell them about the marathons I've run rather than having to hype up organising some event.

The major complaint in my roles so far has been that of boredom. Not in the sense of being given menial tasks, but in having nothing to do. And I mean nothing. Take my last role for example. An ongoing contract position in a major bank. For 15 months I sat on my own, merely booking the odd meeting room which would take all of 2 minutes. For doing nothing the money was fantastic. However, doing nothing all day soon had an effect on my self esteem. And I have to say when the contract finished I was relieved. Although at the same time my confidence had reached an all time low.

In order to remedy the situation I jumped on a plane and volunteered abroad for several months, teaching computer skills in the mornings to adults and helping out at a centre for street children in the afternoons. There I felt an important member of the team, a valuable asset. I was making a difference.

I'm now back in the UK and already the friction has begun with agencies. The positions of interest I see advertised never seem to exist. Plus they are trying to push me into 9 hour day roles which is something I've never done before. When I say I'm looking for some kind of work life balance they accuse me of being unreasonable. I'd even be happy to work part time so I can work out what I really want to do in my life. Although so far the agencies refuse to put me forward for such jobs. I'm not a mother you see.

Once again I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall and getting nowhere. Gradually despair is creeping in. So, I suppose I'll start here. By writing this blog. And seeing what may come of it. After all, I have nothing to lose.