Office with a different view



View from the building - London Eye, Big Ben and the Thames

I am very grateful to be employed again. It may be for a giant multinational oil company, which I guess I might be against if I thought about it, but beggars can not be choosers.



There are some really cool things - the view from my 7th floor office window is the London Eye and the Thames and Big Ben is around the other side - I definately feel like I am working in London now!




The building has its own gym, so I can avoid the peak hour tube (people said it was bad, and they were not exaggerating) and that is enough motiviation to get me out of bed and on the treadmill. They also have free pilates, pump and yoga classes at lunchtime.

View from my floor - London Eye and the Thames

It has its own restaurant - I can go into the 2nd floor bistro and get a number of things - baked potatoes with fillings, freshly grilled STEAK for £4.80, salmon fillets, vegetables, a massive make your own salad bar, desserts - all at really cheap prices. There is also a coffee shop, serving Costa coffee and a variety of sandwiches, porridge and snacks on the 10th floor. This is all paid for with a cashless chip card that you pre load online. So there is really no need to leave the building - I'm not sure if this is super convenient or a way to keep the workers in the building at all times.




You select the floor you want to go to on the keypad in the lift area and it tells you which lift number to go to. Get in the wrong one and who knows where you will end up - there are no buttons on the inside of the lift if you change your mind!

There are no communal basins in the toilets........each door opens to a little bathroom containing a toilet, wash basin, mirror and hand dryer all to yourself.

Every door is manned by a security guard who either glares at you as you come in or out, or greets you with a good morning / night ma'am.

Only two desks on my floor have landlines (luckily mine is one of them) - we are supposed to use the web based office communicator to make phone calls - but everyone is issued with a mobile phone.

We do not have bins at our desk, only a recycling box. There is a bin in the kitchen area if needed - really handy when you have an apple core or used tea bag and are busy at your desk.

There are no microwaves - reheating food is a health hazard (and why would you need to bring in your own food when you can buy it from the bistro downstairs and make the company more money?)

So it's quite different - mostly I like it and it is nice to be back in office clothes and high heels - but I can't wait to get back on the road again!

Unemployment

I never really thought I was lucky to always have a job. In fact, it was a bit of a pain - just a way to fund the lifestyle I want to live.

The last 4.5 weeks have taught me that in Australia, we are lucky to have such a good employment rate. Lucky to be able to choose which job we would like and to negotiate a salary that we are worth.

Here in the UK, I have really struggled to find a decent personal assistant job with a reasonable salary. The market is so competitive that employers will only consider you if you have worked as a personal assistant in their exact industry - so all my experience in senior roles with large companies means nothing - because I was employed in an accountancy firm, not an investment banking firm. I find that utterly ridiculous - and quite depressing.

I was lucky enough to find an ongoing role to start next week, so hopefully this is the last time I have to deal with the UK job market. I was put forward for the role at the rate I was told I should be earning, had my CV accepted at that rate, was told at both interviews with the company how high pressure and busy the role will be and then offered the role at £2ph lower. I have to "prove I'm worth" the extra £2 per hour. Even if I do it will still only be 2/3 of what I was earning in Australia.

I'm surprised at how worthless that kind of thing makes you feel on a personal level. I have realised how much having a good job and being respected for what I do means to me and I am now truly sympathetic to those that are unemployed and trying so hard to find a job. I'ts a horrible feeling.