Hi everyone,
A shorter post tonight, I'm afraid. It's after midnight and I'm overdue for bed.
I've been on the compute the last couple of hours trying to track down jobs. Disheartening is the word. Looking at all the employment websites yielded almost nothing I'm even remotely qualified to do. Even in my field of personal injury practice where my name is mud, there were only 9 ads to be found, and most of those were from recruiters which means there may or may not be a job attached to them. I'd go back to my recruiter who got me this job but I have no idea how to explain that I'm now dreadfully unhappy in a role I was enjoying immensely when I saw him back in December. To get back into workers comp I really need to drop out of sight for a while.
As long as I have enough cash to support the girls, of course, anything else is a bonus. Still, it's very slim pickings at the moment.
The day wasn't a whole bunch better. More examples of my own incompetence are coming to light every day and I know that the internal discussions in the firm will be "Stephen was a disastrous hire...". I'm more than a little worried they'll conclude I'm a pure liability and cut my 8 weeks grace period off early. I can only describe that prospect as "hitting rock bottom and starting to dig".
Well, no point giving up. As I said before, as long as my feet keep hitting the floor in the morning, I can make things get better.
OK, I guess that's the update. Hope all is well with yourselves!
See you tomorrow.
Showing posts with label fired. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fired. Show all posts
Wednesday, 30 January 2013
Monday, 14 January 2013
Dead Lawyer Walking!
Hi everyone,
I expect this will be a fairly short post tonight.
So, today was my first day at work on borrowed time. I was up early - about 5:15am - and worked my way through a pot of coffee while looking at jobs on the web with CBS' morning program on in the background. About 7am I had a shower and got dressed and headed in.
Work was a slightly surreal experience - it was kind of like I'm now radioactive and the partners are all giving me a wide berth. Anyway, I got down to business and sent off a few applications from the office and waded through a bunch of medical records. Terribly drowsy this morning (how??? I'd had an entire pot of coffee for breakfast!) and by 11am there was a trip downstairs for yet more coffee.
I spent lunch and the hour after preparing for a s.12 conference in a common law matter which, to my astonishment, settled for about $100,000 less than the plaintiff wanted. Sigh: why has my legal career coughed deep red blood just as I'm starting to get good? Either God has some incredible plan in mind, or He is seriously screwing with me!!!
I left the office about 6:30 and came back here. I persuaded myself to go for a run - 5.2km in 27.06 minutes. Watched a bit of the Texans-Patriots game and then came up here and sent off a string of job applications somewhat promiscuously. Hopefully something comes of it.
No writing tonight.
Earlyish bed tonight - I need to catch up on sleep.
See you tomorrow.
I expect this will be a fairly short post tonight.
So, today was my first day at work on borrowed time. I was up early - about 5:15am - and worked my way through a pot of coffee while looking at jobs on the web with CBS' morning program on in the background. About 7am I had a shower and got dressed and headed in.
Work was a slightly surreal experience - it was kind of like I'm now radioactive and the partners are all giving me a wide berth. Anyway, I got down to business and sent off a few applications from the office and waded through a bunch of medical records. Terribly drowsy this morning (how??? I'd had an entire pot of coffee for breakfast!) and by 11am there was a trip downstairs for yet more coffee.
I spent lunch and the hour after preparing for a s.12 conference in a common law matter which, to my astonishment, settled for about $100,000 less than the plaintiff wanted. Sigh: why has my legal career coughed deep red blood just as I'm starting to get good? Either God has some incredible plan in mind, or He is seriously screwing with me!!!
I left the office about 6:30 and came back here. I persuaded myself to go for a run - 5.2km in 27.06 minutes. Watched a bit of the Texans-Patriots game and then came up here and sent off a string of job applications somewhat promiscuously. Hopefully something comes of it.
No writing tonight.
Earlyish bed tonight - I need to catch up on sleep.
See you tomorrow.
Sunday, 13 January 2013
Weekend update
Hi everyone,
Considering the start it got on Friday, it's been a pretty good weekend. I've been, essentially, considering my options. But (unlike how I would have been in another stage in my life) I haven't been wanting to go and throw myself off the Westgate Bridge.
I guess that's because, really, I haven't been especially happy in my career for some time. So, really, the thing I'll miss most about being a defence lawyer is the pay.
I'm afraid to say I don't have any brilliant next moves planned. I was on my feet at 6am on Saturday thanks to having broken the coffee machine out of retirement (waking up to Community Coffee dark roast is something out of heaven)
I set to and updated and generally overhauled my CV and posted it to a few recruiter's websites and also scoped out some jobs. Tomorrow I'll call a recruiter and see if they can do anything for me, although how the Hell I explain my sudden departure from a job I've only been in for six months I have no idea (really, if you have any suggestions, I'm all ears). If you want my CV, shoot me an email - or check out my linkedin profile to the right of the screen there.
Saturday evening I had dinner with Second Oldest Sister and JP - pork with vegetables and crackling ... >drool<. Honestly, the mood was upbeat. Of course, there's never a good time to be out of work involuntarily, but there's also never a bad time to look at beginning again either. So, it was a really nice evening. That's two dinners I owe S.O.S., so I've promised to fry a turkey for Easter at Shepparton. I should mention it to Dad and see if he can procure some deer meat to try frying as well.
Today was kind of a day of constant waiting. I was on my feet at 7am with the smell of coffee brewing. So I went through a pot of coffee and did some writing but didn't get to breakfast as I was planning on a run, and then it was coming up to skype-time with my little princesses so I was still in the shorts and t-shirt I sleep in, plus some over-the-hill sweat pants and a pullover, without a shower. Skyping with the girls was just stellar - they were wearing the play-jewellery my mother had sent them and Grace was clearly in her element and babbling twenty-to-the-dozen. Rachel is calm and sweet but still very quiet. They look so big now - little girls rather than babies. If there's an upside to getting fired, it's a window between jobs to go see them for the first time in over a year. I wish I'd been able to see Joni for a little, because I miss her. I know a lot of you might not understand, but I still love her, and I accept the teaching that our marriage remains in existence until they're shovelling dirt in on my coffin. So, it's my duty to wait, and forgive, Joni until either I am six feet under or there's a chance for healing. If that means I have to wait for the next fifty-odd years, well, I guess it'll give me time to crank out a couple of books or something. I guess, if nothing else, that's not a bad role-model to give the girls for how a husband should behave when things get tough.
I got out for the run I mentioned before - about 5 miles in 40 minutes. My legs were a little stiff, but their 'springiness' was back again which is what I was waiting for. I thought about a run on Friday - God knows I needed one! - but when I bounced on my legs they were not springy - it would have been like running on blocks of wood. I came back here, had late-late-breakfast (or if you prefer, late-lunch) at about 2:30pm and watched a DVD of Time Team. Speaking of alternative careers...!
I found a late Mass at 6pm at Sacred Heart in Preston - another church that is very grand and beautiful in red brick.
Surprisingly for the last Mass on Sunday, it was full! The priest did a good and enthusiastic Mass, without any excessive tinkering with the liturgy which made it a good service. After Mass I went and got some basic groceries, came back here, had dinner in my room again (hermit or frickin' what?) and wrote some more. This piece is coming along well.
Back to work tomorrow. Unfortunately, I think the next weeks will be nothing less than weird. Sigh. The thing is, they could have offered me the option of resigning and I'd have still been willing to work as hard as ever; really, now, as I see it I'm on work-to-rule. Should be a new experience.
OK, I guess that's it for now.
See you tomorrow!
Considering the start it got on Friday, it's been a pretty good weekend. I've been, essentially, considering my options. But (unlike how I would have been in another stage in my life) I haven't been wanting to go and throw myself off the Westgate Bridge.
Photo from here
I guess that's because, really, I haven't been especially happy in my career for some time. So, really, the thing I'll miss most about being a defence lawyer is the pay.
I'm afraid to say I don't have any brilliant next moves planned. I was on my feet at 6am on Saturday thanks to having broken the coffee machine out of retirement (waking up to Community Coffee dark roast is something out of heaven)
Picture from this nice person.
I set to and updated and generally overhauled my CV and posted it to a few recruiter's websites and also scoped out some jobs. Tomorrow I'll call a recruiter and see if they can do anything for me, although how the Hell I explain my sudden departure from a job I've only been in for six months I have no idea (really, if you have any suggestions, I'm all ears). If you want my CV, shoot me an email - or check out my linkedin profile to the right of the screen there.
Saturday evening I had dinner with Second Oldest Sister and JP - pork with vegetables and crackling ... >drool<. Honestly, the mood was upbeat. Of course, there's never a good time to be out of work involuntarily, but there's also never a bad time to look at beginning again either. So, it was a really nice evening. That's two dinners I owe S.O.S., so I've promised to fry a turkey for Easter at Shepparton. I should mention it to Dad and see if he can procure some deer meat to try frying as well.
Today was kind of a day of constant waiting. I was on my feet at 7am with the smell of coffee brewing. So I went through a pot of coffee and did some writing but didn't get to breakfast as I was planning on a run, and then it was coming up to skype-time with my little princesses so I was still in the shorts and t-shirt I sleep in, plus some over-the-hill sweat pants and a pullover, without a shower. Skyping with the girls was just stellar - they were wearing the play-jewellery my mother had sent them and Grace was clearly in her element and babbling twenty-to-the-dozen. Rachel is calm and sweet but still very quiet. They look so big now - little girls rather than babies. If there's an upside to getting fired, it's a window between jobs to go see them for the first time in over a year. I wish I'd been able to see Joni for a little, because I miss her. I know a lot of you might not understand, but I still love her, and I accept the teaching that our marriage remains in existence until they're shovelling dirt in on my coffin. So, it's my duty to wait, and forgive, Joni until either I am six feet under or there's a chance for healing. If that means I have to wait for the next fifty-odd years, well, I guess it'll give me time to crank out a couple of books or something. I guess, if nothing else, that's not a bad role-model to give the girls for how a husband should behave when things get tough.
I got out for the run I mentioned before - about 5 miles in 40 minutes. My legs were a little stiff, but their 'springiness' was back again which is what I was waiting for. I thought about a run on Friday - God knows I needed one! - but when I bounced on my legs they were not springy - it would have been like running on blocks of wood. I came back here, had late-late-breakfast (or if you prefer, late-lunch) at about 2:30pm and watched a DVD of Time Team. Speaking of alternative careers...!
Shamelessly stolen from here.
I found a late Mass at 6pm at Sacred Heart in Preston - another church that is very grand and beautiful in red brick.
Back to work tomorrow. Unfortunately, I think the next weeks will be nothing less than weird. Sigh. The thing is, they could have offered me the option of resigning and I'd have still been willing to work as hard as ever; really, now, as I see it I'm on work-to-rule. Should be a new experience.
OK, I guess that's it for now.
See you tomorrow!
Friday, 11 January 2013
Fired. Again.
Hi everyone,
I've had better days.
I woke at 5am and had some coffee and sat around at a bit of a loose end watching CBS's "This Morning" on Channel 10 until just before 7am, when I shaved, showered and got dressed for work. The morning was unremarkable, apart from that I spent a couple of hours preparing my defence for the meeting with my bosses and HR this afternoon. I was feeling pretty good about it after I'd done it, and felt I could give a fair explanation for things and largely exculpate myself.
2:30pm rolled around and I strode down to the meeting room feeling pretty good. I came in and sat down. In hindsight, I probably should have grasped the significance that they'd already poured me a glass of water before I arrived. Well, my main boss came straight to the point: the stuff up at work the other week was the last straw. They were terminating my employment on unsatisfactory performance grounds. Ordinarily they would be terminating me immediately, but as a grace would give me eight weeks notice. So, I can work the next 8 weeks and attend interviews etc while I look for another job. They allowed me to say what I had in mind to say, but the decision had been made.
I thought that this could happen but was still rather stunned and finished early for the day.
I didn't know what to do next. I called Joni and advised her. She was about as sympathetic as I'd expected her to be. She still thinks that I can find another job like this one, which is unlikely. Both my employer, and The Client, and the worker's lawyer know what happened, and the story will spread quickly, which means my reputation is basically wrecked and my chances of finding further work in my field are slim to none.
So, I've been scoping out what my other options are this afternoon and evening and went over a few options with Oldest Sister Economist through GoogleTalk. I couldn't face my housemates, so dinner was eaten in my room for the umpteenth time.
There's no point giving up, I know. As long as my hands and brain work and I can keep putting my feet on the floor in the morning, things can get better. Say what you like about my Mum and Dad, but they didn't raise any quitters.
I've had better days.
I woke at 5am and had some coffee and sat around at a bit of a loose end watching CBS's "This Morning" on Channel 10 until just before 7am, when I shaved, showered and got dressed for work. The morning was unremarkable, apart from that I spent a couple of hours preparing my defence for the meeting with my bosses and HR this afternoon. I was feeling pretty good about it after I'd done it, and felt I could give a fair explanation for things and largely exculpate myself.
2:30pm rolled around and I strode down to the meeting room feeling pretty good. I came in and sat down. In hindsight, I probably should have grasped the significance that they'd already poured me a glass of water before I arrived. Well, my main boss came straight to the point: the stuff up at work the other week was the last straw. They were terminating my employment on unsatisfactory performance grounds. Ordinarily they would be terminating me immediately, but as a grace would give me eight weeks notice. So, I can work the next 8 weeks and attend interviews etc while I look for another job. They allowed me to say what I had in mind to say, but the decision had been made.
I thought that this could happen but was still rather stunned and finished early for the day.
I didn't know what to do next. I called Joni and advised her. She was about as sympathetic as I'd expected her to be. She still thinks that I can find another job like this one, which is unlikely. Both my employer, and The Client, and the worker's lawyer know what happened, and the story will spread quickly, which means my reputation is basically wrecked and my chances of finding further work in my field are slim to none.
So, I've been scoping out what my other options are this afternoon and evening and went over a few options with Oldest Sister Economist through GoogleTalk. I couldn't face my housemates, so dinner was eaten in my room for the umpteenth time.
There's no point giving up, I know. As long as my hands and brain work and I can keep putting my feet on the floor in the morning, things can get better. Say what you like about my Mum and Dad, but they didn't raise any quitters.
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