01:36 - 29.03.07
Interview
Monday was interesting dear diary. Number three son called in the early afternoon to let me know he was waiting to meet the new Returning Officer at that storage facility. That fellow was trying to open the excel attachment I had sent him with the invoice Elections Canada said to use for billing. I re-sent the document but I'm not certain he was any more successful with the second one. I am starting to really wonder about the lack of support he is being given from headquarters. It doesn't make any sense that he is being left to fend for himself.
It became doubly troubling when I received a call at dinner time from a new Returning Officer, from another part of the city, just beside themselves because of the constant interference from the local rep. The local rep was intercepting the new ROs work and replacing it with her own submissions to Ottawa instead. No surprise you've heard in my posts in the fall that she did the same thing to me. But why is she targetting someone who is capable of doing the job while leaving someone who needs help hanging. Oh wait, that's what she did last election too. The Returning Officers who called her with problems were told she was "too busy" to help them. Yes too busy harassing me and a couple of other ROs from the sound of it. The new RO told me that what the local rep had said about me at training was that I had barred her from entering the office last election. There again the proof is in the posts. She was there on several occasions, up to a week before the election day. The new person was asking why no one had ever done anything to protest the interference and meddling that the local rep is engaged in. Many ROs have and you know what the result of that has been, don't you dear diary. I counselled them to move slowly and ask for a formal job description from her supervisor so that when they do decide to complain they have the exact boundaries outlined fo them. My guess is that the job description won't be sent or will be so vague that it is useless anyway. That was the problem the rest of us had too. She is threatening much stronger options and I applaud her for them. I just don't think there is much hope unless the new head of Elections Canada comes from a very different cut of cloth than the old one. We'll see. I asked number three son if my replacement had treated him well in both their encounters. He is welcome to yell at me but not my sons. My son said he looked really elderly and frail - not surprising when he is fighting pneumonia but again... Any way the transactions were amiable for all intents and purposes.
Next up, mid Tuesday morning, I received a call from Canada Post - the usual contact has been promoted and deservedly so, so a new voice was touching base. They said they had received instructions from headquarters last week to come and pick up the boxes and computer. I called back to let them know that the material exchange had occurred, but that Elections Canada had stated that we were to wait for special boxes for the computer suite to be delivered by a private courier. We were to pack the computer equipment in those boxes then return them to Ottawa - to be dumped in a landfill there, you tax dollars at work, O Canada - by that private courier.
In the interim I was fussing about that job interview. The company had called with requests for more information and I was trying to decide what to wear. Normally the what to wear isn't an issue for me but I wanted to be considered for assignments in enterprises other than the current one I work in and I think their dress codes are different. My Dad's neighbour's daughter had passed on some of her decidedly more upscale office clothing and accessories. I didn't want to come on too strong but I did want to demonstrate I could meet different standards. Guessing game, so I selected the one summer dress I bought last Canada Day and some of the accessories that I had been given. Shouldn't matter what one wears if one is capable of the job, but we all know it does.
As it turned out the weather changed from sunny and spring-like to cold and snowy. Made the decision about footwear easy anyway. Boots - black, ankle length and squared toed but snow boots all the same. When I arrived at the agency I was sent for testing first. Oh my - that was the other reason I was rather flustered. Usually I am fairly calm about interviews, but I haven't tested for any job for a very long time. It is a good way to have one's assumptions about themselves rejigged though. What I was worried about I aced and what I was sure about I didn't do as well as I expected. The testing on MS Word which really had me worried since I've never taken even a single course? I made 90% on both the basic and advanced questions. The intermediate questions are what dropped my average down to 88%. The average mark of other people tested on the same material? 65% - and yes I did take a bow. On the legal terminology test? 100% on basic, 82% on intermediate and 80% on advanced - I ran out of time you see. My average of 89% was higher than the local average - good for a 180 day span - of 71% still not bad. Where I tripped up? The typing speed test. Now want to hear my excuses? I wore my contacts for the first time in several months. I found looking at the screen difficult and I am left handed. The computer set-up was for right handed people. Truth is I think that I was reading for meaning instead of reading for transfer. That slowed me down considerably and I know better. I was also keying someone else's words instead of free-style writing which is what I normally do. Guess I'd better practice a bit eh?
The interview itself also challenged my own self-image. The interviewer actually asked me what my dream job would look like. No one has ever asked me that before. It was as if she would try to find the perfect match for me. I was speechless and you know that is not a normal failing for me, oh no it isn't. She said the most difficult part about placing me was the amount and range of experience I had. It was impressive and "unusual". Thank you, but right now paying the bills is my first priority and I have no dreams of power or authority over others. All I want is a job that is interesting, challenging and allows me full scope on creativity and self-determination. Yes well back to basics I guess. She wanted the story on Elections Canada so I tried to be neutral about that - I doubt with much success. She wanted a list of all my supervisors. Since I really have little idea how they view me I don't even know if that is a good thing or a bad. I felt pretty good coming out of the interview but also somewhat disoriented. I guess it was just too hard to read some of the signals I was getting. We'll see. When I got home it was just in time to pack my youngest out the door for work. First time in ten days he's been well enough to try to cover a shift. He had severe laryngitis - not really useful when one is doing tech support is it?
Today my youngest managed a full shift of work so he's back on track - I hope. He has lost nine day's pay - no sick time benefits - but at least he still has a job. That isn't always the case in the industry he works in. My whole day seemed to be filled with calls about Elections Canada issues. The new RO, Canada Post, posted ROs, staff and want to be staff all. The new RO wanted me to provide tech support for him. I don't think so. His tech specialist was at his home and they were trying to figure out the technology. They have paid staff at headquarters and I don't want to be caught in a situation where something I say is wrong or misinterpreted by the new fellow. From the sounds of the voicemail neither he nor the tech are internet savvy and that is going to make their job even harder. However....sigh. The new person from Canada Post called to chat and thank me for giving her the heads up about the computer pick up. She had had to go through several people to get the real instructions given to us by headquarters. I guess they thought that Canada Post didn't need to know they weren't supposed to pick up those beasties. We chatted about the scope of her duties for elections and she seemed somewhat intimidated by the amount of work required. so she should be. This isn't the first or last time that instructions to her from head office will be incomplete or garbled enough to create many days more work than necessary. She told me more about the old rep I dealt with there - we really enjoyed swapping election horror stories and laughing about the weird stuff. Apparently when the old rep was told i wasn't doing elections anymore she was quite disappointed. Regretful. That's the secod service provider who has said they would miss working with me. Doesn't change much but my inner perception of myself but it does help me all the same. One posted RO - the musician - touching base in a voicemail, but I had to do some research before I could respond to them. One thing after another then mid-afternoon the private courier showed up with those special computer boxes. Looked just like the ones Canada Post has but what do I know. My youngest looked at them when he came home and commented that the computer would likely be smashed in it. My sentiments too but again, what do I know?
Toda
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