New job update

My new job is vastly different from the dental industry where I came from.

Where before I could sit in a comfortable dental chair, I now find myself behind the wheel of a R7.5 million Aventador coupe Lamborghini

I have met Morgan Beatbox, former 5 time motor-racing champion Gary Formato, received a thumbs up from Jeremy Clarkson and spoken to Richard Hammond. 

... And I have only been with the company for 2 weeks!

2014: A Better Me

Part of my 2013 and 2014 Twenty Wishes was to work less and be happier.

I failed at it in 2013.

Halfway through the year & I am doing better in 2014.

I have only worked late a few days of the year so far.
No matter how huge my deadlines are and how crazy work has become, I refuse to work longer hours. I work through my lunch break and that is as far as my concession goes.

Strangely enough, both the CEO and MD have commented on how different I am.

A close work friend even called me up to ask if I was really ok because he doesn't recall seeing me this happy at work and was worried that I may be hiding some deep unhappiness. I had a good laugh at that, but was touched by the kind gesture.

I feel so much better. The work piles up. I do as much as I can. 2014 is my year, I gave my life to the company in 2013. I am taking it back in 2014.

Bitch & Moan Session

Unhappy
While everybody else is winding down and gleefully making holiday plans, I am resentfully watching them and wishing I could be them.
Christmas is my favourite time of the year. My nephew is almost 3 and this will be his first actual Christmas where he is old enough to enjoy it.
Instead of planning my annual Christmas party with present swapping games, I am not doing anything.

I have been given several new projects at work and have no time to complete them. I will be a month behind schedule when the new year comes.

With all this work weighing on my shoulders - I don't have time for a social life. This is bullshit. It is so easy for friends and family to tell me to regain my balance.
HOW? When I have so much work to do, how do I in good conscience do this.

We will not be receiving any bonuses. Despite the fact that I have worked at least 2 hours over time every single day this year. No bonuses puts me under serious pressure to save for my 2104 trip with mom. Looking at projected savings at the moment, I will not have enough to go over.
I have so much leave due to me that I lose it if I do not take it, but where do I fit it in when I am so far behind schedule?

I will not be getting the assistant that was promised to me.

I have gained so much weight that my fat clothes are now too small for me. I am feeling and looking uncomfortable.
I am sure this is what is also having a huge impact on my mood.

The whole debacle that happened earlier this month hits me every now and then and just adds to the overall feeling of misery.

And that is my moan session complete, thank you for listening. Tomorrow tune in for the happier version of me.

It's been a Hard Day's Night

This is what the end of a long,  hard day looks like. 

Deep Breathe and Jump

I am really gob-smacked at how quickly time flies - and I am not even having fun!

I didn't get to finish the Blog everyday in May challenge and that is because of my birthday. I would like to say I celebrated so much that I am still recovering, alas, quite the opposite.

In the 5 years I have worked for my company I have had 3/5 really bad birthdays. I took a full day leave so as not to have a repeat of my birthday last year (I was late for my own plans and I cried on the way home)

Despite the good intentions, my 1st call of the day was my boss. Not to wish me (he had forgotten) but to ask me to do work. I reminded him it was my birthday and for the following response: "oh, happy birthday... so can you find out what is happening and let me know?"
After that 2 work colleagues knowing I was off for the day, still bothered me with unimportant work stuff that could have waited for the following day.

Instead of a fun day at mom's work having my hair done and being spoilt by my mom, I sat in tears in the beauty salon and cried in front of strangers.
I had wanted to make a big change, but in light of my high emotions, we played it safe.
I cut off 6cm, dyed my hair dark brown and added a few red streaks.

Mom then painted my nails with an awesome new nail polish called Liquid Sand. It's dark grey with flecks of red glitter. Once you get used to the rough texture, it's really funky.
I think my mom is more in tune with the latest fashions than I am!

The girls were quite sweet and arranged this for me:

I will never get my birthday back. It's ruined forever.
My mom was excited to spend a birthday with me having some girl time and instead she had to watch me on my phone and hand me tissues.

So I made a decision. A big decision. I will share soon.

But this is why I have not been blogging since 29 May.

I miss it, and I find it extremely therapeutic. I will still finish the Blog Everyday in May challenge... eventually.

The Universe Speaks

Work has been a nightmare - and that is putting it mildly.

It is partly the reason I have not blogged for such a  long time.
It is sucking me dry emotionally & I have hardly had a chance to think about anything besides how unhappy I am and how desperately I need to find a new job.
I am the only person in the marketing department for a company with a sales force of 30 people. Marketing is supposed to be the foundation of sales, right now, I am just the crap under their feet.

There is only so much work I can do and the more I sit and talk to the bosses about how I am just too over-loaded, the more they say they understand. In the next breathe I get shouted at because my work is not all up to date - WTF?

Anyway - I am digressing.

I think the universe has been trying to tell me something lately.

2 weeks ago I got dressed to go to gym (a place that I vaguely remember since its been so long since I last exercised) and as I opened the door, the heavens opened up and a downpour ensued.
I looked up at the sky, said to God: "Ok, God, I will stay at home because it is safer"

The exact same thing happened this past weekend - so I reckon God likes me chubby or I might die of a heart attack due to all the stress I have been under.

The past 2 days my cats have been following me like a shadow. They literally walk right next to me every step of the way, and if I stop for a second, they are twirling themselves around my legs and meouwing at me. And they don't like each other, so this is a huge thing for them!

Maybe they know something. I reckon I might be dying. If I do drop dead at work, I hope somebody drags my body out the building and say I died under a tree, this hell-hole will NOT be my deathbed!

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

The Good:

We have found a photographer for my brothers wedding - I really am having a blast planning this wedding.

The Bad:
I have to plan the wedding sitting on the toilet with my Blackberry because work is keeping me ridiculously busy
I am beginning to wonder if I am not being exploited too much.
I feel like slave labour and nobody is taking me seriously when I say I cant cope for much longer working at this pace

The Ugly:

My toe-nails | My eyebrows.
Peeling polish | Bushy

 

Work stuff

We have been working hard on opening a training facility at work. This facility will be a great asset to our company as well as for any professors/teachers etc to carry our further training for dentists etc.
The facility can accommodate 40 people in a lecture room - so this will also benefit non dental related companies if they so wish.

2 days before the grand opening, we had a burst water pipe that ruined the wooden flooring, as well as leaked down onto my desk, ruining everything on it.

Alot of time was wasted cleaning up and scrambling to decipher the notes I had made for myself on Tuesday night.

The opening could not be rescheduled to the attendance of some high profile guests - Deans of the various universities etc.

With the help of alot of employees and a very special PA lady - we managed to pull of a great opening.

PHEW!!

Now if I can only find where I lost my mind.....

Ssshhhh.....

It is unofficially official! Ssshhh!

The other lady needs to be informed, but the job is mine - there are 3 things I need to learn:

1. SAP
2. Consumable products
3. Desktop publishing

I have already decided that I will be fighting for a raise in salary now and I am not backing down. A friend of mine who works with me - Goldfish - has been an amazing pillar of support and helped me to see my worth to the company and he is the reason I decided not to back down and fight for what is mine.

I need to get out of debt and this couldnt have come at a more needed time.

I am going to have to look for a PA replacement for my boss who made me feel quite good when he said to me that he is "losing the best PA he has ever had"

So I have alot to get done these next few months as I would like to have achieved the top 3 goals by the end of the year.

I cant believe that the job I have always wanted is finally mine!! 

I worked as a Practise Manager for 9 years and made the move into corporate 2 years ago and it has been a tough journey - but it has paid off! 

It still hasn't sunk in properly.....

Big Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the big day - we then see the outcome of my career....

Serious Help needed

I need serious advice...and fast! 


Warning - this is an eeexxxtttrrraaaa long entry, settle in and get comfortable.


I found out today that the Marketing Manager position that I was promised by the MD last year September has now been offered to someone else.
I am flabbergasted!!!
I was employed as a PA and fell into the Marketing aspect purely by chance.


To skip the story scroll down to ********************


One day I looked at our Quarterly brochure that comes out and it was so boring I kind of pulled a face which my boss - the Sales Director - saw. He asked my opinion and I told him it was boring. He offered me a chance to give a few suggestions at the next marketing meeting and after that the Equipment catalogue was given to me to design and I have been doing it for about a year now. I told our CEO that I wanted to ultimately end up in Marketing, he had a word with the MD and the MD said that I must just be patient and come Aug/Sept I will be promoted because the current Marketing Manager will be retiring. I have worked after hours on the catalogues, I have planned events that have been extremely successful resulting in increased sales of our launched products and I am complimented all the time on my marketing abilities. So I waited patiently and promised myself through all these hard times that soon I will be promoted and doing what I love.


*********************************


Today my boss tells me that 1 of our sales reps has been offered the position. 
Some background history: 

• This rep has been there about a year - I have been there for 2 years 
• She has no experience in marketing, I have been doing catalogues and events for a year
• I am 31, she is 26

When I addressed it with the MD, he backtracked and mmhhhed and aahed and then tried to say he had said he would consider me for the position.
This is all bull as he told me on 2 seperate occassions to be patient and he told me that I would have to learn the consumable side of the business and the current lady could give me training but not while I was a PA, we would have to wait until the time was right and find my boss a replacement PA.


My boss spoke to me and said I need to state my case and tell them I want an increase in my salary if I cant have the managerial position. The MD siad he would look at it because I am doing a brilliant job on the equipment catalogues and the event planning and I am the best PA my boss has ever had and they can't afford to let me go as PA.


Driving home I realised that was all just a way to placate me and try make me back down by playing on my sense of loyalty to my boss.


I have to present my case on Monday and I am actually not happy that I was promised then overlooked.
I was not even given the opportunity to apply for the position or state my reasons for wanting the position - what do they think I have been working my butt off for for the last year?
I dont get paid overtime and I have done all this work because it was all in preparation for when I took over as manager.
If they increase my salary but keep my function the same then all that allows them to do is increase my work load and when I crack from the stress they can say: See, she would never have cracked it as a manager.


And why let them get away with giving my position to somebody else? This is my future we are talking about. I want the Marketing position - I dont want any other position in the company. So if she gets the position, she is young - I will not have a chance to grow and I might as well start looking for another job.
A manager is a better position and will look good on my cv rather than a PA who helped out in Marketing, that is too vague and doesnt reflect what I truly did.
Problem to consider: The job was not advertised internally, but they can always advertise the position and make a show of interviewing me to do the right thing, but stick to her and promote her. There are 3 directors and my director would lose against the other 2 as the MD has already made up his mind and the 3rd director goes with whatever the MD decides.
But how can they now give me the position when they have also promised her - then they are in the same boat with her being upset and sitting in the position I am in now.


I could suggest that they split the position into 2 managerial positions - Equipment and Consumable, that way her and I could work in conjunction together. But it would mean an extra salary for the company which I doubt they will go for.


This has been an extremely tough week and I have said to my friends that I am not sure I can last in the company for another 6 months as I do not enjoy being a PA anymore. It was a great challenge to move from running an optometry practise for 9 years to becoming an executive PA to a sales director. I now know I am more than capable and I have found my true niche - design and event planning.


I did some praying and decided that I needed to make a big change in my life in order to be happy again.
Concurrently my lease is about to expire and I really dont enjoy loving where I do (that is a long story I wont even bore you with - but trust me, I may sound like a miserable and unhappy girl -but I really am not that bad!)
I asked to extend the lease a further 6 months and the landlord disagreed saying they wanted a 1 year lease.
I was about to back down but said no. They have now agreed to a 6 month lease - which is all just as well, who knows whether I will still be at the same company in 6 months time, perhaps I might have to find another job and might have to move.


I believe that everything happens for a reason and perhaps this has happened to either make me realise that I need to fight for what I want and have more faith in my abilities and my worth to the company or that it is time to move on.


If I do not get this position then I will bide my time for another 6 months so that I can get my 13th cheque at the end of the year and then I will move on.
Being a PA has been soul destroying lately and I am on the verge of a breakdown, this has made it so sclear to me that I need to go after what I want and keep pushing until I get there.


But what is your opinion please: Do I demand the position or do I take a salary increase and remain a PA or do I suggest a dual manager position?