Oh settle down....

Little heart of mine, oh settle down you're doing double time....

It was. On Thursday at 4.40.

On Monday I went to work knowing I had an interview on Thursday. That's good but now I was needing to prepare. I need to be up to date with the area (different to what I'm doing) and know the research areas of the principal investigators (3 of them). I need to check what I wrote in the application ..... Seems like I wrote it ages ago, and think of the answers to the questions you are always asked.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Having a job is never really acceptable. I did say retired once. I got the job :-D

What attracted you to this area? You can't say money to this one, there isn't any!

I was once asked what I would do if my toaster broke (!) it was for a technician role. My answer was that I would tell my husband we needed a new one wasn't what they wanted. I knew already I would be rubbish for the job.i did get my fare back :)

Anyway so there is that but that's fine, researching stuff is always fun. Obv I had normal work to do too but you don't need to hear about that.

Then tuesday I had a bit of good news. There's enough money left to pay me another 3 months if I want. Well I had to say yes didn't I. That took the pressure off a bit, but I still had details of 6 jobs on my desk I could apply for .

Weds I did 5 miles at mp. I averaged 8.14 per mile. Was in target. Or on, whatever.

Thursday was the day. I did my HMP effort run first thing and hit every one which was pleasing. Then I sorted out some smarter clothes to take into work for later. First thing someone said to me when I got in? 'you can't go to an interview dressed like THAT!'

Well I don't know why, I was wearing my IMUK polo shirt.....what's wrong with that eh?

I set the record straight ' of course I'm not bloody going like this, do you think I'm an idiot?'

Don't answer.

Then I spent the day convinced that I knew nothing, that getting my degree and my PhD had been a complete fluke and working a checkout would be alright really, whilst listening to people telling me I would be fine. We've been over that before haven't we.

So a small walk up the road to institute of Neurology to an interview room where almost exactly 7 years ago I sat my PhD viva. It struck me that I was loads more nervous that time and that yeah you know what I am a lot more confident now than I was then, people at work ask my opinion on stuff and come to me to learn stuff.....wow! That's quite cool isn't it. So I actually did know I would be fine. I knew that if I didn't get the job it wouldn't be anything I had done it would be because there was someone a lot better than me who perhaps had lots more relevant experience. I can only bring me to the interview and that's what they asked for.

It was a panel interview, 4 people on it, 3 scientists. One an FRS but all really nice it seemed. I answered all their questions, asked my own questions, I had a few, it's impossible not to in my sort of job and remember whilst you are speaking they can't :-D that could of course go horribly wrong but it was ok this time.

They said I would hear in a week. Ok I thought I can wait :-/ went to the pub to meet some friends but I wasn't in the mood really, just felt tired and a bit crabby!

Yesterday I spent the morning telling people how I thought it went......in this respect my work is rubbish cos everybody drifts in when they want, I needed them all in at once so I could make a general announcement!

By 11.30 I decided I needed to go out for a wander to get away. Half an hour later I got back to an email offering me the job.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm negotiating start date and all that but I am made up, really happy. 10 days ago I was sure I hadn't been short listed now I'm going to work on the sort of project I got into science to do.

I'm a very lucky girl.

Well, I think I'm ok at what I do too.