Maggie Bailey
It appears that there are certain changes on the horizon for me, which is an unsettling but not an unwelcome thought. I am almost certainly going to see some kind of shake-up on the work front. I am currently working as a data services administrator on a Bank (i.e long-term temporary) contract. It’s not ideal, but I really needed a job, so I jumped at the chance when I was offered this one. I have been with the organisation in question over a year now, but I do not enjoy any of the benefits of a permanent position: I only get paid for the hours I work, so no sick pay, holiday pay, etc, and there is no security – they could lay me off at any time with no notice. I have been working 5 days a week for the last year or more, but it seems that by the end of this year, my hours may well be cut down, as I gather my employer will not necessarily have the budget to pay me for full-time hours. This is a big worry, as I need to work 5 days a week in order to make ends meet (and even then, it is a struggle) – what do I do if they can only offer me 2 or 3 days a week in the future?
I have been trying to get a permanent job at my workplace for some time – I applied for one a few months back at my office, but was not successful. I am aware that another such role will soon be available, so I am strongly minded to apply for that. It would make all the difference in the world to me to have the benefits of a permanent contract. Even though, truth be told, I am not planning to stay in that office or line of work forever, and have been looking round for other things, but so far nothing has come up. If I could get a permanent job where I am, I would take it, even if it was just for 6 months, for example. It would put me in a much stronger position to be able to move on from there.
I want to move house as well, have been considering that for some time. However, I think I need to wait and see what happens about work first, i.e. if I even have employment in the New Year! They might well say that they don’t need me any longer and not offer me any more shifts at all. So I need to put my home-moving plans on a backburner, at least for now.
Whatever change comes, surely it has to be for the better. Things have been so hard and so unhappy and desperate for me for so many years, but I can now see some light at the end of the tunnel. Everything is altering and falling into place, I am sure of it. I just need to hold out a bit longer.
(Photo of me in my car. I like to be in the driving-seat, both literally and metaphorically! )
