Disruption

Yesterday I attended an interview in London for a contract assignment.

As always I arrived early, in this case an hour early. I hovered outside the street until it was time. I think I was the only person wearing a suit in that part of London yesterday. I'm surprised it didn't make the news.

I used to arrive even earlier for interviews. In more recent years, however, the transport infrastructure in the UK is so bad that this is not necessary. Delays are so frequent that people are quite understanding if you turn up late. It's good to give a reasonable amount of contingency time but anything over an hour is probably excessive.

Ten minutes before the start-time of this interview I presented myself at their reception. Fifteen minutes later they told me to go up to their first floor.

The interview went well. There was good rapport, I felt, and I could answer their questions quite comfortably. Certainly I got across that I could do the job.

The interview did, however, go rather quick, 30 minutes in all. But I think that was all they intended to allow anyway.

Minutes after the interview I phoned the recruitment consultant who had arranged it. He said he'd get back to me by today. He didn't.

He also asked if I was willing to negotiate on the daily rate I'd given. No way. It's significantly less than the last role. Moreover this role is in one of the most expensive cities in the world. The rate we had agreed (the agency and I) would allow me to make some money, once hotel costs had been taken into account, but not much.

If I'm offered the job, on the rate originally agreed (or more) then I'll take it. But I'll be quite happy, even relieved, if I'm not offered the job.