Decision

When I told my bosses, well my immediate boss, he wasn't sure if he wanted me to stay another week or longer.

Now, my contract only talks about immediate termination on either side. Plus they put me on furloughs without notice.

Still, I wanted to be helpful.

On Monday there was a programme team conference call where my departure this Friday was announced. I mentioned, rather embarrased, that this was only my suggestion and had not been confirmed.

Later I sent an email to my boss detailing everything I had been working on. It was a short email. In it, I also said that I would leave on Friday unless there was a strong objection.

No reply.

So, on Tuesday I emailed my new company and told them I can start next Monday.

That "right feeling" feeling

So, after talking to my boss I contact his boss.

His immediate response is lots of laughter and "everyone is leaving".

A few seconds pause ... including him.

He is tying up a new position in a major insurance company.

"Awesome," I tell him, "but I beat you to it".

It's not the waiting ...

... it's the waiting.

Twice this morning I went down to the bottom of our block of flats where the mailboxes are kept.

And both times my mailbox was empty.

Meanwhile I had e-mailed the new company telling them I was happy with the pdf of the contract they had sent and also mentioning that I have holiday in August (which I had forgot to mention before)

They replied that the holiday was not a problem.

Then I went off to lunch and, once again, checked my mailbox.

Big envelope was there.

With a big contract inside.

Lunch could wait (yes, really).

Signed the contract, went to the post office to post it, bought lunch (because it can't wait that long), then called my boss to tell him the good news.

He was very British about it (despite not being British in the slightest).

I have a nominal start date with the company of 1st August but am hoping I can bring that considerably forward. And I anticipate that I can end this contract by the end of next week.

A bit more waiting

Nothing in the post today - actually nothing at all, let alone the contract.

I contact the agency who assure me it's in the post and send an unsigned pdf of the contract.

It has all the details correct - name (and name spelt correctly), salary at the correct level etc.

So now I wait for it to arrive by post.

Meanwhile I have asked a friend who is a German to English business translator to quickly read it. I don't need a translation - just a quick review in case I missed something outrageous (which I'm pretty sure I haven't).

If she doesn't have time (and it was a last minute request as I thought they would write a version in English as well) that doesn't matter.

And in a few minutes there's another German speaking practise meetup - this time in a pub one block away from me. Must dash.

Waiting

The contract didn't come today.

Disintermidation

On Friday an agency sent me an email asking if I was interested in a project, working from  home but for a company in NRW (basically the Rhein area of Germany).

This morning I replied that I was interested.

Whilst I was out at lunchtime hunting for a sandwich the agency called me on my mobile and in the street we had a good chat. The result of this is that my name is going to be put forward to their client.

Splendid.

Which is just as well as I recently realised that my current job has been disintermidated but that my management haven't realised and are still paying me.

In fact I didn't have much to do today at all.

Still this evening I heard that the company who interviewed me last week (face to face) are sending a contract over tomorrow.

If it's okay then it looks like I can disintermediate myself from this current job.

Lazy Sunday

But not that lazy.

Despite it being the start of the holiday season in Germany (known as "Summer") I managed to find and apply for three jobs.

And I haven't heard back yet from the company which interviewed me last week.

Despite being able to interview in German I think I should continue to improve it so will later be going to a meetup of expats who practise their skills in this language.

It's at a beer garden - well, as I said, lazy Sunday.

Managing the Enemy

Yesterday I had a second interview, face to face with a company in Munich.

First I was interviewed by the manager who interviewed me on the phone last week.

He drew things on a flip board. Then asked if I had any questions. I asked if I could outline my approach to his situation on the flip board.

At the end of that he asked if I would like to do that role for them.

I replied, "Yes, please".

He laughed because the only other possible answer, framed that way, was "No, thank you".

In all that bit of the interview went well.

But then he went away and the HR director came in.

He was asking questions about my technical competence which were nonsensical in the role we were discussing. Plus his English wasn't that good and mostly we spoke German.

HR people can really screw up your recruitment. You have to keep them under a tight leash and never let them interview your candidates on their own.

I should hear by the end of the week about this job.

The company who telephone-interviewed me only in German for 45 minutes felt that my profile wasn't right for the role. Which is kinda good because it means that my German was quite good.

Oh and today at work senior management have been wondering if my role is of use to them. Which means that they are only slow by about nine months - I've felt that my role added little value since I joined and was ripe for disintermediation.

Still, I've earnt a lot more than I normally do in a year when permanently employed.

Follow-up calls in Germany

Yes or no? It seems yes.

Emergency Bier

Just had a second telephone interview in German - this time for 45 minutes.

Don't wait up for a second posting today, right?