Employment!

As of January 19 2009, I will be a full-time employee of Dimension Data. I’ve gained acceptance into their graduate programme and I’m excited!

A few reasons, which I’ll simply list:

• Financial security
• Employment in my chosen field of study
• Paid-for industry certification through DDLS
• Heaps of useful benefits (discount gym, free internet, phone, etc)

The list could go on, but that’s an overview of what I’m getting myself involved with. I’m really quite excited about it all. Though as with most things I’m excited about, it typically doesn’t show until the eve, or the hour, of the event. I’m excited but I’m also quietly impatient, and a little anxious.

Having said that about this position, I requested some feedback from the people who interviewed me for the Junior Linux Sysadmin position at UQ. They had a lot of good things to say about me, and in fact, they said that I would have been chosen for the position, because I was the best interviewee they had… if it weren’t for some small politics. You see, there were two positions available: one at A05, and one at A06 (for anyone not aware, these are common paygrade descriptors used in government. The higher the number, the more responsibility, and the more you’re paid). They had two successful applicants for the A06-level position and asked one if they wouldn’t mind settling for A05. They didn’t mind. So, I lost out the job only because someone who was better qualified, who applied for a higher position, had accepted the lower pay grade and responsibilities of the position I was after. Nothing I could do about that, really.

They also had some choice things to say about my previous employer, who apparently gave me quite a bad reference. Even though when I left, I was told to “write my own reference” and it was signed by my boss without a second thought, apparently including them as a reference on my resume was not the best idea. The UQ people wouldn’t elaborate as to what exactly was said, but they did indicate to me that I had best rethink who my favourite referees were. Despite this bad reference however, the people at UQ still wanted to employ me.

I was a little annoyed by it, but I’m over it now. My suitability for the position was always questionable. I did my best and that’s all I could have done. If that wasn’t good enough, then so be it. Not to mention the fact that aside from any technical or expertise shortfalls I may have encountered, my previous boss and I simply didn’t see eye to eye on several important issues.

So now, I sit and I wait. It would be nice if I could have a proper holiday between now and starting my new job, but I’ll have another two weeks at good old Nokia Care. Got bills to pay, y’know?