Finally, I completed it.... and my job search begins

The big news for this week is that after 3 years of coursework, I have finally completed my Open University course in computing.

I received news on Friday that I had passed my final module, which is great as I had no intention of re-doing it if I hadn't. Web Server management, so totally dry and boring.

Soon I will have a nice Certificate in Web Application Development to hang on my wall beside my two accountancy ones and my project management one (or maybe I'll file the accountancy ones away as relics of a previous life!)

So, what to do next? Hmm, maybe I'll take a year off studying and try and sort out my work situation which now desperately needs addressing. And then maybe do a course on London history or genealogy for a change.

I've been studying computing courses with the Open University since 1997 so its probably high time for a break. The great thing about this recent course is that it was all coursework based and involved online studying (I guess e-learning). Added another angle of interest to it.

Anyway, back to my work situation. I love the job I do and I enjoy working with my customers but I feel my opportunities to widen my network and get into new business areas are limited.

I'd like to find something that allows me to broaden my customer base beyond one area and extend my network beyond the confines of London.

So its time to change my job.

But I like my employer and love the sort of work I do - so, it's a no brainer, really, I just need to find another role working for the same employer doing a similar sort of role but for a different area of the business - and I think / hope I discovered it last week.

Fingers crossed, it will be brilliant if it comes off.

They say things happen in life for a reason and maybe what I had to deal with this past week at work was meant to happen as it triggered me to look for something else - and the opportunity I found wouldn't be more ideal had I written the job spec myself.

Let's hope office politics doesn't get in the way and prevent me from being offered this new role.

A Big Decision

yep, after loads of thinking about it, weighing up the pro's and con's, I've decided to sell my car.

It will be an interesting experience to be car-free, having owned a car since I was 17. But the fact of the matter is that I just don't drive it.

Its impossible to park in London even on Sundays and the cost of car tax, insurance, MOT and servicing is getting ridiculous when I only really drive the car short distances on weekends.

I used to need the car for work but not any more. And I don't mind using trains to get to places out of London - I can read and relax rather than getting wound up by all the traffic that seems to be on the roads, no matter what time of day or night.

I guess I'll need to make a couple of adjustments - shopping online for starters.

But the money I'll save I can use for cab fares when I need to. Or maybe for updating my kitchen.

My first "podcast"..... eventually, hopefully, kind of

ABC radio in Australia did an interview with me a few years ago. (You will need to have Real Player installed to listen to it.)

One of my friends in Sydney had "dobbed me in" to them as an expat who they could talk to on air about what it was like living away from home.

It was fun to do and the dj, Angela Catterns, was really friendly. (And living in London, you don't meet many genuinely friendly people, which is sad.)

Since the interview, ABC radio have phoned me a few other times just to get my thoughts as an expat on London and Aussie stuff. And they even phoned me on 7/7 to check I was ok - how sweet.

Anyway, I recently found the link to the interview while tidying up my pc and thought it might be interesting to add it to this blog. Unfortunately the interview itself is in real audio format rather than mp3 and I can't convert it directly as the file sits on ABC's server. (See below).

But on the bright side, its their bandwidth and not mine that you use if you listen to it!

I hope it works ok and is more successful than the boardI added to my family history site this weekend - which seems to crash for Aussie users, as I found to my dismay this morning. Oh well.

This weekend has been nothing but a series of technical problems ............ maybe I oughta stick to reading books.

The best and worst of London

The Sydney Morning Herald web site recently ran an article about The Best and Worst of British.

It was actually about the fun and perils, well mostly perils, facing any young Aussie backpacker who ventures over to London for a working holiday.

The "worst" fell into three areas:

- accommodation and how expensive it is

- employment and the British working culture

- public transport, particularly the tube

No surprises really.

But once you work out ways of dealing with them, London is still a great city and has loads to offer visitors.

Ok, it might also be overcrowded and dirty but tell me a place that isn't these days. I hear even Sydney, god forbid, has started to go downhill and Melbourne is now "the" place to be in when you live in Oz.