One possibility for a new future.

Well, it looks like this didn’t become an exclusively cycling blog for a while. Something cropped up. What was it? Oh, yes: losing my job.

Yes, yes, I know. I haven’t actually lost my job yet. But chatting to folk around the office it’s clear that no-one has the remotest confidence that the consultation period will make the slightest difference to the proposals. Or, “proposals”, as people say, with quote marks indicated by raised pairs of fingers.

Now, the union (PCS, if you’re wondering) tell us that it’s worth campaigning, and that nothing is set in stone yet. But do you know what? In the two weeks since the announcement was made I’ve got so used to the idea of finding something else and starting afresh, that the last thing I want to hear when the consultation period is over is that Stevenage Office will in fact stay open. I’d personally rather the union spent their time campaigning to ensure we get a decent redundancy than trying to stop the office closing. We’ve a big union meeting tomorrow. Let’s see what it is they’re planning.

For the time being I’m working on the assumption that I need to find a new job some time in the next two years. And if we decide to relocate, we’d want to do so before January 2011 as that’s when our son starts nursery. I’ve only had a cursory glance at the local job pages so far, but one or two things are beginning to go around in my head as possibilities. 

The only one I’ve actually looked at in any detail is the thought of training to become a driving instructor. (And I know I’m not the only one to have considered that as an option.) As far as I can see, it’s the sort of job you can choose your hours to fit in around family life, and it’s the sort of job you can take anywhere. I’ve had a look at the AA driving school and according to the quiz on their website, “it looks like I’d make a good AA driving instructor”. (And I promise I tried to answer the questions honestly!) On the down side it would mean running my own business (even the AA instructors are in fact running a franchise) which seems to me pretty daunting but plenty of people manage it, so why not me? 

If anyone has any other suggestions, please do let me know!