I've just found out that one of my co-students has been writing a blog. I don't see her and her cohorts so much these days - although we're still doing the same course with the same lecturers, I'm doing the other class most of the time (we do two three hour classes a week, each of which is held twice, once during the day and once in the evening. I usually do Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, and Student Granny does Wednesday afternoon and evening). SG can be quite scathing on her blog, which I read from end to beginning once I discovered it.
Alright. I admit it. I read it to see if she'd said anything about me. So shoot me. But there's zip. I'm not the subject of her wrath, or anything else.
Showing posts with label Burton College. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Burton College. Show all posts
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Lies, damned lies and no statistics at all.
Stepdaughter #1 and I were photographed for the AAT Magazine article today. Which was a slightly bizarre experience. How so?
Well, for a start the dress code was 'smart casual'. Now I'm a jeans and t-shirt or work clothes (which with my work history, tend to be some sort of uniform) kinda guy, and so I'm not entirely sure what smart casual is. I therefore took myself to that high class gentlemen's clothing emporium that is Asda, and bought a couple of polo shirts and a pair of chinos. But Mrs MnG told me that I should never wear shirts with horizontal stripes, as they'll make me look fat. So I put on a grey short-sleeved shirt I already had, and took the polo shirts as spares.
We did three sets of photos. The first set took place in one of the computer suites at college. If you've already done AAT Foundation, you'll know that there's no computer element to Intermediate, so SD #1 doesn't even have a Burton College login. No matter, as Johnny the photographer had carefully arranged the computers to show the bright blue Windows XP login screen, with us sat on chairs in the middle. The next few minutes were a montage of Johnny photographing us, getting SD #1 to smile, and running round wiggling mice.
Next up was in the library, where we were photographed in one aisle, whilst Johnny was in the next aisle, poking his well-endowed Nikon through the books. For composition, don't you know...
Finally, we were shot actually studying, or at least pretending to. I was doodling, then pretending to read a text book, when the fire alarm went off. "Just a couple more shots..."
It was fun, and Johnny told us that he'd got some good shots. And hopefully, some accountant somewhere will see my gurning mug, and think "I'll give that man a job." Possibly. Maybe.
Well, for a start the dress code was 'smart casual'. Now I'm a jeans and t-shirt or work clothes (which with my work history, tend to be some sort of uniform) kinda guy, and so I'm not entirely sure what smart casual is. I therefore took myself to that high class gentlemen's clothing emporium that is Asda, and bought a couple of polo shirts and a pair of chinos. But Mrs MnG told me that I should never wear shirts with horizontal stripes, as they'll make me look fat. So I put on a grey short-sleeved shirt I already had, and took the polo shirts as spares.
We did three sets of photos. The first set took place in one of the computer suites at college. If you've already done AAT Foundation, you'll know that there's no computer element to Intermediate, so SD #1 doesn't even have a Burton College login. No matter, as Johnny the photographer had carefully arranged the computers to show the bright blue Windows XP login screen, with us sat on chairs in the middle. The next few minutes were a montage of Johnny photographing us, getting SD #1 to smile, and running round wiggling mice.
Next up was in the library, where we were photographed in one aisle, whilst Johnny was in the next aisle, poking his well-endowed Nikon through the books. For composition, don't you know...
Finally, we were shot actually studying, or at least pretending to. I was doodling, then pretending to read a text book, when the fire alarm went off. "Just a couple more shots..."
It was fun, and Johnny told us that he'd got some good shots. And hopefully, some accountant somewhere will see my gurning mug, and think "I'll give that man a job." Possibly. Maybe.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Warning: venting in progress.
I'm seriously getting fed up with looking for a job. I know there's a recession going on, but still. It's just that I've had a couple of knockbacks recently, and it's affecting my confidence.
Knockback one was a phone I had on Monday, the day before I had an interview with a local council. Interview cancelled, due to a recruitment freeze. But it was knockback two that had me in tears of frustration. I saw a job on a well-known recruitment agency's email for an AAT Semi Senior in Leicester. Unusually, this job seemed not to require even the six months experience that trainee accounts positions seem to require. (Why is that? Surely someone looking for a new job with only six months experience is showing a lack of commitment?) So I applied, and unusually for me as I'm not a fan of phones, I phoned the agency to show keenness.
The lady on the other end told me that the client had specific requirements, and that even someone commuting from Loughborough (a town halfway between leicester and Derby, where I live) would not be considered, and so he would not even look at my CV. Apparently he's been burned before by people who commute on the sort of salary a junior accounts trainee would earn.
Well, excuse me, but give me some flaming credit. I know that entry-level accounts positions pay jack all, but we're managing on the mix of NHS student nurse bursary and tax credits we get at the moment, so I'm prepared for the low wages for the right job. I can read, and I do know the relative distances between Derby and Leicester, and I'm prepared for that. Here's the thing. If I wasn't prepared for the commute, I wouldn't have applied!
It's the classic lack-of-experience vicious circle. It has been suggested to me that I write to accountants and offer to do some work experience, or volunteer for charity work. I'm a bit leery of the charity work, as I'm half expecting that once I've done some volunteering that the recruitment agencies will turn round and tell me that the experience is 'the wrong sort of experience'. In addition, there's the question of childcare. If I was being paid child care wouldn't be so much of a problem, as we have got an arrangement kind of set up for if and when I do get a job. But I'm not sure I can get childcare for swanning about like a schoolboy doing work experience with no guarantees at the end of it.
By the way, the study is going fine. In Unit 5, we started overhead absorption. To be honest, I've been told that Intermediate is much harder than Foundation, but that's not my experience. I'm finding it all straightforward and logical. And the same goes for Level 3 payroll. There's another rub. I'm understanding this, and able to do the work. Elsewhere in the class, there's students who are working, and they're struggling. I can do this! Give me a job!
And breathe...
Knockback one was a phone I had on Monday, the day before I had an interview with a local council. Interview cancelled, due to a recruitment freeze. But it was knockback two that had me in tears of frustration. I saw a job on a well-known recruitment agency's email for an AAT Semi Senior in Leicester. Unusually, this job seemed not to require even the six months experience that trainee accounts positions seem to require. (Why is that? Surely someone looking for a new job with only six months experience is showing a lack of commitment?) So I applied, and unusually for me as I'm not a fan of phones, I phoned the agency to show keenness.
The lady on the other end told me that the client had specific requirements, and that even someone commuting from Loughborough (a town halfway between leicester and Derby, where I live) would not be considered, and so he would not even look at my CV. Apparently he's been burned before by people who commute on the sort of salary a junior accounts trainee would earn.
Well, excuse me, but give me some flaming credit. I know that entry-level accounts positions pay jack all, but we're managing on the mix of NHS student nurse bursary and tax credits we get at the moment, so I'm prepared for the low wages for the right job. I can read, and I do know the relative distances between Derby and Leicester, and I'm prepared for that. Here's the thing. If I wasn't prepared for the commute, I wouldn't have applied!
It's the classic lack-of-experience vicious circle. It has been suggested to me that I write to accountants and offer to do some work experience, or volunteer for charity work. I'm a bit leery of the charity work, as I'm half expecting that once I've done some volunteering that the recruitment agencies will turn round and tell me that the experience is 'the wrong sort of experience'. In addition, there's the question of childcare. If I was being paid child care wouldn't be so much of a problem, as we have got an arrangement kind of set up for if and when I do get a job. But I'm not sure I can get childcare for swanning about like a schoolboy doing work experience with no guarantees at the end of it.
By the way, the study is going fine. In Unit 5, we started overhead absorption. To be honest, I've been told that Intermediate is much harder than Foundation, but that's not my experience. I'm finding it all straightforward and logical. And the same goes for Level 3 payroll. There's another rub. I'm understanding this, and able to do the work. Elsewhere in the class, there's students who are working, and they're struggling. I can do this! Give me a job!
And breathe...
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Ein ganzes Jahr
So it's been a whole year since I posted. Sorry, just haven't been arsed. A quick recap:
- Passed AAT Foundation and Payroll (with an A!). Now on AAT Intermediate and Level 3 Payroll, which takes some juggling as two of the classes clash.
- I've been looking for a job since the summer, but with not much success. I have had a few interviews (where they said I interviewed well, but the job still went to someone with more experience), and I have had a four-week stint temping in an office, which was really good. I'm stuck in the no experience vicious cycle, which will take time and persistence to cure.
- Mrs MnG has started on her student nursing.
- The TR7 is moving s-l-o-w-l-y. I've mostly got the LH front floor in, and I have all the parts to do the LH rear floor. Trouble is, I've not much time to work in. I have got hold of a big gas cylinder, though.
- We bought a big family tent, a Vango Colorado 800DLX, and we used it at the TR Drivers Club national weekend in July, and the Suzuki Owners Club AGM in Ashbourne in August. We're not in the SOC, but my in-laws are, so they let us camp, and we took the little ones to a nearby agricultural show.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Skillz and stuff
I've been busy practising for my first AAT skills test, and it's going pretty well. The only thing that's really giving me trouble is are the 'pay up or else' letters.
I've also signed up for Facebook, as my Auntie Kirsty (she hates that), post pics of her family in New Zealand on there. I've put a Facebook badge on the right. I've managed to get back in touch with many of the people I used toshout at work with at McDonald's. One of them even asked me to be their friend. Cool.
I've also signed up for Facebook, as my Auntie Kirsty (she hates that), post pics of her family in New Zealand on there. I've put a Facebook badge on the right. I've managed to get back in touch with many of the people I used to
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Some good news
Remember my post about fellow TR7 nut Ally's death? Well, her boyfriend Simon's taken over her Triton Green DHC KBA. As we speak it's in to have it's fuel tank replaced. Read his blog here.
In other news, I've been discharged from the shrink. My college course is going so well, that I've gone full time. At the moment I've more money than time, so for 7 hours extra a week, I get my AAT registration and my textbooks paid for. To make up my hours, I'm working my way through CLAiT certification, and doing payroll.
In other news, I've been discharged from the shrink. My college course is going so well, that I've gone full time. At the moment I've more money than time, so for 7 hours extra a week, I get my AAT registration and my textbooks paid for. To make up my hours, I'm working my way through CLAiT certification, and doing payroll.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Bad things come in twos
It was a shock to hear when I went to college on Monday that one of my fellow students had died over the weekend. Coupled with Ally's death, it's a bit disquieting. People younger than me aren't meant to die.
Other than that, I'm enjoying my course. I'm getting the hang of double entry, and the health & safety stuff I'm learning is a piece of cake after running the H&S circle at MaccyD's all those years ago. And with accounting, not only do I get the good job with the £££s at the end, but I see the £££s all the way through!
Other than that, I'm enjoying my course. I'm getting the hang of double entry, and the health & safety stuff I'm learning is a piece of cake after running the H&S circle at MaccyD's all those years ago. And with accounting, not only do I get the good job with the £££s at the end, but I see the £££s all the way through!
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Bargain!
The one problem I've found with my Astra is nowhere to put my mobile. There's nowhere to put a stick on holder within reach of the driver, and the ones that clip on the vent rattle too much. That's why I was pleased to find a Brodit Proclip for 99p + postage on Fleabay (They're normally £20!). These are vehicle specific brackets that fix solidly to the dashboard with no screws, using sticky pads and/or jamming into the gaps between dash panels. Brodit also sell phone specific holders that fit to the proclip, but as Mrs MnG has a different phone to me, I'll fix a universal holder to it. It's in exactly the right position for the satnav on my n73. Lovely.Oh, and I've also enrolled on my AAT Accounting course at Burton College. I start Monday. I'm a student again!
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