Rollercoaster

Today has been a bit eventful. I almost got an international assignment as a team leader in Geneva, if the 14 other applicants in Geneva did not exist. Nevertheless, I showed up on time this morning at 9:00, to see an email from the very pregnant team leader in Geneva asking me to book a Videoconferencing room for 10:00 for my interview.

Rewind.....

February 2nd we receive an email about some assignment in geneva, with an assessment scheduled on February 5th. On february 5th, I inquire about the details of the roles to my boss, who knows nothing more than I do. So he suggested I register my interest. So I agreed and told him 'yeah, well, to be interested, we also need the details right?'. So that was Thursday evening. Then the next day, Friday at 5PM, HR calls me and asks me to send a CV and motivation letter to very pregnant woman L. that is about 30min before I finish. Fortunately Mrs. L. asks me to send those on Monday instead as she is in a hurry to go on weekend. Which I sent first thing yesterday...

And this morning, I had to book a bloody videoconferencing room. Fortunately one boss was around so I just begged for a room and she made the booking. Then I had to find the room and make the damn thing work..so my boss came down with me and we tried to find the damn room in Geneva...he managed to connect to it, sat me down in the executive chair and left me panting for air...And so started the most unprepared job interview of my career so far:

-'what is your plan to improve performance and reach this year's objective?'
ah, a plan? hmmm...I surely said something plausible but since it was improvised I cannot remeber what i said
-'how do you go about working with product A and B?
Wait, as far as I know, my boss doesn't know anything about the products I am playing with so...'I'll obviously learn as much as I can on my own, using the resources available'..well that is the most obvious answer I gave...although I doubt it is feasible given the timeline
-'Are you confident to do sogiven that we are looking for someone to start at the end of february at the latest?'
welllll, see??This is why I asked for the bloody details!!! Nowhere in the announcement did it say that it would be so short notice (I am not a journalist so I am not used to being sent to the end of the world in the following minute). But hey, my suitcases are already done since I am moving house, might as well stay packed for Geneva.

Anyway, 1h later of almost jokingly answering all the questions to those 3 Swiss based bosses (2 pregnant ladies and a smily dude), I was told to book another room for this evening to announce their decision.

I had all afternoon to find out the deal about relocation packages and the international assignment policies. By the time I found and made a quick scan of it, it was time for the second videoconference......This time I was incapable of making video contact.

So I sat in the executive chair, looked at myself in the big flat screen in front of me and heard their decisions over the phone: 'I was brilliant, please apply again in June, etc...They'd prefer a plug n play person, who already knows all the stuff.' To be honest, unless the 14 other applicants from Geneva were total crap, it is cheaper for them to have someone local. BUT....I had my face out there and now they know who I am....

Little me is very proud, because I was almost in my pyjamas, in my head especially. Now I just have to apply to those other positions and get to know more people. Thi is like wearing sandwich boards in the streets with my name on it.

Last but not least, I am relieved I am not moving to Geneva for 12 months next week!!