Once all the hype had calmed down at Brightsparkz, the temporary contract I had held reached its’ conclusion and even though I was offered a decent position, I decided that the world of the lightbulb was not fitting my requirements, and left the company, having made some good friends in the process.
So after a trawl through the agencies and being thoroughly fed up at the end of it, I found myself answering the telephone to an agency girl who had a position I might just be interested in. Could I go along on Wednesday morning at ten to meet and have a chat with them?
Here I was, parking my car in what was quite probably the smallest space ever. Oh and a helpful passer by standing with his arms folded and shaking his head. Though I was growing ever more agitated, I was determined to show this lowlife how it should be done and blessed my car, promising it all sorts of treats like a good clean and maybe even a service if I got the job! Just to please let me get parked and away from this revolting man with the smirk on his his face.
After a little jiggle backwards, parking was complete and I got out of the car and went to purchase my ticket, awarding myself a beaming smile at the sharp suited plankton, who now more resembled a goldfish, stood there with his mouth open at the woman who was able to reverse park with no problems.
Pulling my skirt straight, I unlocked my car once more to place the ticket in the windscreen, before making sure I had everything I needed for my interview. I half recognised the place I was going to, maybe I had been there before, it looked like it housed other businesses as well as the one I was due to visit. On entering the building I looked at the inner lobby wall and saw yet another ‘elaborate’ security system, and buzzed to be allowed in. Up the carpeted stairwell – no expense spared here then, even a few potted ferns to soften an otherwise clinical atmosphere. Now I faced the problem while I sat waiting to go in, how would I make this area more conducive to its’ purpose? Maybe a better colour than this insipid green, to start with. I never could understand how I saw the way places could be improved to create that first impression – why couldn’t others see it too?
Another day, another clipboard girl – maybe somewhere in the country there was an agency that just hired girls and gave them clipboards to see if they had the right look when holding this particular prop. I was ushered from one room of insipid green to another of the brightest yellow, long and narrow with a glass-walled office at one end and a bank of lockers at the other. Oh and more of those staffroom chairs. Maybe they shared the same supplier as Brightsparkz?
I definitely ought to have brought a pair of shades however. That yellow was awful, and whoever thought to team it with the violet carpet? These contrasting colours belonged surely not in a place of business but some young designer’s apartment on the riverside. Clipboard girl told me someone would be with me soon. As I sat down, the door opened once again and a group of nervous-looking people entered, clutching what looked like driving licenses. And some had passports. Along one wall of this long narrow office I now noticed that the adjoining room was part glazed, and inside were small booths with vdu’s set up in each one. A set of rather large and unbecoming headphones hung over the back of each swivel chair. The earpieces brought to mind Cliff Richard being wired for sound in a large shopping mall, roller skating for all he was worth. Quite a lot actually so I’m told.
I was beginning to gain an understanding of the sort of thing that went on in this office, as a woman walked up to the small gathering and told them to go through. She looked over at me and smiled. Was I with the others? Going on a hunch, I simply smiled and waved my driving licence at her.
Tags: goldfish, reverse park, clipboard, Cliff Richard, shopping mall, driving license
