Still a Corporate Girl

It appears that I am not a very good blogger. I discovered this over the past week when at least 20 people asked me “Have you finished work yet?”. As a blog about my creative journey, this is probably near the top of the list of ‘basic information’ questions, right below my name (Kathryn Ann Tyrrell, Kath to my mates, Blondie to my family), Date of Birth 22/12/1986...OK, OK, 1976) and hair colour (blonde with just a little help from the bottle). Yet I seem to have neglected to write an update on this basic piece of information. I have been sidetracked by sex and cash.  

So have I finished work yet? The short answer is no. In fact, even the long answer is no. The problem seems to be that I am irreplaceable.

In order for me to finish up at work, I have to find my replacement. And seven interviews on we seem to be getting as close to finding my replacement as we are to ending world poverty. It’s not that we’re not interviewing some quality candidates, but just that no one can agree. Too many heads on the selection panel being kind of like too many cooks in the kitchen. And with each person on the panel, including myself, being as opinionated as Gordon Ramsay I could be there until retirement.

I am still trying to work out if this difficulty we are having in finding my replacement means I have done a fantastic job over the last few years (ie we have to search the world over for someone as good as Kathryn) or I have come up short (ie whatever we do, don’t get anyone that even slightly resembles Kathryn). I of course choose to think the fantastic option, with periodic lashings of the second. What I have worked out for sure though is that if you ever want to know if you are getting paid the market rate, interview several people for your own job and see how they respond to “what salary package are you after?”. I used to joke if I worked out my hourly rate I was practically slave labour, now I don’t need to joke about it. I am officially slave labour.

Three more interviews lined up next week so I am praying to the book writing gods that one of these is a marketing guru. I figure by the time we appoint someone, they give notice, come on board, I do a handover....it will be Christmas by the time I finish up. Just in time for Santa to deliver me some divine inspiration for a bestselling novel. I think I can wait for that.