Terra Nova unlimited

...

... that's my new contract :-)

Yes, I got a new, permanent contract!!!

If you remember, my Italian colleague Elisa left for maternity leave end of January 2010. That's why my company offered me the contract I have at the moment, the 1-year contract from beginning until end of 2010. Thinking about an answer to what to do when this current contract expires, was in my mind scheduled to somewhat after highseason, maybe September/October. However, before I even started thinking about my future after this 2010 contract, certain new circumstances in the company led to an interesting proposition.

My colleague Elisa was/is supposed to come back by the beginning of 2011. One day in August, though, she revealed to my boss that she and her husband + baby are about to move to Italy. Her husband got a promising job offer that he accepted. They had already sold their apartment in Oslo and bought a new property in Como where they would move. Perfect for Elisa as she would be closer again to her family which is an advantage with new litte "Adele".

Anyways... Elisa underlined that she'd love continue working for Terra Nova. Thus, my big boss (Anette) and my direct boss (Franck) stuck their heads together and thought about what to do with these news and totally unexpected changes in Elisa's life. Result:

1. They'd like to keep Elisa.
2. In somehow they'll let her work from Como, Italy (the technical and practical HOW is still to be figured out)
3. Well, Elisa won't/can't be back at 100%. She'll work only 60%
4. Conclusively they'll expand her former position (coordinator of FIT department) to a 1,6 position.
5. Thus, if Elisa works 60%, they need someone doing the full-time job.
6. So far, during her year of maternity absence, my colleague Stéphanie did Elisa's job. Before Elisa leaving Stéphanie had worked with me in the group department.
7. However, Elisa and Stéphanie together, that wouldn't work out. Both to strong personalities... and Stéphanie also wanted to go back to work with groups.
8. Idea: Stéphanie and Lilian can switch, thus Stéphanie back to groups and Lilian going over to the individuals departement together with Elisa.
9. End result: already in August my company (Terra Nova) came along with the offer of a permanent contract, starting right after the current one on 01.01.2011!

Elisa's announcement of moving to Italy came totally unexpected and quick to everyone of us. My bosses wanted to react quickly and kind of ensure that I wouldn't leave because of having already accepted another job somewhere else. So also to me all this came totally unexpected and early. As mentioned, I thought I'd put my mind into career planning by autumn.

When my bosses called me for a meeting and proposed me the possibility to stay they told me they really appreciated me and my work, they'd be very happy with me... They were really afraid of my decision, because they know I have a boyfriend in Italy and that it's not all alone me taking a decision.

Well, here now my opinion and how I feel about this:

1. Great! Fantastic! A permanent contract! In these days not easy to get... Being it so hard especially for young people, without too much experience, to get, it would be totally stupid not to accept it. So, be happy of having a secured work placement!
2. The conditions of the agreement are ok, though for now there wouldn't be any increase in salary related to that change :-( However, all conditions are basically the same as in my previous contracts plus I'd get a company paid mobile phone. Ok.
3. I like the job I do, I like the working atmosphere and I like my colleagues.
4. This country is just great and so beautiful. I found many nice people, have a nice and pleasant place to live (with my flatmate Mari), the standard of living is high, there is still so much to see and do here, so this contract is perfect for this.
5. BUT: my boyfriend, he is and stays in Italy at the moment. And this long distance relationship becomes harder and harder to bear. The first 4 years of being together the distance was hard but ok. It was kind of planned and calculable. You knew it's 4 years until everyone of us would finish his/her studies and then we can move together. However, there were always reasons why we didn't manage to move together since we both graduated (not finding a job in Italy, the advantages of staying more than only 5 months here and thus accepting my last contracts...). So why he doesn't come up here? No clue. Ask him! Several attemps of convincing him of the advantages of living here, of promoting this country to him led to nothing. He's a hopeless case.
6. BUT: To be honest: I don't like this move from the group department to individuals coming along with this new contract. I feel a bit kind of run over with this. I like the job I was doing with groups and I felt becoming kind of good in it right now. The first summer, 2009, I was doing simple bookings and relatively practical work. But within the last year I started to understand everything, how things worked. I understood the whole cycle of a group booking, from it's start with an offer/quotation, over the preparation of it and it's operation and finally the follow up. However, I felt that there was so much new stuff for me this last year (including of having a trainee on my own). Knowing the whole picture of working with groups now, I could now also become better in it. Everything I did, I did it for the first time now, but I probably wasn't too efficient in it. Now I could optimise what I learned over the last year. I knew and felt that doing one more year in groups I could become so much more efficient, because I could have organised myself better. I knew now what would come, what there is all to do with groups. So moving me to the FIT department now felt like tearing me out of something where I just started becoming good. I felt like being on an increasing curve of learning and efficiency that got just cut off and interrupted... Like something being over before it even started...I told my bosses that I was a little disappointed of being moved, but they explained and excused it with Stéphanie and Elisa not being a good couple work with each other. I knew that it was also because Stéphanie wanted to go back to the groups. Well, she's in the company for a bit longer then I am. So, well...
7. It'll be a challenge now to learn how the FIT department works. I have a certain background from groups, but individuals are simply different and so there will be a lot of new stuff for me to learn... coming along with quite some overtime I assume... But well, all this is not necessarily negative, I see it quite positive. This challenge is good and brings me further in my life, professionally as well as personally.

The result of all my reflections:

I accepted the new job offer! And with quite a delay, now in November, I finally managed to also sign it!

Mari and also my friends have to stand me a bit longer now :-)

For you this means: you have now even longer the possibility to come and visit me here :-) You are always welcome!