Peter McCoy
Apr 20th, 2012, 07:24:58 AM
In the middle of March, 2 weeks before my call centre closed for good, I applied online for a part-time position at B&Q - 20 hours per week. The application took around 2 hours in-between phonecalls at work but I sent it off eventually.
Then, I got a phonecall last Monday asking if I could come into my local B&Q superstore for an assessment day. There were 275 applicants in total and they'd narrowed it down to 12 people including myself.
On the day I had to do 3 things - walk round the store as if I worked there, trying to help customers, build a tower out of old VHS cases and plastic cups with two other guys, and promote a product by giving a 2 minute presentation. Out of the twelve people there, 4 were asked to stay behind for an interview - I was one of the lucky ones. AFter that, two were told they had not been successful while myself and another guy were told we would receive a phonecall by the end of next (this) week.
I got a call on Tuesday asking if I could come in again on Friday (today) so that the Store Manager could have a chat before having the final say on who to employ. SO I went there earlier today and met the Manager - really nice guy - and after 20 minutes or so I left and he said I'd know by 12 noon whether or not I had the job.
12:15, I got a phonecall telling me they would like to offer me a contract for 30 hours a week - 10 more than I thought I'd get. So as a result, I start Monday morning! I've done some math and after tax I'll pick up roughly £740 a month. Which is only £200 a month less than I was getting at Virgin Media. And based on my salary at Virgin, my fiancee and myself worked out around £700 disposable income monthly, after deductions for mortgage, gas and electricity, water, council tax, tv license, mobile contracts, Sky contract etc, plus £150 for booze a month. So minus £200 makes that around £500 disposable income.
And because this is all happening now, the payout I get at the end of this month from Virgin Media doesn't have to support me at all - it can all go on the wedding!
Finally, things are going my way after months of worrying. I'm so chuffed right now. We're having a celebratory chippy tea at my mums tonight, and I'll have a nice day out in town tomorrow with the missus and buy myself something awesome.
PS: I assume I'll get staff discount so those fitted wardrobes will be even cheaper when I get them now!
Then, I got a phonecall last Monday asking if I could come into my local B&Q superstore for an assessment day. There were 275 applicants in total and they'd narrowed it down to 12 people including myself.
On the day I had to do 3 things - walk round the store as if I worked there, trying to help customers, build a tower out of old VHS cases and plastic cups with two other guys, and promote a product by giving a 2 minute presentation. Out of the twelve people there, 4 were asked to stay behind for an interview - I was one of the lucky ones. AFter that, two were told they had not been successful while myself and another guy were told we would receive a phonecall by the end of next (this) week.
I got a call on Tuesday asking if I could come in again on Friday (today) so that the Store Manager could have a chat before having the final say on who to employ. SO I went there earlier today and met the Manager - really nice guy - and after 20 minutes or so I left and he said I'd know by 12 noon whether or not I had the job.
12:15, I got a phonecall telling me they would like to offer me a contract for 30 hours a week - 10 more than I thought I'd get. So as a result, I start Monday morning! I've done some math and after tax I'll pick up roughly £740 a month. Which is only £200 a month less than I was getting at Virgin Media. And based on my salary at Virgin, my fiancee and myself worked out around £700 disposable income monthly, after deductions for mortgage, gas and electricity, water, council tax, tv license, mobile contracts, Sky contract etc, plus £150 for booze a month. So minus £200 makes that around £500 disposable income.
And because this is all happening now, the payout I get at the end of this month from Virgin Media doesn't have to support me at all - it can all go on the wedding!
Finally, things are going my way after months of worrying. I'm so chuffed right now. We're having a celebratory chippy tea at my mums tonight, and I'll have a nice day out in town tomorrow with the missus and buy myself something awesome.
PS: I assume I'll get staff discount so those fitted wardrobes will be even cheaper when I get them now!