Friday, November 17, 2006

Random job stuff

Remember back in July, when I first got the job I have now, and said it was a four month contract? Well it should come as no surprise that my contract is due to finish at the end of this month. However my lovely team leader knew this and upon overhearing that another department on site was looking for a temp, he suggested me for the role. It's only to Jan 31st but anything right now is better than nothing. To cut a long story short, today I found out that I have this new contract for definite. It is in analytic technology, and is more so involved with drugs that the company is developing.

Along with this change of scenery comes a better job title. From the 4th of December I shall no longer be an Analyst, but a Scientist. I feel quite excited, I may have to change this blog to Lola's Cherry Cola Laboratory, although it doesnt quite have the same ring. I'm excited about this move, but at the same time, absolutely petrified. I think I'll be expected to know things that I don't really know. All this previous job has taught me is how to follow a method step by step, and sometimes I couldn't even manage that... We'll just have to wait and see how it goes.

Speaking of work, the other day I heard something that surprised me, and then made me titter. The company I work for is apparently still producing aerosols with CFCs, although this is the last year they will be produced. It surprised me as the company is otherwise very engaged with trying to be an eco-warrior, persuading us not to print out unnecessary things, to print two pages to a sheet where appropriate, to turn off lights, equipment and computers when we are not using them, and starting off a big recycling quest. One of my co-workers said that apparently when it was first discovered that CFCs were harmful to the environment our company stock-piled a hell of a lot of CFC propellant, so they could keep using it long after it had to be stopped being produced. That was what made me titter, I could just imagine the board room conversation...

Underling: Have you heard about our CFC propellant damaging the environment?
Managers: No. Quick, lets buy some more before it runs out!

Oh dear.

As for today, work didn't like me. I made stupid mistakes and then a sample set was playing up so I can't process my results until monday. But coming out of the carpark I saw my first robin for the winter, and he cheered me up. Yes I'm easily pleased, but then again if I wasn't I'd be walking around in a foul mood constantly. Be happy that I'm easily pleased.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't be too surprised about the CFCs. When one of Teflon's solvents was banned, some industrialists apparently began stockpiling it in their garages at home. So I'm told.

The things some people will do for a profit...

Anonymous said...

Ok well it's a good sign that your company wants to keep you. So don't worry about your new job - just ask questions if you don't know and be ready to learn!

The corporate machine sure is something. They want you to be economically friendly because it qualifies them for tax incentives. But the truth is they don't care and of course they are stocking up on stuff that has been found to be economically unfriendly but makes them money.

At any rate, have a good day and good luck! Keep being easy to please, it means you are happy :)

~~Sara~~

SaneScientist said...

There used to be a particularly nasty chlorinated solvent that was a staple of school chemistry practicals (I can't for the life of me recall its name). It was decided to phase it out (even universities had to order it from specialist suppliers). My old secondary school wangled a discretionary budget to buy several litres of the stuff before it became unavailable...

Given the strict rules regarding H&S in School science labs, I suspect they wasted their money. I'll bet they were told to stop using it before they exhausted their rather dubious stockpile!

Carmelo said...

Cheers, glad you like it. :-)

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