I am so fed up of work.

This week has been crap to say the least. Monday’s completion went wrong as the tenant in the property vacated with immediate effect and my client was paying extra for the purchase  just because a tenant was in the property. After a price reduction was agreed (even though we had exchanged contracts) everything was ok (I hope!)

Yesterday would have to have been the worst day EVER at work. My case load has slowly gone up as I had completed on a lot of my files. I had calls from all my clients kicking off at the same time.

I call up my client as I he wanted to speak to me and left a message for me to call back. I return his call and confirm that as we are selling a house we are responsible for answering any enquiries our buyers have. He didn’t get why. This is the second buyer he has had as the previous one pulled out. We had a copy of the valuation report for the current buyers and my client questioned what was in there. “The person who carried out the survey isn’t qualified” no of course he isn’t!! He is just paid to value a property out of thin air!! He continued to shout at me as if I was stupid and that everything was my fault, clearly. I apparently shouted back as I was frustrated. I managed to get him to answer the enquiries, a whole 35 minutes later!!

Then I had to call another client back (company policy is all call backs must be done in the same day, even if at 5pm!!) I returned this clients call. She is selling a leasehold flat with a very unresponsive landlord. She asked me to confim to her landlord that she will not pay any rent until the questionnaire is answered. I did as she instructed me to do. She calls in and states that she spoke to the landlord and he felt threatened by my letter requesting a response to the standard leasehold questionnaire we have. And then she went in for the kill, her exact words were “you’re useless” I asked her to repeat it (as I was shocked more than anything) which of course she did. I couldn’t speak. I just burst into tears. Two clients in a row either having a go at me or taking their frustrations out on me.I had been calling her landlord and writing to him with no answer, but of course it was my fault.

On both files I had done everything I could have. I couldn’t have done anymore than I had done, unless I physically flied to them to get a response! I’m fed up of clients taking their anger out on me and fed up of my job.

I no longer look forward to work. I’m sick of it. It’s just a means to an end at the moment. Granted clients have expectations BUT cut me a bit of slack. I guess I’m used to pleasing clients and not having any complaints so the first or two complaints hit the hardest. Luckily my team leader helped me out and told me not to worry (and said I’m not dead inside, which made me laugh). I need a break, a big long break away from everything!

So today was the first day back at work after the so called holidays (even though I was in the office for a few days in between).

Everything was as it seemed, until I realised people were being called in to see the team leader one by one. I was hoping it was to do with bonuses as these are paid every 6 months. How wrong I was.

I saw my friend working away and then glanced a couple of hours later only to realise she wasn’t there. I’m very sure I heard another colleague take a call on one of this girl’s files and said ‘she no longer works with us.’ Urm WHAT. I found out she got made redundant today with immediate effect. She must have been in the office for all of 2 hours. I can’t believe it.

She had under a years service and she was made redundant. I can’t help but think about my job and my position. Is any job actually fully secure? Ever?

I just hope this doesn’t happen to me, my years service is completed in March 2011 :s

Where I work, the office hours are 8am-8pm. The shifts range from 8am-4pm, 9am-5pm, 10am-6pm then the dreaded 12pm-8pm. Obviously you can work extra if need be (and most of the time, it is a must). I always am at work for about 8.30am when I am on 9am-5pm. If I am on the later shifts I always try and be at work at least 30 minutes before my shift starts.

As stated previously, I have now joined a new team. All of our clients are based on Internet recommendations and for friends/family of the company also.  There are only three of us on the team; the operations manager, team leader and then me.

We have recently just gone fully interactive online. Literally all of the signed documents we need such as terms of business, contracts, transfer deeds, mortgage deeds, are all available online for the clients to download sign and return to us. Obviously full instructions are put on each clients unique site to avoid errors.

We have been advertising this enhanced service whereby clients can email between 8pm and 10pm and it will be answered. When I was first asked to do it, I said no. I can’t imagine having to log onto my laptop with remote access to make sure I answer someones email. The initial idea was to answer in a basic manner so that say a Blackberry would be ok to reply with. However this hasn’t quite worked out and it has turned into a full email conversation lasting longer than expected. The cover is basically the team leader and operations manager dealing with this 5 nights a week and they share the weeknights between them so they either do 3 or 2 nights a week.

My team leader will be away early next year for two weeks. Therefore I have been asked to trial out this enhanced service so I get used to it whilst she is away. I *really* don’t want to do it. My team leader literally has no life, all she does is work and talk about her cats. I’m not saying I have this grand life once I leave work, but once I leave work for the evening I do not want to bare the thought of having to reply to emails until 10pm after.

They fully know my view on this but with the team leader being away, I can not say no. My life isn’t just work work and work. I do not want to be a workaholic at all or have a burden on me once I leave the office to ensure I log in later.

Am I being reasonable in my thinking? HELP!

I know one very stubborn person and they keep telling me how much they don’t think their degree is worth anything.

Said person is looking for a job that has nothing to do with the degree they got and feel their degree is worthless. I keep saying that a degree is something that a lot of people still do not have and those that do not have it, wish they had one.

For me, my degree means a hell of a lot to me. Mostly because having the degree helped when studying the LPC and I feel that it has helped me in my career, in a way. Also me and my older sister are the first two graduates from my family, therefore it means a lot more to me. Friends of mine who opted out of education have found it hard to get a stable job and are in their mind stuck in dead end jobs they can’t get out of as they *need* the job they are in as they do not have a degree. If I didn’t have a job in the subject I studied at degree level, I think my opinion would be different.

Those in most professions require some form of degree/equivalent qualification for their job for example the NHS, Lawyers, Accountants etc. I have tried so hard to change said persons opinion but they know others who have obtained jobs without any formal qualification and they earn a lot.

Granted at the end of the day it is a piece of paper however it took hard work to get there and should be something you are proud of.

I want to know: what does your degree mean to YOU?

p.s said person, you can kill me for posting this, but you know I’m right

This coming week is a four day working week for me. I fly out to Barcelona early Friday morning to return the following Wednesday. I can not wait to get away! It has been far too long since I got away, well May feels like a looong time ago.

I can’t help but feel guilty for going away though. I am away for a total of four working days, but just thinking about the work when I get back is scaring me. Since moving into a new team of just two of us, I feel guilty for leaving my 40 files in my team leaders responsibility, when she has already got over 50 files herself.

The only thing I can do is keep a good file handover list and not worry whilst I am away. Don’t get me wrong I can’t wait to get away and it is much needed, but the responsibility of my role makes it harder to let go when I know I’m leaving it all behind. I’m sure I’ll forget what work I had but then get nervous when I get back as to how much I have to deal with.

I will definitely be in holiday mode though, I need this get away. It has been so stressful over the past few months and I need good down time/ relaxation.

Definitely not looking forward to coming back though!

…I hate it!! Why can’t work be where everyone gets along and there are no politics involved!

Seriously hate my job at times.

Well although this new promotion is imminent, I have decided to up the job application process.

I have realised I don’t particularly like my job, I’m actually starting to hate it. I don’t think I ever really loved the job in the first place. It was always for experience and for now, until I found something else.

I want to progress and although I am, I feel like I am wasting away at my current role. I don’t want to be in a position where I am ‘stuck’ again in a job. I shall be keeping a look out with all agencies, using social media to find a job and generally applying for jobs to further my career.

Just looking at job sites, and the position is still just as bad as it was when I was looking at jobs earlier this year. Fingers crossed I can find something soon.

It has been six months since I have been at my “new” job. It feels like much longer but then at points it feels like it’s gone by so quickly.

Things are progressing really well at work, I’m trying to be organised and up to date on all my files. I won’t deny that it is a very stressful job at times, but my team mates sorta help with that element of the job.

Just today I was presented with an opportunity I don’t think I could deny. It’s too good to miss, it’s an important part in making this firm even bigger than it already is and involves the Internet in a big way. I along with one of my current team mates will be a part of it. I won’t go into the full details, until it’s actually fully confirmed but it definitely means exciting times ahead.

I want to be a part of something new and different. I am extremely scared/nervous about this at all times. I can’t not take the opportunity with both hands, it just feels like my current team mates may not be happy about it. I will still be near them but just not in their team, it will feel weird but it’s all part of progressing. I wouldn’t want to miss out on an opportunity just because someone else isn’t happy for me. It’s just hard to have both.

I heard from the SRA in relation to the question of whether the LPC expires, and thankfully it doesn’t!

Nice to have an answer, sorta

I know I’m a bit late on this one but here goes.

It has been two years since I graduated from the LPC. It feels like it’s been longer. I am definitely in a better place in relation to getting more experience but my fear is that the LPC will “expire” soon.

I’ve asked many people about the time period you need between the LPC and qualifying before the LPC expires. I have had answers ranging from 5 years to 10 years. I still have no idea when the LPC actually runs out. I am however worried that I have no training contract this year but am gaining experience which will hopefully count towards my career. Can anyone shed any light in relation to this?

I have also been job hunting on the side, usually weekly just to see if I can apply for something better and possibly in London. I currently work with three other students from my LPC who have also struggled to find any legal work. One girl was actually doing her training contract but was made redundant a year later. The job market is still scary. I do not want to be in a position where the LPC I have done is no longer valid. Scary times!