Ladies and Ladies: The Bluestocking is open: again

[DeanElderberry]

Newly renovated, beautifully appointed. Food and Beverages, excellent (if sometimes unexpected service), delightful clientele, special accommodation for invalids, pedants, readers and normal people.

Ceol agus Craic

Entertainment!

! Gerbils beautiful gerbils!

❤🐀🎧🐀🎺🐁🎷🐖 ❤

all furry!

! ❤AI and Scientists❤

less furry !

All women welcome

well behaved male visitors from the Staunch Ally are welcome in the stableyard but not across the threshold of the main building

ooops. posted too soon

there ye go

Getting there slowly, thank you. I am trying to be a Very Good Girl, following all the rules, eating lots of protein (and not a few treats when I get a bit fed up). And avoiding the prescription painkillers, because I really don't like the side effects.

That sounds positive. Have you got lots of physio to do as well?

Slow progress is better than trying to rush things, I'm sure, Cher.

Knock 'em dead, Myrtle.... obviously not literally with your leonine paws...

I've been avoiding political threads. The most controversy I've engaged with is the 'Which is the most miserable biscuit' one ... various heretical views. The sad thing is I live in a biscuit-free zone, having long finished the Xmas boxes of cheese biscuits. DH does most of the shopping and wisely just doesn't buy them - he's on a post Xmas weight loss campaign and doing pretty well.

However just had a delicious cup of Regal blend tea - part of my birthday present from dd who remembered I liked it but don't have easy access to a Whittards whereas she does.

A few exercises. Most of the advice centres on not doing things that will render the procedure unsuccessful.

I am getting quite good at pushing, pulling and hoicking with long handled things, and you can use crutches for more than walking, I find!

Getting boy scouts out of horses hooves?

😃 Might have to use the grabby stick for that.

Ah lads, lads. Or even ladies, ladies. Or just Bluestockings all.

If you have taken a resolution not to volunteer for anything, don't trust your dear old pals when they say 'just do it for this year Dean, there's no-one else and you won't have to do anything'. Before you know it they're introducing you as 'this is Dean, she's our chairperson'.

And never, when they're wondering what to do about a project, say 'it might be nice to do a tie-in with the new Bank Holiday'. That is NOT volunteering to organise it. But will they believe that?

Monday week afternoon will find me in a state of collapse. At best.

Some good news...

There won't be a new bank holiday in 2025, so that's something off your plate.

This used to happen to me a lot, including one year when they asked me to chair the AGM, "just till the new Chair is elected" (old Chair had quit). I called for nominations as the first item of business, whence came "I nominate Myrtle as Chair", then "I second that", rapidly followed by "I move nominations are closed". And that was that.

The only way to avoid it I have found is to stop showing up. Which sadly means they no longer have the pleasure of my time or expertise. 🙁

Thank you all for your kind wishes about the interview. I left my last role in the autumn because I couldn't stay any longer, despite being very successful. A change of leadership meant a change in direction and it was very stressful, so I had to leave.

I'm just getting over it really, and this forum, particularly the Bluestocking, has played a big part in me feeling confident enough to get another job. I've been unlucky and only had two interviews, one of which was with a recruiter who put me forward but the client decided not to interview me.

This interview is a good sign, so I'm hopeful, but I always get my hopes up and imagine I've got the job before being disappointed.

I hope this goes well for me.

@FuzzyPuffling that thread you mentioned was interesting.

A lot of the statements made would have been deleted in the past and quite possibly the whole thread removed.

I have found myself on the norty step in the past for saying some of the things now being said.

Something has shifted with MNHQ.

I have 3 interview questions as taught to me by a recruiter.
Hang on whilst I have my tea...I'll be back in 15 mins...

MyrtleLion
Some good news...
There won't be a new bank holiday in 2025

Ah but we have one in Ireland: the first Monday in February was designated a national holiday in honour of St Bridget [so a nice counterbalance to St Patrick's Day] but also, and I really loved this: to mark the Celtic festival of Imbolc - a new national holiday for an ancient pre-Christian festival

So I expect that's what Deano got roped into. It's lethal to have a good idea out loud in a group situation, isn't it? You always end up responsible for making it happen🙄

It's not exactly a new Bank Holiday, but it's only its second year. You would not credit the number of people who've asked, 'oh. is there a Bank Holiday?' - at least they shouldn't have alternative plans. Though one person had an invitation to Kildare.

Anyway I put the news on expecting the distraction of catastrophe and alarm in foreign parts and find ríra agus ruaille buaille and an experienced interviewer who should know better trying to get a straight answer out of Michael Healy Rae.

Off to Craicnet.

I agree with you, Banned. I also found it interesting as it was away from the "niche" of the feminism board, so it was an opportunity for a wider view. Hence my pleasure at so many people expressing the notion of " no men in wonens' spaces".

Also my "I am pro women" has 65 likes so far.

Oh MyrtleLion your post made me feel a bit teary. What a rotten time you've had and here you are, brave as a lion, proud as a queen, peaceful as a myrtle and ready to move on to much better things.

There's a fabulous job out there for you. X

Thank you so much. It has been a huge struggle since autumn 2023 and I had to go in the end. All my friends and family are hugely supportive and say I'll get something amazing (and the job I have a first interview for IS amazing), but while I'm in the thick of it it's just awful.

Your words made me cry xxx

Marie is right, but since they were foolish enough to put me 'in charge' (ha!) I'm centering the early medieval female who actually existed and the people who favour the Goddess are going to have to listen to a few prayers. But also legends and songs about the coming of Spring, and lots of stuff about the importance of women, all of us. And there will be hot drinks and buns and biscuits, and nice indoor space to shelter from weather (the praying bits will be outdoors).

So, at the end of the interview and they say 'do you have any questions for us' you say 'Yes, a few'.
Firstly, you say 'What are the qualities you are looking for in the person to do this job?'. This gives them an opportunity to ask about things other than what is on the job description, or that the HR manager has chosen for them to ask and as you are asking them, they can answer however they want. When they say anything, you give them examples of when you have done X or Y so that they can mentally place you closer to the person they want.

Then you say to them 'Is there anything else you want to know about me', again giving them an opportunity to say 'Have you ever done X or Y or know on the off chance about Z' which you can again pick up more key things that they haven't been able to ask or even thought of

Then finally you say 'This job sounds like just the sort of challenge/next steps for me, what are the next steps', which then puts them in the position of having to agree with you what that might look like rather than just walking out, you've thought about and put the thought of those next steps into their heads.

Once you are home, send an email to them thanking them for the opportunity for the interview and to say you look forward to hearing from them.

That's excellent advice, @AlisonDonut . @MyrtleLion , I'm sorry you had such a horrible time - it really knocks ones confidence. But - onwards and upwards.

I suppose if they make you do stuff, heck, you may as well do it your way
I'm not a fan of goddesses but I am a fan of pre-Christian Ireland so I'd tend more towards the original Bríde ... but the one who probably? possibly? was a real person, was admirable too. When I was little we used to visit what is said to be her birthplace in Faughart in Co Louth.

It all sounds lovely, anyway, and I hope it goes really well and the sun shines

Thank you, @AlisonDonut and @DeanElderberry. Some good things there. I tend to go on a bit when asked so I'm trying to think of it like a media interview where it should be short and to the point.

The recruiter wants to know more about my career history (even though it's all in the CV and supporting statement) and explore potential fit. I also get to ask about the role. This is tricky because I have done loads of research and I never know what to ask that I don't already know.

You had me completely fooled there, AlisonDonut - I started reading your post expecting to see advice like 'offer them all tunnocks at the start of the interview' or 'make sure you ride an elephant into the room, preceded by gerbils strewing flowers' and instead it was such wonderful advice!

I wish I'd had that advice back in my interview days - I always dreaded that sort of question, I really struggled to come up with something snappy and business-like.
'where do you see yourself in 5 years?' used to strike terror into my heart, for some reason I have very little concept of the future, and 5 hours is about the limit of my seeing into the future😶

Lovely post, Donut😘

The historians on the Medieval Irish History podcast are all united on her and her successors existing and being really important and well known (possibly more so than Patrick).

open.spotify.com/episode/2jP0Q8uJmDIFUIV1i73MOo

open.spotify.com/episode/1GYSJHylMlTNuKUSSzLhN1

But there's so much lore - we'll be making crosses and blessing brats and I'll be hunting for dandelions. I just hope the weather will have got it out of its system by then.

That's fascinating, Dean! And commiserations on the volunteering. I've just resigned as a school governor, after many years, most of them as chair.

Maybe re 'asking about the role' you can do something like 'I'd like to check that my understanding of <x> is correct...so they know you've done your homework?