Bentley Boys

Look at that! Look. At. THAT!! I bounce excitedly from cheek to cheek in my seat jabbing a finger at the screen. The Blonde wanders across from the kitchen where she’s preparing dinner to the dining room where the computer lives at Blonde Towers to indulge this weeks obsession. Squeezing my shoulder affectionately she gracefully feigns interest as I excitedly reel off the stats. “Royal Ebony Metallic with contrasting magnolia leather with black piping, six and three quarter litre turbocharged engine, full service history, and only 75,000 miles”. I flick through the photographs of the immaculate looking Bentley Turbo R, “that is so much car for eighteen grand” I enthuse as I lust after the thick Connolly leather and imposing walnut dashboard. The Blonde leans down and kisses me gently on the cheek “you don’t have a spare eighteen grand” she murmurs in my ear “and it won’t fit on your drive”. She has a point, to be fair, but I’m already gone, driving that Bentley across the Europe of my mind, The Blonde by my side, matching luggage in the boot, heading for an expensive hotel in Portofino where the doorman will nod appreciatively at my motor before reverently taking the key as The Blonde and I alight relaxed and fresh from several hundred miles of high speed transcontinental travel, Grand Touring the old fashioned way. I slip a fifty into his hand (I’m very generous with imaginary cash), “park the old girl somewhere safe” I tell him.

The Blonde is getting used to the flitting butterfly of my automotive obsessions. Only a month ago she was reading a text sent direct from the last Ford Capri ever made, parked inside the Henry Ford College last time I was there. As I sat in the car it instantly transported me to the bright yellow Capri 2.0S of my teenage years and that text confirmed that I had to have another. The Capri followed swiftly on the heels of a burning desire for an MX5, the ultimate in hassle free top down summer pleasure, eventually discarded for being too digital, I want something with more soul.

There was the Saab Aero Convertible that never was, and more recently a Volvo C70 Convertible that came closer to reality than you’ll ever know. A month of agonising over a near perfect low mileage one owner example that potentially came my way via a contact in the motor trade. GT spec it had everything I wanted, Pro logic hi fi, full leather, air conditioning, heated seats, cruise control, and on and on. Head fought heart and heart battled head, it was a cheap car, a good car, a well historied car. A car that could have provided wonderful summer cruising, top down, stereo on, chewing up the miles and transporting The Blonde and I to fresh adventures and nice hotels across the country. Eventually I had to concede that the timing was wrong, it was too soon, too risky. Buying it wasn’t the issue, potential expensive problems were, with a commission based income I’m just not reliably earning the kind of cash to shrug off any costly issues that crop up. Yet.

Of course now I’m middle aged a rich vein of dream cars of my youth swing dangerously into focus. The very first properly fast car I ever went in was courtesy of my parents next door neighbour, a BMW dealer at the time. Mid grey 635CSi, all shark nosed, delicately pillared and perfectly proportioned. They don’t make ‘em like they used to. The honey smooth savagely insistent urge of the 3.5 litre straight six engine and the incredible feeling of being firmly squashed back into the soft leather upholstery as the speedometer needle raced around the dial was one of the first experiences that really turned me on to cars in my formative years. Now that impossible dream of my youth teases me from the Pistonheads Classifieds with a full service history and BBS alloys, all for under ten grand.

A Porsche 928S, the ultimate Croker childhood fantasy, winks at me at £10K also. Spaceship styling, German build quality, 5.0 V8 performance and That Badge, how can anyone with petrol running through their veins possibly resist? But for all the reasons that apply to the Volvo, times ten, the Porsche stays securely on the pages of Pistonheads. A gorgeous Mercedes 500SL holds similar stock.

Yet I’ll never stop dreaming, and one day it will have to become a reality. Life’s too short and far too interesting to be sensible all the time. One day I’ll crack and The Blonde and I will move off the highways of my mind and onto real ones, heading south in search of open roads, warm sunshine, and fine hotels. As a very close friend and mentor has been known to opine, you’ve got to waste a little money sometimes. With a Ferrari F355, Porsche 911 Carrera 4, and Jaguar E Type (amongst others) tucked quietly away, he really ought to know.

In the meantime the trusty Fiesta rattles me happily (and financially painlessly) back and forth, The Blonde continues to indulge this weeks latest pash, and the current edition of Classic Car provides inspiration on my coffee table.

I’ll keep my powder dry for now, but the radar continues to turn…

Contestant ready!?

Remember Gladiators? Brilliant series screened in the early ’90s and more recently re-created on Sky although I understand without the same level of success. For those that haven’t seen it, it was an adversarial game show where members of the public went up against The Gladiators in various battles such as trying to swing via ropes from one platform to another whilst the gladiator tried to intercept and then bring them down. At the end of the show their score was transposed into a head start time in a race against a Gladiator around an indoor assault course, finishing with the dreaded Travelator, which was basically an inclined treadmill like a down escalator without steps which they had to run up. This took real determination as it was running at some speed and they had to outpace it to the top, whilst of course being chased (or chasing) a Gladiator.

Well the last six weeks has felt a little like that Travelator as I’ve raced like mad to try and learn the many and manifold procedures and systems without tripping and falling, sliding straight back down to the bottom again. And in truth that I don’t feel like I’m off it yet, but as things start to come together I’m able to run a little less hard and still feel like I’m making progress.

I’ve also managed a few days off for a mini-break with The Blonde. And boy, did I need them. A couple of nights away at a very lovely hotel by the coast was just what was needed to recharge the batteries, fall back and re-group. I didn’t realise just how very tired I was till I stopped (I think even The Blonde was surprised) but I felt absolutely drained. Fortunately the weather was perfect, strong winds and persistent rain curbed even The Blondes penchant for walking miles and miles, substituting instead a session in the wonderful spa facilities where the welcoming embrace of a heated pool and a wonderful jacuzzi helped sooth shattered mind.

We came home refreshed and renewed and I returned to the metaphorical treadmill reinvigorated.

In truth, car sales isn ‘t that hard. The challenge has been learning a completely new job whilst being thrown in at the deep end to just get on with it, which can be a stressful approach. In particular there seems to be no instructional process, it’s simply a case of muddling through and relying on colleagues for help and guidance which has, I fear, been frustrating for all at times.

So how’s it going? Well, I’m shifting a few cars, both new and used. And I think that once I get properly up to speed it’ll be ok. Whether I see myself doing it for another twenty years is another matter, but for the moment it’s a job and it’s an income and right now that’s paramount.

What I do need to try and do however is up the pressure on the writing side of things. And with that in mind I’ve been in touch with The Editor again to push on with the big test review I’m supposed to be writing. Like everything it’s proving not to be without it’s challenges. But that’s life and yet again we muddle through.

Muddling through, it seems to be the watchword for the moment…

Sands of time.

A call from the recruitment agent I met last week! Good as his word he’s set me up an interview with the dealership discussed at the time. This one is Mitsubishi and it’s based in the city about an hour away from home. He also mentions that there is no company car (which is unusual for a car sales position, you normally get to run one of the demo cars at least). This would mean I couldn’t sell the Polite Hatchback and would be racking up the miles on it instead which is somewhat disadvantageous. Non the less until the Ford position is confirmed one way or the other I need to keep the radar turning and so I readily accept the invite. It’s scheduled for Thursday, perfect, should mean that I get the final Ford interview out of the way first and may even know where I stand by then.

Other than that it’s all very quiet. I didn’t get a response to my email to BMW offering help at their marketing shindig, Mercedes never came back to me regarding my request for feedback, and unbelievably still nothing from Audi, now a clear thee weeks after the date I was promised a “formal decision”.

On top of that the job sites are worryingly quiet again, not much going on at all currently.

It seems all I can do for the moment is carry on keeping everything crossed for the Ford position, and the Mitsubishi situation bubbling on the back burner in the hope of turning up the heat if Ford comes to nothing.

The waiting continues…

Rain dance.

It took all day but I finally made contact with the chap from Ford. I’ve an appointment to see him at the end of the week with a view to helping out part time and seeing what comes of it. I believe it’ll be useful experience whatever happens, but clearly the end game from my point of view is to try and gain a full time position through it. It’s progress of sorts though, baby steps.

And in the meantime I’ve applied for a job at a car supermarket, a job as a negotiator with a firm of estate agents, and a position as a sales advisor for a large house building company. Things must be looking up if the house builders have stopped licking their wounds and started recruiting again!

So a few irons gently simmering in a couple of small fires, lets see if we can’t get a bit of a blaze going.

In other news, still nothing from Audi now a fortnight past the day I was told I’d be informed of a final decision. Poor. Nothing from Mercedes in response to my email to them. And not a whisper from any of the recruitment agencies, just what is it that they do to earn a living exactly?

Finally, a missive from The Blonde late yesterday afternoon.

“Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning
how to dance in the rain”.

And she’s right, lets Tango.

Once more unto the breach.

Back from our weekend away, a very generous and thoughtful birthday gift from The Blonde, bless her. A trip to Bath, a city of great beauty, warmth, culture and class, much like The Blonde herself in fact. We spent a long lazy lovely day exploring the city, picnicking by the river, taking in the sights and sounds and even a tiny bit of very high level window shopping. I’d have to land one heck of a job before I could see myself returning for the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5296G wrist watch or the Bang and Olufsen Beolab 5 speaker system, but it was nice to dream for a while, and one should never ever say never. I returned replete and rested and ready to launch once more into fray of job searching.

It’s been four months now and as the days begin to shorten with the onset of Autumn and we drift into September I feel a strong sense that I’ve had my lazy summer in the sun and feel a real need to get back into employment and generate some real income. I’m also well aware that I’ve let my eye off the ball over the last week or two. I felt so confident about the Mercedes position. The interview just felt so very positive and being asked to progress to the final stage before they’d even finished interviewing gave me a sense that we were merely into final formalities. I still don’t know whether I got the on line psychometric test so very wrong, or whether in fact it was simply a case of being narrowly pipped to the post. Needless to say my request for feedback has been met with silence, which is disappointing if unsurprising.

And so it’s with all of this in mind that I set forth with renewed vigour in my quest. We’re not beaten yet.

My first focus is of course the Ford position. I liked the set up there very much, and the benefit of locality and therefore avoidance of two hours a day commuting is clearly appealing in terms of quality of life. I’m guessing the Sales Manager should be back in office today, and a call mid morning (I don’t want to leap on him the moment he arrives for work for a variety of obvious reasons) is very much in order.

In the meantime a quick job search throws up a car supermarket sales position (specifically requests previous motor trade experience and not terribly appealing as I’d imagine it’s more about processing units than actual selling) and a local vacancy for a Sales Negotiator for a local estate agency (part of a large chain). Neither job makes my heart zing with joy but this is all about landing an income now, I can think about hunting down something specific once I’m back in the proverbial saddle.

With that firmly in mind I fish out a couple of CV’s, draw the computer keyboard toward me, and set to.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more…

The waiting game.

Well for the first time ever I have nothing saved in the “to publish” file, and nothing really to write.

No news yet from Mercedes, which isn’t unexpected but is leaving plenty of scope for second guessing and sleepless nights.

I did consider calling them yesterday for an update but decided that it was too soon, and in any case they seem the sort of professional well run organisation that will be in touch as a matter of course as soon as there is any news either way. So there’s nothing to do but sit and wait.

In other news, after receiving the email from The Journalist regarding the article I’m supposed to be co-writing with him, there’s been a brief exchange along the lines of he’ll be in touch when he needs my input, but nothing more. I’ve pretty much lost faith with the whole writing malarkey. After nearly four months I can’t help thinking that if it were going to happen it wold have done so by now. I find things have a habit of either working out, or not. And it’s not. Certainly if I get a full time job I think it’ll be time to put the writing aspirations behind me for the moment, which seems a shame but there it is.

It’s now a week past the date Audi told me they’d let me know their decision on employment with them. I’ve not chased them up due to the Mercedes situation but I’m surprised not to have heard.

The chap from Ford is back from holiday next week so my current thinking is very much hope I hear from Mercedes this week (and going on my very positive experience of how they’ve expedited matters so far I feel sure I will), and if that’s a bust go for the Ford job all guns blazing and hope it sticks.

Finally The Blonde is back from her adventures and it’s nice to be spending some time with her again. I’ve missed her more than I realised, which is a good feeling.

And that’s about the size of it. I will of course update the blog the minute Mercedes phone (either way), and in the meantime I shall keep watching the clock, my phone within reach and my fingers crossed.

A call from Mercedes…

It’s the day after the Mercedes interview and I’m fiddling about distractedly at home. It’s hard to concentrate on anything at the moment, my career hangs in the balance of someone else’s decision making process and I don’t like the uncertainty. I was told to expect an answer in two days so at least I don’t have long to wait. From what I was told they’re still interviewing today and then it’s decision time. Ulp!

I’m actually sat in my study writing this blog when my mobile bursts in to life late morning. I grab it and hit answer, “Hello, Charlie Croker”. It’s Mercedes, HR Manager! Why’s she ringing now? I know they’re still in the process of interviewing. It’s bad news, they must have decided I’m out, decided to put me out of my misery. “Thank you for your interest in the position, I’m afraid that I have to tell you that on this occasion you have been unsuccessful. However we will keep your records on file and will consider you for any future roles within our company. We’d like to wish you all the best with your job search. Goodbye”. I’ve heard it all before, I know the script. The polite brush off and then they can concentrate on the main contenders.

Amazingly this whole thought process races through my mind like a Blipvert in about half a second before the poor woman even has chance to draw breath.

It turns out that I’m blissfully wonderfully fantastically joyously wide of the mark! Whilst they are still interviewing, she tells me, they would very much like to put me through for assessment with Mercedes UK! I almost drop the phone, but I cling on to it like a lifebuoy in a storm as she goes on to describe the assessment process. I’ll get a call from HQ first confirming my details, and then two emails, one with a web site address and another with a user name and password. Enter both and complete my details on line, and then it will take me through to the assessment which will take about half an hour. Complete that and I’m done. They’ll be in touch.

What does this mean? Have I got the job? Surely she’d have said so if so. This must just be the next level of interviews, a sort of high tech second interview stage. I need to know. So I ask.

“How many positions are there” I enquire (in the interview I was made aware there was potentially more than one) “and how many are being put forward for assessment?” It turns out there are two jobs, and three put forward for assessment so far, although they’re still interviewing so there could potentially be more. I thank her and we say our goodbyes.

You know that bit in soap operas and TV dramas where after a monumental call the actor always stares at the phone afterwards before putting it down? I do that for a bit before slowly placing the phone back on my desk. It’s weird, despite hoping and wishing and thinking of nothing else since yesterday, somehow I wasn’t expecting that. Weird, but good. Very very good.

I spend the remainder of what’s left of the morning in a bit of a daze, then pull myself together and wander downstairs to make lunch, taking my phone with me. As I’m buttering the bread it rings again and I snatch it up. As quickly and efficiently as promised it’s Mercedes UK and a nice lady runs through my details and explains the procedure. The emails will be with me this afternoon and I’m asked to complete the assessment within two days, I tell her she’ll have it done and back to her by return.

I eat lunch buzzing with anticipation and unable to concentrate on the car magazine open on the table next to me. I settle for turning to the review section at the back and thumbing through pictures and stats of Mercedes Benz. I’ve got it bad.

All washed up and I’m bounding back upstairs. I’m going to act on these emails immediately and get them straight back, I know they’ll be waiting for me and I want to be first, show my enthusiasm at every turn.

They’re not. I Click send/receive a few times to make sure my email is connecting with the server. It is and they aren’t there. Damn.

OK, I can wait. I fiddle about idly, flicking through a couple of web sites, unwilling and unable to engage in any activity until I’ve got this assessment thing done and finished. Still no email…

An hour later and I’m getting paranoid. What if this is an initiative test? You hear about these things don’t you? People going for interviews and finding the interviewer stood on a filing cabinet just to see if the interviewee asks why? Probably apocryphal nonsense, but it makes you think. What if they’re waiting to see what I do? Do I wait patiently? Do I call and ask where it is? Will that seem over eager or pushy? What, what?

I don’t do patient well so I phone the HR Manager. She gives me the number of the nice lady at Mercedes UK and I phone her. I’m told she’s in a meeting and I explain to whoever has answered the phone that I’ve not received the emails and I was just a little concerned that perhaps the email address was wrong. Or something. She’s very nice and explains that they just haven’t sent them out to anyone yet. She promises to do it straight away for me. Phew, think I got away with that.

Three minutes later both emails drop into my in box.

The assessment is a sort of personality test. A series of statements and five radio buttons from “strongly disagree” through to “strongly agree”. There are four or five to a page. And thirty seven pages! It had been stressed very strongly to me that I was to just answer honestly, don’t try and second guess the quiz, there are no right or wrong answers. All very well but when you’re applying for a job in which you’re part of a team, and the questionnaire is asking you questions about your ability to work as a team, if the honest answer is that you’re not much of a team player, what are you going to put? Fortunately I am (from now on!) so I tick yes to those…

Thirty minutes later I’m all done. There’s no going back once you’ve turned each page so no re-checking what I’ve put. I enter it into the system as requested and log out. Now what?

I fire off a polite email to the HR Manager copying it to the Sales Manager letting them know I’d completed the process and looking forward to hearing from them soon. communication is all in sales, so it doesn’t hurt to show them I’m a communicator, and it doesn’t hurt to stay on their radar either. Hopefully the email will do both.

That sent there’s nothing left to do. I don’t get much done the rest of the day, just poke about at home trying to second guess everything that’s happened so far. In the evening I watch a movie and then take myself off to bed but with my mind still churning sleep is a long time coming.

PS. The inteview was Wednesday, the assessment happened on Thursday, I’ve written this post on Saturday morning and it’s scheduled to appear 9am Monday morning. At the time of writing (and therefore as of first thing Monday morning) I’ve heard nothing further.

I normally post once a day as you’ll know if you’re a regular. But the moment I hear I will post it up immediately, regardless, be it in five minutes or five days. Hopefully nearer the former.

As of now this blog is effectively live…!

Stay tuned.

Post interview.

I arrive back in my home town mid afternoon. I’ve one more mission to carry out before going home, today is my signing on day and a call to tell them that I’ll be attending an interview at my usual signing on time was met with a request that I call in later or the next day, so might as well get it over with.

Leaving the Polite Hatchbak in a nearby car park I saunter down the road and cross over to the job centre. I’m actually having to sign on every week now for six weeks as some sort of punishment for the fact that I’m still claiming. It’s supposed to be so that they can “assist” me in my job search which in practice means they look up jobs on the very same site I access from home. Farcical.

So there I am, in my suit, sat on a cheap sweaty chair next to a cheap sweaty woman in a cheap sweaty shell suit being stared at by a vacant lad in a baseball cap and a bloke with so many tattoos that his arms look disfigured from a distance. Eventually my name gets called and I park myself in front of an “advisor”. She asks how the interview went and I tell her well, I think, but the proof, as ever, will be in the proverbial pudding. “Well we just need to run through a couple of the jobs available” she says, angling her computer screen so that we can both see it. On the screen are three jobs, all clearly identical. “What about this?” she chimes chirpily, clicking her mouse on the job. I look at the job description aghast. Now I don’t want to sound precious about this, but I’m sat there in a Paul Smith suit, Thomas Pink shirt and Armani silk tie, a four figure Baume & Mercier automatic chronograph on my wrist, having been a sales manager for twenty years responsible for six and seven figure sales, and on my way back from a promising interview with Mercedes-Benz. And she’s asking me if I’d like to consider flogging “household wares” (mops and buckets in other words) door to door for commission only? Don’t get me wrong, I’m prepared to be realistic, I’m well aware that it’s tough times out there, heck I was looking for jobs stacking shelves in Sainsburys a couple of weeks ago (and am well aware that it still might come to that). But come on! This is the sum contribution of the multi billion pound government empire tasked with getting people like myself back into work is it??

I bristle indignantly and seriously consider sharing this thought process with the poor clerk in front of me in a tone of ever increasing tenor and strength until I end up at a pitch that only dogs would hear. Instead I give her a look that Granny C would have been proud of and say quietly “I’m not sure that’s quite my thing”. The poor girl visibly shrinks in front of me. “Err, yes, no, well, perhaps not” she flusters, quickly closing down the job window on her screen. I continue to glare at her belligerently. I know it’s not her fault but she really is in the wrong place at the wrong time right now. She completes the rest of the sign on process in under ten seconds and I’m out of there, blood pressure gradually returning to normal.

Back home the very first thing I do is fire off a polite businesslike email to Mercedes, addressing it to the Sales Manager and copying it to the HR Manager, thanking them for their time and the opportunity, and radiating my enthusiasm for the company and the role. I finish off by saying that I look forward very much to hearing from them and click “send”.

That done I absentmindedly open the Internet browser and click on Mercedes. They really are the most beautiful cars. I begin to ponder what I might get as a company car if I land this job. I start looking at the C Class saloon before metaphorically slapping myself about the chops. Come on man, don’t be silly, this is completely premature and utterly tempting fate. Shut it down at once!

About an hour later I lean back from the keyboard, tilting my chair and stretching thoughtfully. Yes, that’s about the size of it.

Mercedes Benz C220Cdi Sport saloon. Automatic transmission, sunroof, parking sensors, heated seats, metallic paint, and a Harman Kardon hi fi upgrade. In black. With cream leather upholstery.

I click the browser shut. Time for dinner I think…

Seeing (three pointed) stars.

The Mercedes interview was scheduled for just two days after the call, at midday. I really wasn’t sure quite what I thought of the Mercedes situation, great cars for sure, but the dealership is vast and I wondered if it might be a little impersonal. Bit of a commute too, although not quite as far as Audi in fairness.

I leave home in plenty of time, the worst thing in the world would be to be late for an interview so I arrive with about 20 minutes to spare as usual. Instead of hiding nearby I pop in to see a chum who works just around the corner and pass 10 minutes before heading back to Mercedes and walking into the showroom five minutes before the allotted hour.

The nice slim on reception takes my name and I’m asked to wait in the customer reception area. I’m never quite sure what to do whilst I wait. I don’t want to sit and stare blankly into space but neither do I feel like trying to read anything. I spot a Telegraph on the table and pick up the Business section. I figure perhaps it’ll make me look business savvy or something. Fortunately I realise fairy quickly that I’m holding it upside down…

I’m not kept waiting long before the sales manager seeks me out. Smart looking chap, friendly demeanour, he shakes me warmly by the hand and leads me back to his lair, a medium sized tidy office located in the admin area toward the rear of the premises, obligatory pastel decor and light ash furniture. On the desk is a full glass of water by my chair. A small point but it points to a level of consideration and attention to detail that I appreciate.

There he introduces me to the HR Manager who’s there to observe and take notes for him. I’ve spoken to her on the phone before now and remind her of this, saying it’s nice to put a face to a voice.

This is the fourth interview I’ve had, and it’s interesting how they’ve all been quite distinctively different. BMW was a hundred random rapid-fire think of your feet questions, MINI was an almost no questions all personal presentation, Audi a slightly chaotic rushed twenty minutes at the end of the day.

Our chap from Mercedes has adopted a more methodical approach than any so far, he has a set of obviously very carefully considered written down questions that are asked in turn with the HR Manager jotting down notes as I talk whilst he listens intently. There are absolutely no interruptions or distractions and I’m given plenty of time to think and respond, even told to just say so if I feel a question regarding my career so far is not applicable. I like this approach, it’s measured and balanced and although he doesn’t say so I feel certain that this exact procedure and technique is used for all interviews which makes me feel that I’m on an even footing with other candidates. I think very carefully about my answers, answer as expressively but concisely as I can, whilst trying to radiate my genuine enthusiasm for cars and my experience of high level customer service together with an appreciation and understanding of the sort of quality product and service that Mercedes clearly stands for.

Once we’re through the questions he explains a little about the job, what they expect in terms of sales, and what can be personally achieved if one is reasonably successful at it. And without going into specifics, what can be achieved is impressive. Properly impressive! And, once established, a proper company car scheme too. Seems Mercedes treat their sales team like proper executives, you don’t go home in whatever demonstrator is kicking about that day, you get to chose your own Mercedes down to colour and spec. This is really, I suppose, an incidental, but to a car geek like me that’s a big deal and a very attractive incentive.

That done he wraps up the meeting quickly and amicably and tells me that they’re looking to move swiftly on a decision and start date. They’re interviewing today and tomorrow and that I will have an answer in two days time. If I am successful then I will be put through to the next stage which is an on-line assessment test organised by Mercedes GB. That’s more like it, the interview with Audi was last month and I’m still waiting to hear! My last email requesting news was met with the answer that I’d hear within five days. That was six days ago and there’s been nothing.

Handshakes and smiles all round and I bid them both goodbye.

Frankly the whole thing just feels shot through with a level of professionalism and businesslike nature that wholeheartedly appeals to me.

Suddenly I want this job very much, more than the BMW position, more than MINI, more than Audi despite how much I love the cars.

Back in The Polite Hatchback I hang my jacket in the back and then slide into the front. Switching the phone on I text The Blonde as I’d promised I would.

Interview went well I think. Nice people, nice place, great cars, fantastic package. I really want this job.

I hit send and fire up the engine. Then I pause for a moment and pick the phone back up and text The Blonde once more:

I really REALLY want this job!!

Then I switch it off. I don’t want to hear from Audi yet, they’ve had three weeks to come back to me and now they’ve overrun the date by which they’d promised me an answer. They can wait a day or two, lets see what Mercedes come up with first.

I slot The Polite Hatchback into gear and trundle thoughtfully home. It’s going to be a really really long two days waiting for their answer…

Phone calls.

A call from The Blonde, she and her boys are having a great time going wild in the country. Apparently they were particularly pleased to discover that they have “real beds” to sleep in this year, the height of luxury it seems. I’m so glad I declined the invite to join them.

A call from the sales manager of Mercedes, they’d like to meet me for an interview! Rock on.

A call from the sales manager of Ford, he was impressed with our meeting and subsequently with my CV, and he’d like to take me up on my offer of working with him part time with a view to it becoming full time in October!!! He can’t actually promise the job as it’s officially open for applications until mid September, but there is clear intent. Unfortunately he’s off on holiday for a fortnight so we can’t do anything about it till he gets back, hence his call so soon, he wanted to speak to me before he left. But crikey, good stuff!

And as if that weren’t enough, am email from the journalist at The Editors magazine with regard to the feature we’re going to be writing together.

It never rains, as the saying has it, but it doesn’t half pour sometimes!

But zip from Audi, despite an assurance that they would have an answer for me by a date now passed.

And from the four recruitment agencies I’ve approached? A big fat nothing. Well done guys.