Having disappeared for a month after my birthday, I am absolutely delighted to announce I am offered a new role in my local council as Performance Analyst & Power BI Technical Lead (fixed term) in the Resources and Governance team and I could be started sooner than I thought as they appear to be able to bypass HR and fast-track me to start before my notice period ends.

Still flying solo with as a parent with two kids and a dog in this house since April, I don’t know if that is how stressful feels like but I guess I had a very stimulating week to say the least. I submitted my 2500 words essay comparing a case study to a systematic review on Youth Transition policy on Monday noon. I drove to a nature reserve and had a walk, came back and picked up my child. I worked on Tuesday, take both kids to after school activities and back between 5:30-7:30pm, quick supper, and had my job interview on Wednesday. When I said had supper that means I made supper for the kids and looked at them eating. I didn’t eat or sleep well, didn’t sleep pass 3am for many days.

I ironed my shirt and trousers, had a shower, and headed to town that morning after dropping the kids off to school. I ordered some pouched egg on bread in a cafe in town centre but I could only finish half of it. I do like wearing a better shirt and leather shoes not looking like Super Mario for once, as I mainly work from home and don’t really have to dress up for work anymore for a long time.

Interview went on for about 1.5 hour. I went home and felt totally inadequate and had a very very bad interview hangover that I couldn’t sleep again and couldn’t eat. Thankfully I was off on Thursday. I got a call from them at 11:26am when I was reading uni stuff in bed feeling awful – that they have decided to hire me. So I drove to M&S to get some lunch and came back had a shower and tried to start the day again. I am absolutely thrilled. I couldn’t believe it. But everyone who talked with me and knew me said they never had a second of doubt that it would be me. I told my manager on Friday. Things are start rolling.

I still can’t believe it and I still can’t believe everything will be fine.

I wish I could see myself from the outside for a change.

I know this is fixed term but I need a bigger job to find a bigger bigger job and this is the break I had been waiting for – however small and unprepared I feel. A lot is going to change. For a long time I know I am doing data modeling, data analysis and data engineering but my title is simply ‘Information Officer’, I needed a better title. My ego was badly wounded as I got into trouble because I tried to visualise data in a previous role. I haven’t had a job that needs to look at an excel sheet before this role as Information Officer, I never felt I could introduce myself as an analyst. From today onward, although still feeling very small and knowing very little, I am officially a Power BI developer & technical lead dipping my toes into Power Platform and Fabric. I will figure out Python and R in the next 12 months and build a portfolio for a senior analyst with capacity in machine learning. I will continue my MPA. It isn’t easy, but I won’t give up.

I am not a housewife waiting for my husband to pay the bills, not a scared kid remaining silence to my mum’s tyranny. I have found my own voice, I have shown my kids things are tough but I am even tougher. I stand on my own two feet, although it did take ages for me to find where to land my feet.

Today, I will stop looking for job posting on LinkedIn. I am proud of myself. I am not looking for a new role for now.