So you’ve arrived. You’ve enjoyed the surroundings, bought the house and decorated, got the kids sorted, at nursery or in school, and you’re thinking you want something else now, a job. Something to go out to and see other people. You remember that was what was quite nice about a job. You’d like the cash, too, need it, survived alright on one income, but…. Guilt, guilt, a job becomes a thing, something to complete you, but is it? You start romanticising about those office days, working in a team, maybe leading teams, and you miss the buzz. The opportunity to wear those
shoes, skirts, maybe even those dresses that sit mainly in the back of the wardrobe. Don’t. When you get a job in the country, it’s more likely you’ll be wearing a uniform. A kilt and woollen jumper, me, or some black and white ensemble perhaps with a tie and of course black lace-up rubber-soled boots or shoes made for treading knobbly paths and indoor food outlets BUT it will SAVE your clothes, and you will have them FOREVER.
First, define what sort of job seeker are you.
Do you choose well?
I can safely say I choose better jobs than men, and if I didn’t like them, I quickly moved on. Remember, as I’m sure you know, and I always tell myself, you interview them.
Like any relationship, will you want to see your boss, line manager, or they, you, every day or at least a good few hours a week on zoom? Do they have a quick temper, read between the lines of what the first recruiter, personnel person is trying to diplomatically convey and sound out. ‘He’s a real American, New Yorker,’ one said to me. Hyper, driven. Can you handle that, or do you want to? They might think you’re great, or not, but are they, for you?
Values
Do they uphold yours – this is something you will only really know when you take on the job. However, as you find out about the role, it’s worth thinking, are they people you can admire, learn from? Check resumes and what the company stands for, how does it align. Even if it is, just, you say, to tide you over, it’s your time you’re giving.
Making the match
Are you a big office or small office worker – small rural towns tend to have smaller businesses. Big office’s offer structure, trained HR personnel and different pathways to develop. A smaller biz is like a small fiefdom, often operated primarily through family members; although not the uncertainty of umbrella companies, it reflects a smaller set of values and their direction. If it’s an older management team, I say older, loosely, often older staff will be happily included in the mix. Younger, similarly younger. Your purpose, of course, will be to fit in with their vision, a cog in the wheel, often a very valued cog but towards this.
What suits your purpose?
Can be tricky, ego versus purpose. The country’s secret power sector is a basic service highlighted by exacting standards and demand for accommodation this past year. Juggling often around caring roles, education and job hunting, hundreds of women, and the odd man, with previous careers in completely different spheres, clean Scotland’s guest houses and holiday lets. Extra cash, often better money per hour than other part-time jobs, and you can feel like your own boss, most of the time.
Hospitality work is generally plentiful, especially seasonally, on the customer side if you’re personable and fit and the hours’ suit. You might, however, have relished the quietness of your own space during lockdown and consider, along with country living, remote working or running your own business from home. Or, if driven round the bend by juggling childcare, your work, or your partner’s all day and every day in the bedroom/office, think of the skills you’ve developed. Patience, yes, you really have, to find that job you want!! Multi-tasking above and beyond, what a powerhouse YOU are, and maybe now you fancy something different in the country.
