When I decided it was time to move on, some two months ago, I did not know I would be doing another job that soon. Although I am working for a temp agency, I am happy to have moved on. Last week I started on a short term assignment at Vodafone Netherlands. It is my task to sort out, maybe better: to sort, data on forecasted and actual expenditures. They have given me several excel files with tabs containing all kinds of information on the budget. It is my task to use Excel to make an overview that is easily interpreted. There is data everywhere… dumps from accounting software, different departments, different layouts…

I worked at my other job a long time. Even though it started off as a temporary, say student, job, I have spent nearly ten years at that telecom retail company. On and off, and part-time. At Vodafone I am actually seeing the other side of what I was doing first. I work for the business unit that is responsible for ‘marketing enterprise’. This includes all kinds of activities that stimulate the sales of their business voice and data propositions.

When comparing my previous working environment (at a SME) to that at Vodafone… it struck me that things are far more organised. Even though this should not come as a surprise… it still did. They arranged a (new) laptop for me. I am taking it home every day, as there are only flexible workplaces. I told some people that I am sitting in a fish tank. Swimming to a new desk every day. The composition of this tank changes from day to day… although some seem to have their homes… There must be a system. I am going to investigate…

Anyway, it is my task to see if the assignment can be executed as my manager thought it could be. In that case I will be working another two weeks. If not, my work will be ending within a few days.