Rachel Killington has just started on a new project for the radio company. Quick change It seems that recently, everything has been happening at once, and at an immeasurable rate. Last month we were shivering under snowy showers, it was dark by six o’clock, and winter seemed to be in permanent residence. Fast forward a few weeks, and it’s a completely different story. Suddenly the evenings are getting lighter, and the days warmer, and it all seems to have happened overnight.
Similarly, my initial few weeks in my new online editor’s role have flown by. Initially I found the work fairly daunting, but after the first few weeks it has all seemed to slot into place easily. I find the work enjoyable and challenging, and almost every day I learn a new skill. Yes there are downsides as with everything - the work can be somewhat repetitive at times (I’m sure by now I must have created hundreds of different web pages!) and it has taken a while for me to settle down into a routine of starting work at 8am everyday, but I can honestly say I’m happy in my work. Yes, the flat isn’t quite as immaculately tidy as it was, I don’t see my family or friends as much as I’d like and I don’t remember the last time I had a lie-in, but they are only tiny niggles - and ones that I can easily cope with. The plus points far outweigh the negatives - I am doing a job I enjoy in an environment I’m comfortable with. I’m still able to go out into the local community with the Black Thunder vehicles doing the things I love (such as taking children on Cool Rides to School), but I have the added security of extra hours in the office concentrating on my website work, which will hopefully open up many different avenues for me. Techie geek?I have been transferring online content from one website host to a new one, which could from the outside be perceived as being a little bit uninteresting or boring, but without wanting to sound like a ‘techie geek’ (a title bestowed upon me by one of the female presenters!), I really find it fascinating. There has been a certain amount of ‘cutting and pasting’ of existing articles, but I have been able to create my own original content, and have even been able to write news stories and feature articles - something that I’ve always enjoyed. It may not be a permanent position, but I feel like a valued member of the online team, and it’s a great feeling when a project finally comes to fruition. Last week the new website for the radio station I’m based at ‘went live’, and it created a real buzz, both within the office and with the listeners, and it was great to be a part of that. Screen breakBut after those few hectic weeks it’s time to kick back for a few days, and I’m off on a short trip to Paris with my boyfriend Neil and his family. Although I’m very much looking forward to a few days away, I can’t help feeling somewhat nervous - a feeling that is only exacerbated by memories of my GCSE French oral exam, when I announced to my examiner that I lived in a ‘big shop’ instead of a house. An easy mistake to make I’m sure, (and I’m sure most teenage girls would love to live in a shop with all those clothes and shoes!) but it has left me slightly worried that I’ll end up looking like an uneducated foreign fool in one of the most romantic cities in the world! I had envisaged getting out my old school books and re-learning the lingo so I could look suave and sophisticated, but instead it’ll have to be a major ‘cramming’ session with a French phrasebook on the Eurostar, as I simply haven’t had the time. To be honest, my major concerns at the moment are quite superficial - will I have enough money? Can I remember where I put my passport? And just how many pairs of shoes should I take with me? So it’s Bon voyage from me - I’m off to see the Moulin Rouge (which I’m very excited about), and to climb the Eiffel Tower, and when I return (to my flat, not my big shop) I’ll hopefully be refreshed and ready to get stuck into more work! Au revoir! See Rachel's previous job logs: | 
