A clumsy farewell

In my current workplace situation there are a number of people leaving before my final departure which fills me with dread.
Yes, I will miss most of them and yes, I have enjoyed their company and yes, I wish them well in their next move. The dread actually surrounds the ALWAYS clumsy and awkward farewell.

The easiest goodbye's come after a number of drinks at the leaving party in the local pub. There are hugs and platitudes galore - promises to stay in touch and meet up regularly which, most of the time, just translates to adding each other on facebook.

The goodbye's that I dread are the ones in the office. Maybe they are leaving mid-week, maybe they are not having leaving drinks or maybe I can't attend the leaving drinks, whatever the reason this is by far the worst of all.

I will spend all day reminding myself to ensure I make the gesture before I leave the office. I have, on a few occasions, got so wrapped up in myself that I forgot and just left the office normally only realising the following work day that I neglected to wish them well - these are the people that don't add me on facebook!
I also try to come up with a witty goodbye gesture ahead of time so that I am prepared. The worst part is that your awkwardness is witnessed by all your colleagues which just magnifies how uncomfortable you are as you hug this departing colleague even though you have probably never even touched before this day.

Since the relocation announcement of my company there are 7 of us now leaving. Unfortunately I will be the very last out of the door so have to endure 6 awkward goodbye's!

We are two down now and the first wasn't too bad, we had drinks the previous Friday but it was a following mid-week leaving. So at my leaving time I scuttled over, clammy hands and all, wished him well and had the obligatory hug. This one wasn't too bad as the colleague in question really has been one of my favourites and I was genuinely sad to see him go so no faking needed to come into play - facebook added.

The next was one of my favourite routes of goodbye's - the disappearing act. This colleague hasn't been here very long but sits across from me so have got to know him pretty well in a short space of time. I was thinking of what I may say when I popped out to get my lunch and when I returned there was an empty chair. He scarpered, went home sick. He didn't even leave an email to say goodbye, just ran off in the night (lunchtime actually but that doesn't have the same ring). So I am sad in some respects as he didn't say goodbye to me, the face he has had to stare at for the last eight months, but grateful in another as he has saved me from an awkward rambling of goodbye's and "we must meet up" (which is my go to in situations like this).

So four more to go before the worst of all which will be mine when I will have to endure the awkwardness 15 - 20 times over as I say goodbye to all those that will make the effort. I like the disappearing act option. The dread is rising just thinking about it.

Time for a career change

I have worked at my company for almost 15 years... yes that's right 15 years.
When I began at the very young age of 18 it was just a job, something to provide me with money and perhaps an extended set of friends but nothing more.

The company itself specialises in reputation (or media) analysis which usually leaves people staring blankly at me uttering the now famous words "oh, ok that sounds...interesting". In a nutshell (and in no way doing this industry justice) we track and measure the effectiveness of communication activity and what impact it really makes to the company - so is your PR/ Marketing actually doing what it should be. In a recent job interview the MD of a marketing agency said "wow, it's amazing what these companies will pay for" which I smiled politely to as I wanted the job but in all honesty I was a little hurt.

Over time I began to see this more as a career and became quite ambitious to great effect. Several promotions later I became the youngest Account Manager in the history of the company and went on to win a platinum industry award (first platinum the company had ever won).

I have learnt so much about the media, communications and business strategies. For example I could tell you which countries have the most censored press or which messages McDonald's are trying to get you (the public) to believe in.
The biggest part of my job that I have loved is the exposure to some really quite impressive clients and people, it's not everyday you are told that your report was shown to the Home Secretary for example. Our CEO was also an incredibly remarkable woman who had such gravitas in the communications world and I had the absolute fortune to learn from her first hand. She was one of those women that you instantly respected and wanted to please. She climbed the ladder in a period where this was really a mans world and showed everyone that women could do just as well if not better.

Anyway I digress, this all underpins the reason my latest decision has been an incredibly difficult one. We were told in November that our Godalming office will be closing down and that we will be relocating to the head office in Moorgate, London. This wouldn't happen until February this year so we had some time to think about our options. Voluntary redundancy was dangled in front of me and two weeks ago, after spending Christmas flipping from one decision to another, I decided it was time to leave.

My leaving has been met with a really flattering response - some in denial that it's happening, others hysterically trying to compute who will take on my extensive workloads, some are really happy for me and one or two haven't even acknowledged the fact. I agreed to stay until the end of February so there has been plenty of time to think and regret but something has changed in me. I am suddenly thriving on the idea of a new challenge, learning new skills, really getting my teeth into a new role and carving out a new version of me - a more mature me.

I am really keen to move into the Digital Marketing world and am taking steps to make this happen. Getting back up to speed with social media being a first start ie blogging again :)
I am also looking at enrolling to complete a Marketing diploma which is so exciting.

I have a rush of so many emotions on a daily basis, nervous and sad to be leaving behind a huge part of my life but this is by far outweighed by the excitement I feel for the endless possibilities ahead of me. I know I can achieve anything I put my mind to and that I am the only person stopping me so onward and upward... either that or I will be penniless by the end of the year and begging to come back to my current role ;)

Wish me luck!