A Recipe for Success

Two unusual events were on the schedule for today, first up was another Skills for Success session "all about interviews" and the next one was a student assistant recruitment event. Sadly I think the second one may have been a wasted hour because a lot of the dates that you "must be free" are likely to clash with senior training for TSC. What is worse is that whilst being a student assistant would have counted towards my graduate award, I am fairly sure that TSC training doesn't although I may request that it does given that it is helping the union and requires significant time commitments.

The all about interviews session was actually very useful - not that I was expecting anything less given the previous two session that I have attended. We got some practical interviewing sessions in groups and it has made me feel a bit more confident about the prospect of being interviewed and just knowing the little things like what to wear and what to expect can reduce the shock of having to take it all in when you arrive. The only interview I have had so far was one for the Sainsburys' bakery and I had already pretty much got the job before the interview was over. There was only the bakery manager present and the whole thing was very informal and consisted of me answering a multiple choice standard questionnaire where the answers were pretty obvious to anyone with some common sense. Apparently however, I did well in the group interview practical that we had despite thinking that I was talking absolute gibberish, applying the usual techniques for speaking in public (learned from the presentations skills session a couple of weeks ago) I got through it. Amazingly, the age old adage of pausing, taking a breath and composing your thoughts actually works and saves you stuttering and hesitating when you inevitably rush into answering the questions straight away.

I made up a very nice recipe this evening, inspired by an odd craving for pork along with a very generous offer in Sainsburys. I was planning to make a bolognese as a quick hunger fix but when I had the choice between two packs of beef mince for £5.50 and the same amount of pork mince for just £3.50, there really was no competition. The recipe was further enhanced when I discovered that I had forgotten to buy tinned tomatoes and so the bolognese idea went out the window and the creativity began. Two medium grated carrots, two chicken oxo cubes, a splash of lea and perrins, the rest of the white cooking wine (about a glass full) some herbs and some flour to thicken the sauce and a masterpiece had been made. I really do like it when something good appears out of very little and it was delicious served with some fusilli pasta. One of these days I will remember to take a picture before scoffing it!