Those with a good memory will remember that in my last blog I mentioned that I was nervously preparing a speech for the firm's Christmas party. However, it has been brought to my attention that I did not mention the other 3 trainees involved in the p
reparation of this extravaganza. So apologies to my three amigo's. When it came to the big night we were all over the place with nerves to the point where even I couldn't finish my dinner- most unlike me. I can't remember ever being in such a nervous state about anything ever before - Honours exams eat your heart out. But once the microphones were in our hands, the lights were up and we took to the stage to a chorus of cheers (helpfully fuelled by the finest red and white) the nerves just vanished. Once we got the smell of the crowd and the roar of the greasepaint, we were on a roll and actually enjoyed ourselves. The hard work (and VERY long hours) paid off and we managed to provoke much hysterical laughter and some excellent reviews. But there was no time to bask in the glory of fame and popularity for this trainee. As soon as the speech was finished I was dashing to make a costume change to ready myself for playing in the RCCW Christmas band. By the end of the night I'd hardly been off the stage and I felt like a celebrity. I don't know what Amy Winehouse is on about, being famous is brilliant.
But sadly Christmas is well and truly over and on the 5th January it was back down to earth with a bang. After almost two weeks holiday, it was a struggle to re-engage my brain. However I was hardly back in the office, when it was time to leave again. This time, I returned to being a student, heading back to University to complete the PCC core module. As I'd heard mixed reviews regarding the PCC from trainees who had completed it, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. In my opinion the course was largely useful and it was good to be taught by practitioners, as is the case on the Diploma. However, I can't help thinking that some of the course wasn't particularly pertinent to our day to day work and other bits were just common sense. It is probably of greatest benefit to those with about 1 year's experience; 6 months wouldn't give you enough exposure to the profession and by 18months, you've learned a fair amount of the skills they teach already - the hard way.
So the PCC – a week in a confined space with 30 trainees' who are worried about the job market. NOT a healthy environment if you are of a nervous disposition. This, coupled with the never ending stories of doom and gloom which seem to run perpetually in newspapers and on the TV, meant my eventual return to work was an apprehensive one. Would there be any work for me? Would I be making coffee for the rest of my traineeship? Or worse, would I have to learn how to use the binding machine downstairs? My fears, however, have been unfounded, as I returned to a busy department with many deals in progress. Indeed the last two weeks, have been some of the busiest of my traineeship - and long may it continue!
