This choice: Belinda applies, she gets the job, but soon regrets it... • Go Back... As the days went on, Belinda started to seriously consider applying for Stacy's job. She was sure it couldn't be that hard. Stacy had always come across as pretty lazy, and spent more time whining about her workload than actually trying to sort it out.
Belinda didn't let on, but when the job advert went out, she looked through the details - apparently Stacy's job title was "Information and Quality Officer" which sounded like nothing, really, but there was something kind of fancy about it. She wondered what Jamie would think when she saw her ex was now the head of a whole department.
By the end of the week, Belinda had resolved that she was going to apply. She filled in the application and submitted it, and by the following week, she has invited to an interview...
-----
Belinda straightened her posture in front of the interview room. She had been stressing about the interview all week, and had, more than once, regretted applying. The more she thought about it, the more she was convinced that Vicki or another of the young up and comers in the office would get the job. She knew some had already applied.
Still, she had gone her best to look good today. After a few weeks of looking tired and run down, Belinda had expertly applied her make up, taken herself for a manicure and bought a whole new outfit. She hoped it wasn't money wasted. For the first time in a while, some of her old spark seemed to have returned. She looked good.
Belinda took a breath, savouring the sharp smell of coffee lingering in the air. The interview was in Room 24-C, flanked by posters of AI prototypes smiling unsettlingly in grayscale. “Here goes nothing,” she muttered, pushing the door open.
Inside, her senior managers, Megan and Charlotte, sat on opposite sides of a minimalist, transparent table. Both women looked polished, powerful. Megan was the more direct of the two, with her platinum blond hair slicked back and a serious expression as she reviewed the tablet in front of her. Charlotte, on the other hand, had a warmer vibe with her curly auburn hair and a knowing smile. Together, they made up the perfect Yancy Robotics power duo.
"Belinda," Megan said with a polite nod, gesturing to the chair opposite them. "Take a seat."
She sat down, tugging at her blouse akwardly. "Thank you for considering me for this role," she said, attempting a warm smile. “It’s really exciting.”
Charlotte leaned forward, studying her over the rim of her glasses. "It's great to see you here, especially as you've been in your current position for such a long time now. Good to see you putting yourself out there."
Megan picked up seamlessly. "So, in this role, you’ll have to juggle people as much as you do mechanics. It’s about keeping projects on track, and ensuring everyone is pushing forward under intense deadlines." She let her words hang in the air, her gaze sharp.
Belinda nodded, determined to show she was prepared. "I've been thinking about that a lot. I saw some of Stacy's workload sometimes and I think I can pick it up pretty seemlessly."
Charlotte and Megan exchanged a glance, before Megan leaned in. "Between you and us, Belinda, Stacy really wasn't suited for the post. She was actually let go, despite what she told the rest of the office."
"Oh, I didn't know..." Belinda said, though she was hardly surprised.
"One of our biggest problems right now is productivity," Megan said. "We keep hiring new staff, but they don't seem to be getting much work done."
"We were hoping to have doubled our outputs by now, but instead, they've halved," Charlotte admitted.
Belinda wasn't so sure they had hired new staff...if anything, the staff intake had been going down the past twelve months, with workloads being shared out among those who remained, causing everyone to feel overworked. But it probably wasn't the right time to say that...
"We've actually got a new idea to increase productivity which we'll share with you if you get the role," Megan said with a smile.
Belinda just nodded, then braced herself for the onslaught of questions...
-----
For the next half hour, Belinda was grilled about her work, what more she felt they could be doing, how to improve employee relations, what she knew about quality control, and, oddly, how much she ate at work. The questions sometimes seemed totally random, and sometimes she had no idea what the answers were, but it had been so long since Belinda had been in this situation that she shrugged it off. It was her first interview in five years, and actually, she thought she was doing okay.
Charlotte offered her smile. "We’ll be in touch soon. Either way, I want you to know it’s been impressive watching you grow here, and I hope we see you continue to take initiative, whether in this role or elsewhere."
Belinda left the room feeling both exhilarated and apprehensive. Had she said enough? Had she been too honest about her inexperience? But one thing was clear: for the first time in a long time, she felt like she was on the verge of something new. Even if she didn't get the job, at least she had put herself out there.
-----
After a few hours, Belinda was summoned back to the interview room, where Megan and Charlotte sat smiling at her.
"Congratulations Belinda," Megan said. "We'd like to offer you the job."
"Oh my God, thank you," Belinda flushed. She genuinely hadn't walked in expecting to hear this news. "I will, I mean, I accept!"
Charlotte laughed. "Wonderful, we're happy you're happy."
"Now, we do need to tell you about our new productivity plan..."
"Right, sure," Belinda said quickly, still feeling overwhelmed.   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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