Goodbye NHMRC, Hello NHPA!

Leaving my comfort zone at the NHMRC was a tough decision to make. I have built up so much knowledge and working relationships in the place that it was hard to imagine a public service job elsewhere.  I hear stories of other public servants that have not much to do all day, and I was scared that l would be placed into one of these roles - I have always had insanely busy jobs, except for when I worked at the BBC, that was really cruisy ( maybe it had something to do with not caring about your long term career while you are on a working holiday in London!) and would drive myself batty being bored. 


I knew I definitely needed to at least try another agency as my cheese needed moving. I decided to drop down from an EL1 and become an APS 6 again to take advantage of flex, i figured I was going to need it.  I also felt like I needed to be on the tools again and doing things instead of just making the high level decisions. Strategic blah blah.  Boring!  


I knew I had able to work part-time to fit in my new studies, and I wanted to work somewhere that I would be valued - plus anywhere with free parking would be a bonus!   I found an advert for a brand new Government agency - the National Health Performance Authority (NHPA).  Brand spankers!  They needed staff at quite a few levels so it seemed perfect, it would be a temporary move so I have the option of coming back to the NHMRC if I needed to.     


Application created and submitted. All I had to do was sit back and wait....... And wait. ...... And wait.  


I got contacted for an interview just before Christmas and had an interview with the whole of the organisation.  A whopping total of three staff!   I got offered the role the next day and begun my transition from NHMRC to NHPA - high fives to being able to work part time in Barton! 


I said goodbye to the NHMRC at the end of Jan and started my new role in Barton.  So far so good, the people are great and I am now in charge of WHS, Property and Business Continuity Management. Piece of cake - it is just very frustrating that it takes ten times longer to get anything done as there is a massive reliance on DoHA for shared services.   They keep trying to give me more things to look after, being a small agency you have to suck it up sometimes - but I have been there, and burnt myself out previously so this time I  am being smart and saying no for the first time in quite a while.  I am now only taking on what I can comfortably do in the four days I work there and focus the rest of my energy on horticulture and my desire to start a family.