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So four days in, and it still feels good, if a little exhausting.

I’m learning quickly, and rapidly discovering that the job is going to involve a lot of juggling.  I’ve got to get my head around

• the various connectivity issues that will arise in the different locations I’ll be responsible for (and they are pretty diverse)
• the finer points of getting several essential applications used to manage Christian Aid’s activities to work in these offices – they normally run across the local area network.
• Supporting these applications across several time zones
• The inevitable politics which arise in any organisation, and especially in those undertaking ambitious change.

I wish I had some exciting and funny stories to tell you – but so far it hasn’t really been the stuff of tall tales.  Just nose to the grindstone and trying to figure things out.  As you can see this has caused some distortion to the head and face

On Monday I am off on “First Aid and Personal Security” training for three days at some stately home in Hampshire.  Hopefully I’ll be able to get back next week with some hillarious anecdotes about captivity endurance.

So I started my new job on Monday. I am the new International IT Officer at Christian Aid.

What does that mean? I am still trying to get my head around all the finer points of it, but in short, I will be responsible for getting Christian Aid’s regional offices up to speed technologically speaking so they can make use of the central computer system.

So it’s going to involve lots of travel to parts of the world I might not otherwise get to see.  And I’ve always loved setting up technology in remote places.  Looks like India is my first stop, but there are things going on everywhere.

Christian Aid seems a very interesting place to work so far.  Everything is very well organised and professional, at least to my fresh new eyes.  I am on a very full regime of training and meeting people in the Information Systems Division. My predecessor seems to have done an amazing job – I’m trying to get a feeling for exactly how I am to fill his shoes.   They are definitely big, and one of my feet is kind of wee.   It is only day three and I am knackered.

On Monday I am off on First Aid and Security Training somewhere in Hampshire.  It’s a three day residential course.  My boss says it is three days of first aid and surprises.   Everyone I’ve spoken to who has done it says it is great, but haven’t given me any details.   Not sure what to expect.   Will it make a man of me?  I know it is run by ex-paratroopers/marines/sas types so should be pretty exciting.

Ok – I really am feeling pretty trashed, and not quite clear headed enough to write more.