The beginning - a testimony (part one)

You know how when you hear a testimony of some amazing way someone got a job - at back of my mind I used to think 'yeah right'.

I had been looking for a job off and on for about 18 months and I think in all I probably responded to about 500 positions. At one point finding a job became like a job in itself and I sent about 20 CVs a day.

Why did I want a job so badly? - the money would certainly come in handy but it was more than that. Having been home since 2002, a lot had happened, first the redundancy from work, then the fibroid operation, then starting the online dating site, the magazine and running events, then getting pregnant after 4 years of trying, then having the baby and being the most neurotic mother ever with impossibly high standards that I was constantly trying to achieve - not to mention all the other personal family and marriage stuff - getting a job was away of rescuing myself.

Tunji, my husband, usually went out on Saturdays, evangelising, handing out tracts and speaking to whoever would listen about the saving love of Christ. This was not an activity that I always supported as it often affected our family time at weekends.

One Saturday, he met a Jewish guy called Benjamin by Hendon Central station. They had a long interesting conversation about religion and it eventually led to family. Benjamin was an I.T recruiter working for an agency in London. Tunji mentioned that his wife was also in I.T and was infact job hunting. Benjamin hesitantly gave Tunji his card asking that I call him.

This was in April 2006 and by this time I was jaded, cynical and fed up with job hunting and life in general. Benjamin called me several times before I returned his call and reluctantly put together a CV highlighting my SAP skills for him. It was only one page, I really could not be bothered to put in any more effort.

Benjamin had a particular job in mind with Thames Water, but after several weeks, he contacted me saying the company were in financial difficulty and were no longer recruiting. "Typical" I thought, that's all I had had anyway these last few months. I sent him a scathing email asking him to contact me when he had a "real job".