H.S.V.
Without Prejudice
I was in awe of the place when I started. To work as a temp for 3 months contract at such a prestigious firm was an honour and a privilege. The Corporate offices were outstanding, everyone dressed up for work in the Highest Fashion. I was daunted by it but I liked the Boss and thought I could do a good job. The work station was not so glamorous. There were 4 pods at each station, enclosed on two sides. To be able to see anyone, you had to bob your head up, stand on tippee toes or exit your seat and go around to confer with others.
I was a Purchasing Officer for consumables, which meant everything, everything for the after Body Market in the Factory and everything for the Office, right down to the stationery Supplies. Men from the Factories would appear as soon as I arrived in the morning with their Purchasing Requisitions and the day begun. The pressure never let up until I left of a nighttime. It was an outstanding place to work. The budget was unlimited which is a Purchasing Officers dream. Budget is usually always a part of Purchasing but not at HSV. We needed it, it was bought, simple as that.
The other Purchasing Officers had a lot more O.E. skills than me and I learned from them. I also learned about Work Place bullying in it;s most extreme form and it wasn't directed at me. It was directed at my Boss. The man who had employed me. I liked him and never had a bother with him and worked with him at 3 different places. H.S.V. Bombardier, although he came on board after me, and at DSI. All transport places and all excellent, boys type places that I was lucky enough as a woman to be employed in. There was always a lot of swearing and sexist jokes, but that seems to go with the territory in transport or Manufacturing facilities.
At H.S.V. it was no different. Women beavered away at work and the Men were groomed for the big jobs. The only Woman head of Purchasing I ever met, was as tough as nails and I used to call her The Barracuda. And she was. She was a micro manager of the worst kind and I had always been able to work autonomously before. I never had to deal with a female boss in all my Temp contracts in Automotive however. Young women cadets worked at HSV but were never allowed to have the creamy jobs, those jobs went to the young males.
I was busy from day one and on temp rates and didn't really care. I tried to never ever get involved in Office Politics and as a temp you usually were left out of them anyway. I had managed staying out of Office Politics at Bombardier which was an 18 month limited contract, so I pretty much knew I could do it at HSV. The cars were beautiful. Top of the range commodores came into HSV looking like taxis and went out looking like the penultimate "Hottest" car in Australia. I ordered the paint, the tyres, the after body kits, I raised the Purchase Orders for the Cocktail Party Launches, the testing, the Soirees with the big nobs of the Car Industry. The racing team functions. It was heaven on a stick.
Some women in roles at prestigious places act like they are superior to other females and it's always to do with the way they dress. Corporate dress is pencil skirt, high heels, loads o makeup. Working in high heels all day is enough to make you want to shoot yourself by 12 midday. But women do this to each other and I have no idea why. I used to take high heels to work and put them on when necessary. Under my desk would be comfortable shoes but I am so short that when I wear flats I disappear.
I quickly learned the system, BAAN, which was a big Computer System and it was handy as I used it at Bombardier as well. Some of the computer systems you have to learn are massive, SAP, is one which is beyond the realm of most people's logical brains. I hate it, but can operate it.
To be continued
I was in awe of the place when I started. To work as a temp for 3 months contract at such a prestigious firm was an honour and a privilege. The Corporate offices were outstanding, everyone dressed up for work in the Highest Fashion. I was daunted by it but I liked the Boss and thought I could do a good job. The work station was not so glamorous. There were 4 pods at each station, enclosed on two sides. To be able to see anyone, you had to bob your head up, stand on tippee toes or exit your seat and go around to confer with others.
I was a Purchasing Officer for consumables, which meant everything, everything for the after Body Market in the Factory and everything for the Office, right down to the stationery Supplies. Men from the Factories would appear as soon as I arrived in the morning with their Purchasing Requisitions and the day begun. The pressure never let up until I left of a nighttime. It was an outstanding place to work. The budget was unlimited which is a Purchasing Officers dream. Budget is usually always a part of Purchasing but not at HSV. We needed it, it was bought, simple as that.
The other Purchasing Officers had a lot more O.E. skills than me and I learned from them. I also learned about Work Place bullying in it;s most extreme form and it wasn't directed at me. It was directed at my Boss. The man who had employed me. I liked him and never had a bother with him and worked with him at 3 different places. H.S.V. Bombardier, although he came on board after me, and at DSI. All transport places and all excellent, boys type places that I was lucky enough as a woman to be employed in. There was always a lot of swearing and sexist jokes, but that seems to go with the territory in transport or Manufacturing facilities.
At H.S.V. it was no different. Women beavered away at work and the Men were groomed for the big jobs. The only Woman head of Purchasing I ever met, was as tough as nails and I used to call her The Barracuda. And she was. She was a micro manager of the worst kind and I had always been able to work autonomously before. I never had to deal with a female boss in all my Temp contracts in Automotive however. Young women cadets worked at HSV but were never allowed to have the creamy jobs, those jobs went to the young males.
I was busy from day one and on temp rates and didn't really care. I tried to never ever get involved in Office Politics and as a temp you usually were left out of them anyway. I had managed staying out of Office Politics at Bombardier which was an 18 month limited contract, so I pretty much knew I could do it at HSV. The cars were beautiful. Top of the range commodores came into HSV looking like taxis and went out looking like the penultimate "Hottest" car in Australia. I ordered the paint, the tyres, the after body kits, I raised the Purchase Orders for the Cocktail Party Launches, the testing, the Soirees with the big nobs of the Car Industry. The racing team functions. It was heaven on a stick.
Some women in roles at prestigious places act like they are superior to other females and it's always to do with the way they dress. Corporate dress is pencil skirt, high heels, loads o makeup. Working in high heels all day is enough to make you want to shoot yourself by 12 midday. But women do this to each other and I have no idea why. I used to take high heels to work and put them on when necessary. Under my desk would be comfortable shoes but I am so short that when I wear flats I disappear.
I quickly learned the system, BAAN, which was a big Computer System and it was handy as I used it at Bombardier as well. Some of the computer systems you have to learn are massive, SAP, is one which is beyond the realm of most people's logical brains. I hate it, but can operate it.
To be continued
