Finally received the formal notification of the interview.

All well and good.

But the quickest way to destroy any peace of mind is to not just make it a half day process but also to request a 10 minute presentation on 'Higher Education: the challenges and opportunities'.

In many ways I guess I was fortunate NOT to have to do one the last time round, but recalling the severe stress of the only other time I've gone for a job at this level when I did have to give a presentation, I'm not looking forward to it.

Then, I was ushered into a room full of 20 or more people, whom I'd not met/seen before; just barely introduced and left to get on with it. I was hugely relieved I'd made a breakfast time decision to scrap my paper notes and transfer the whole thing to card as I was shaking so much I'd have been inaudible over the rustle of paper! It's not as if I'm not used to standing in front of people and opening my mouth, but for some reason - the pressure of the situation, the set up of the actual slot - it was possibly one of the most stressful presentations I've ever given. It certainly wasn't me at my most relaxed. Needless to say, I didn't get the job, though in a debrief I did learn it was nothing to do with the presentation and they would have liked me to have come back in 6 months for a similar job they knew was coming up. (At the risk of repeating myself, my home situation had changed and it wasn't possible.)

Perhaps I'm NOT fortunate to have not had a 'practice' at the last interview!

Ah well, I've booked the day off and I've started my mindmap on the subject already.