One more day, one more rejection... and a rare offer!

"Dear Nick. Thank you for applying for the above post. I received dozens of responses and was impressed by the calibre and high quality of candidates applying for the position. I regret to inform you however that you were unsuccessful in your application on this occasion. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest and also wish you all the very best in your future career. Kind regards, Gareth" (Gareth Thomas MP Clwyd West)

If you have ever wondered how a rejection email from a Welsh Member of Parliament for a parliamentary research post would read, the revelatory replica above should put paid to the mystery. That was the latest rejection email I received, read, and digested with the faintest disappointment.

My disappointment is only faint, because (gasp!) something has come up. On Monday night, I went to the Institute for Citizenship, for what I was expecting would be a half hour interview. It ended up being a 2 hour conversation. 2 hours of talk about a vision held by a bright person with small resources, a loyal band of unpaid staffers, and a proper grasp of what we ought to mean when we use the word "citizenship". I left, my mind in a whirl, my heart pumping.

So the situation is this - it's a small, plucky organisation. They can't offer me money or a guarantee of a paid post. With the number of people and the amount of lobbying they'll need to do to make this get out of stasis into first gear, it'll be a horrendous work. But they've got vision, boy have they got vision!

I am thinking this through, my heart says "Yes!" - soon, but very soon, I may be back in the game!!