It's not ironic. It's just coincidental.

I didn't get an interview for the job I went for. On reflection, that's not unexpected, for a number of reasons that I will not go into here.

However, on the same day (i.e. today) I did get asked to go and speak at St. Andrews University Gender Equality Week about my Masters thesis and my role as chair of the Scotland branch of our Focused Women's network (a network to attract, develop, and retain talented women in the organisation).

My thesis was an ethnographic study on gender issues in project management. I am quite excited to go, but also a little nervous that I won't live up to their expectations. I completed it more than three years ago. I need to go and re-read it!

They described me as "a successful woman". I suppose that is true. I have the required physical attributes of a female, and I've never really tried to have a go as a man. I have had some success at maturing from girl to women.

Some people might say it was ironic that I was invited to the conference as a "successful woman", on the day I failed to get a job interview. It certainly isn't. It's just coincidence. How easily the two are confused.