Some people are concerned about how the job may affect their social and personal life, all I can say is you’ve got to roll with the punches. It works if you make it work, make your friends realise the fact that you realistically spend a lot of time at home in the UK, because they will presume that you spend most of your time abroad. The standby can be tedious, but we all acknowledge that they are good opportunities to get menial tasks done around the house and, let’s face it, you can always invite friends round for a cuppa! Unfortunately standby can butcher the excitement of roster day, but you can always get it filled if you ask, there’s always crew wanting to take unpaid leave for trips, so there’s normally someone on offer – the standby desk is your friend!