Happy New Year - Roll on 2017

Happy New Year!

 Part of the NYE fireworks display at Coolangatta

 
I can't believe we're nearly at the end of the first week of 2017 already!

 Boxing Day with May Family rellies

 
Both Steve's and my workplaces close down for the week between Christmas and New Year, so we had a nice quiet week off, using that time to go and see a couple of movies (including Rogue One), have a Boxing Day catch up with some of the rellies, hang out with friends, re-waterproof the canvas and put new mattresses into the Jayco, and organise Cheyenne's school books and stationery for the year. Not long now until school starts again. We just have to get her some new track shoes and pay the usual assortment of fees and she'll be ready to go.

May I just say that I have so much love for my new Brother P-Touch label maker?  I have no idea how I managed to live without it for so long!

This Saturday we head off for a week away at Boyds Bay caravan park at Tweed Heads, with some of Steve's family.  The Jayco is mostly ready to go (we leave it packed with the camping gear) - we just have to do our food shopping (tonight) and pack our clothes in.

Looking forward to our little holiday (yes, I know I only just had a week off, but a stay-cation just doesn't feel the same as a proper holiday) and can only hope the weather plays nice for us.

It's a Christmas Miracle!

After being unemployed for 15 months, sending out countless numbers of job applications, and (surprisingly) having four interviews in the last month... I have FINALLY managed to get a job!  I'll be working as a casual Accessioning Assistant at Peter Pal Library Supplier!

The best part is that it's a job in my chosen field, utilising my Library Technician qualifications again after all these years!   I'm really excited to get back into it.

There are a few minor downsides, though.  

The big one is that they are based at Shailer Park, which means having to drive around 90 km a day (round trip), at a cost of just under $45 per week in Gateway tolls.  Then again, I would probably have driven as far as the Gold Coast for this job.  I only started today and Steve is already grumbling about all the extra mileage that's going to be put on the car.  It takes around 45 minutes to get there in normal peak hour traffic and a bit longer coming home, thanks to crappy traffic around the Nudgee area where the old and new Gateway arterials merge.  Oh yeah, and the next two years worth of roadworks from Boondall to Deagon. *eye roll*  It might even be time to invest in -gasp!- an automatic car.  Did I just say that???   When I got the train into work in the city, it took 42 minutes, not including the time it took to drive to the station or the time it took to walk down the street from Central.  At least this time I'm in my own car, with my own music, my aircon, and no sweaty weirdos can sit next to me and try to engage me in conversation.  Winning!

The only other thing is that it's 5 days per week.  I'll be working 8.30-2.30 Mon-Fri.   I would have preferred longer hours over fewer days, but that can't be helped.   At least I will be home early enough to still get to the bank and post office in the afternoons if I need to, and Cheyenne won't be home by herself for too long after she gets home from school.

Starting this week has put a bit of a spanner in the works for her school holidays, though.  There won't be any spontaneous trips to the beach or anything that requires vehicular transport, but she has a bike and at least she can still catch up with friends or veg out around the house watching YouTube and Catch-up TV - what more could a teenage girl ask for?

On the whole, my hours will work out very well once school goes back, and I pretty much avoid the worst of the afternoon peak hour traffic, so the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

On another note, I've been waiting all this last term to finally be able to get a sleep-in in the mornings.  Now I have to wait just a little bit longer, until the week between Christmas and New Year.

Oh well, bring on the first paycheck!  Ka-Ching!

Life, The Universe, and Everything

The tension was unbearable...
"All right," said Deep Thought. "The Answer to the Great Question..."
"Yes..!"
"Of Life, the Universe and Everything..." said Deep Thought.
"Yes...!"
"Is..." said Deep Thought, and paused.
"Yes...!"
"Is..."
"Yes...!!!...?"
"Forty-two," said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm.

- Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy


I have waited a very, very long time to be able to use the above quote in reference to myself.  Almost 30 years, in fact.  Ever since I first read the Hitchhiker's series.

Yesterday I turned 42.

I am now The Answer.  The magic number.

Maybe that means my luck will turn and I will find the job of my dreams - or, at the very least - a job that I don't absolutely hate, LOL.

After finally finding a job (one that I was enjoying immensely) back in May, a restructure at work has meant that a lack of physical office space has rendered my employment a logistical impossibility, so now I'm back on the job hunt again. 

Just what I needed.  (Where is that sarcasm font when you need it?)

There are still bills to pay, books and uniforms to buy for Cheyenne as she starts High School next year (yikes!), and I haven't even started shopping for Christmas presents yet.  No thanks, I do NOT want to hear how many shopping days left until Christmas.

In the meantime, I'll just kick back (between job applications) and enjoy being 42.  I might even re-read the Hitchhiker's series to celebrate.

Hopefully Life, the Universe and Everything is coming my way soon. 

Seek and ye shall find...

...lots of jobs that you probably won't get.

Well, that's what it feels like to me, anyway.

I applied for 13 jobs during February.  Along with several hundred other applicants, no doubt.

How many of them have I heard back from?  Two.  Both replies were of the "Thanks for applying, but unfortunately..." variety.

Apparently, despite my having 4 functioning limbs, a heartbeat, reliability and near-full availability, and the fact that, in their words "your skills and background are impressive", Woolies found someone who "more closely matched the current requirements" for a store replenishment (night fill) position. Seriously?  Yeah, I'm reading that one as "we found someone cheaper".

The other rejection (for an admin assistant to a property manager) was still quite positive. They received a huge number of high quality applications and I am to be commended for being one of only 10% of applicants who actually followed the unusual request for a hand-written cover letter and a posted application, and as such, they are going to keep me in mind if anything further becomes available.  That would be really lovely, but I don't think I'll hold my breath.

Do I expect to hear back from any of the others?  Probably not.  These days, even the ones that don't specifically say "Due to anticipated large number of applicants, only those shortlisted candidates will be contacted" won't bother giving you feedback, more often than not.  It's a rare few who actually do.

In the meantime, I could try to upskill.  That's the buzzword of the moment, isn't it?  Seems like everybody wants a piece of paper these days, on top of your experience.  The problem with this is that, without a job, I can't afford any of the certificate courses that are available.  Even a 6 week basic MYOB course is upwards of $1500.  It could be a while before I can save up enough for that.  Luckily TAFE has several intakes per year for that one.

The whole thing is incredibly soul sucking, but I won't give up.  For every job that I don't get, it should mean that one less person is competing against me for the next one, right?

If only that were true.  *sigh*