What was I thinking?

I didn't get that job I talked about earlier. It was a dream come true job. At Park Road Post which is the post production facility that was set up by Peter Jackson. It's one of a kind all-in-one business - they have studios, stages, sound production, film developing, telecine, weta digital next door, in-house cinema with pre-release showings to the staff, staff discount cafe on site, gym, three furnished apartments for visiting directors or if you are working late.

It was a very fast hire. An ad came through, I applied at 6pm, they rang me 9am the next day, two days later I had an interview, three days after that I had a second interview. I was so certain I was going to get it. I needed to get it. It was the career start with capital letters.

Sure, there were going to be sacrifices - I live in Karori, it's in Miramar, they wanted 7.30am starts. I was going to be getting up 5.30am every day to get there by the start time, and was already looking at trademe rentals to move to Miramar with my first paycheck. I was ready to do all that.

Oh, suppose I should say what the job is. Chemist. Making sure all those bleach, fixer, developer solutions were of correct concentrations, consistent throughout the shooting of the film, troubleshooting problems that film operators might encounter. Quite a large lab and sole charge. All standardised with Kodak ImageCare.

Really, it was fantastic dream job, no matter the sacrifices. I don't even know what the pay was going to be, it doesn't even matter.

The HR lady said it came so very very close between me and one other applicant. But apparently he pulled out an unexpected surprise of having had film experience. That sealed the deal I guess. She said she'd like to keep my CV on file and to call me in a few months when something else comes up.

Sure, that sounds hopeful, but who's going to pay my bills next month, and how am I going to afford Christmas? I had so many people cheering, well-wishing, praying for me. Many people driving me, lending me clothes for the interview, offering interview tips and answering my questions. I feel like I've let them all down somehow. Not just because of this job, but just overall - three years of a degree, so much support all around, and I have nothing to show for it. My flatmates are working as a house painter, check out operator and shoe salesperson. I want to be able to utilise my degree.

Maybe it was all a silly idea from 2004, maybe I should have stayed in IT. I've run out of science jobs now, applied for everything there was, and the ads have dried up. I'm applying for IT jobs, and they want to know how I explain the last three years. Not here nor there now. Will probably be working in a supermarket next month. What was I thinking?

Final Financial Frustration

So you think they just give money away at the Dole Bludger's office? BZZZ WRONG!
You want to apply for an unemployment benefit? Something to cover your bills while you wait for jobs to close applications, shortlist people, interview potential employees, and fill the job? Some money to make sure you don't bounce your rent payments?

Nope, no money for j00, come back one year!
Here are two possible scenarios if you want to get some financial assistance having just finished your Uni exams:
1. Student Unemployment Hardship from Studylink.
2. Unemployment Benefit from WINZ.

Both pay exactly the same amount. For both offices, you have exactly the same client ID number. Can they talk to each other? NO! That's against the Privacy Act. WHAT?!
It's like saying Telecom and Xtra can't talk to each other even though your bill arrives in the same envelope.

Ok ok, that aside, let's investigate your options further:
1. Studylink - so so easy to apply for, fill out the form, show last couple of payslips if you had any, and your ID, done! The catch: you have to hand in your form in person in town, which they then send off to their processing centre, then it takes them about four days to process it, THEN your one week stand down begins, and only then do you get paid, no back payments.

2. WINZ - you have to attend a seminar called WRK4U (txt speak is the new black, ask any NCEA student), I didn't make it up, that's what was written on the overhead they presented. The seminars are only held at 8.30 in the morning, and the examples of points being discussed are Why is working better than the dole? and How to make an appointment with a case manager. So you think, I've attended a seminar, give me the dole, right? Wrong. You have to go home, ring the call centre, and make an appointment to see a case manager. Can you make an appointment right there at the office? No, go home, ring the call centre. When you come for the meeting, make sure to bring with you nine pieces of documentation, ranging from easy ones like your ID, to mind boggling ones like proof of 52 weeks of income. Sure, you'll say, Just ring IRD and get a statement, or Get your landlord to mail you a copy of the tenancy agreement. Of course that means waiting for a week or so to get all those documents together, then you make the appointment, then you see the case manager, then you get paid. Bonus: the one week stand down period is counted from the day you called them to get scheduled for WRK4U seminar, and you'll get backpay. Another bonus: if you get a job, they'll give you "bridging support", i.e. money to tie you over while you wait for the phat pay checks to start rolling in. The catch: no matter what option I take, I still won't get paid next week.

Executive Summary: I can't afford rent and bills for the rest of the month. This includes the monthly bills for November I still haven't paid. Whoever said dole was the easy way out obviously hasn't tried applying for one. On the job front: declined for MAF, declined for Aotea Pathology, didn't quite make it for Fujitsu (job was gone after my interview with the recruitment agency), still waiting to hear from Impac, ACC, Wakefield GE Research, and ESR.

Blegh

Had a job interview yesterday with Aotea Pathology. Didn't get it. More frustrating is the fact they told me I was one out of three. So my CV must be looking really good to get me that far, but either I smell funny or my interview technique blows goats.

One of the flatmates moved out (the smelly one), the other three have all got jobs lined up already. Although, admittedly, they're not working in their graduation field, but just in shops. One does have a 'real' job, but it won't start till January.

I've attempted the IT path today - sent my CV off to someone at Manpower. I just don't want to work on a helpdesk, that'd be worse than Woolworths.

So yeah, pretty depressing, haven't really moved from the bed today. Been fiddling with my Wacom tablet, but not sure what's up with it - the nib end isn't working anymore, only the eraser side. Been trying to install latest drivers and whatnot, but the internet is fubared, took me 15 minutes just to get a driver downloaded.

Must go raid now. Oh, if you feel like getting me a Christmas present and don't know what to get - WoW TCG boosters and starters are all the rage at the moment.

A Graduate in Progress

With all the God's might and various other fortunate placements of time and space, I might have passed my exams. Psych on Tuesday, Cellular Regulation on Wednesday. It was only last night, but already it feels like a week has passed. Must be some sort of defense mechanism to deter me from going more insane.

I did get flowers though, was very nice and a total surprise. Usually I anticipate such things, but this time I didn't even think of it, so it was fantastic.

Won't know the exam results for about two weeks, but I'm sure the internet will be the first to know if I fail. Or pass. Whichever now really. Hoping hoping hoping.

How amazing would it feel to be a graduate. Oh it's probably nothing, people get degrees every year. I don't know, I just never thought I'd have stuck to it. Feels great. Don't feel like I know much more than I did three years ago though, so finding it a bit hard to 'shine' at the job interviews.

Still have an Open Poly assignment due on Monday, and its exam on the 16th, but they don't really matter - easy paper (VB.NET) and even if I fail that one, it won't change anything. You think it's a defeatist point of view, I call it umm something. Laziness is probably the right word. But I'll get it done, I always do. I procrastinate forever, and then BAM, stuff gets done. Like a charging up the combo points... maybe not.

Piggy hasn't progressed past taking food from my hand. Tomorrow I shall try turning his cage a bit to see if we can spice things up.

Sleep now I must.

Only a week to go!

Monday begins the last week of my University study. The last week of lectures, ever. Amazing isn't it. Kinda sad too - hard to leave something so interesting and fun behind. But I'll feel all much better about it all when I can finally go a week without worrying how I'll pay my bills.

I've applied for a job at MAF Biosecurity in Wallaceville. I got shortlisted and had an interview. Apparently I'm up against five other people. Nervous. It's a four months contract to cover someone's pregnancy leave, and in that respect, the job is perfect - good experience over summer, while still giving me the option to go back to University to do Honours. And if I stick with working, it's yet another entry on my CV.

The interview was quite scary - 17 pre-printed questions, the panel members went in circles asking them, three at a time. Very strange, but I guess it is a government department. Seems like a very nice team too - everyone is young, and they all seem quite chirpy.

Would be good if I get it. If not, I guess I can stick it out with the old folks for a bit longer. I suppose I never posted that I am a care provider for the elderly now. Just a part time job - useful because I can work around my lecture times. Frustrating at time and the pay is awful, but at the same time it feels good to be needed by someone. I have three clients - one I just vaccuum her house, another I take shopping and to the hairdresser, and the third, hmm not really sure what I do with him - we clean the house and he brings in more stuff the next day.

The pay is so bad that in the two months that I've been working there I earned less money than my boyfriend earns in one week. I suppose doesn't help that my hours are sporadic - 13 one week, two the next.

My exams are on the 31st, 1st, and an Open Polytechnic one on the 16th. But no lectures as of 16th of October, so plenty of time to work and study. If I get the Wallaceville job, I can study on the train/bus - one hour trip each way every day.

In fact I should writing a project for the Open Poly assignment right this minute as it's due on Monday, but I saw that Blogger now has a new fandangly interface and just had to check it out.

Oh oh, I won a PSP game on the radio today. Woot!