30 September 2014

Opportunities

Today I had a job interview for an entry level research role at the offices of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. It is probably the most perfect sort of job for me and I didn't even apply for it. What happened is that I applied for another role, one that was clearly not an entry-level job, but the applications are being sorted by a recruitment agency. So the recruitment agent emailed me last week to ask if I would be interested in this other role, which is the same thing in the same team but at entry level. I went in for an interview with just the agent, and the great thing about recruitment agents (or at least this one because I have never worked with one before) is that you are kept so informed about the process. He immediately told me that I would go through to the next stage, which was an interview with the panel from the PCE. And that if it went well I would have to go through psychometric testing. He even told me what to expect in the interview. Today, he chatted to me before the interview, then called this afternoon to say that I am going through to the next stage! There were five people in the running and now there are three of us, and there are two positions going. So now I have to do well in the psychometric testing. which is scary. It will involve the usual personality test type thing, which will probably be multi-choice or true/false questions. Then there is numerical critical thinking and I think he said another type of critical thinking, perhaps it was verbal or something? Plus a face-to-face with a psychologist. It's all done through a specialised consultancy company and will happen over the next few days, with the psychologist interview on Monday. So big day!

So in terms of other opportunities, funnily enough after my tupperware party the ladies in charge have talked me into having a go at it myself. I let myself be talked into it because I really do need more than what I have now. Whether it ends up being my backup for if this new job doesn't end up being the opportunity for me, or whether I have a go at it on the weekends to bring in some extra fun money. Truth be told, I am quite greedy and they do make it sound good, with all the extra income and prizes and freebies. And if it doesn't pan out or is too much trouble, well I'll take my pile of virtually free tupperware and call it a day. Whatever happens, I am very ready to leave the museum. Speaking of the museum, the new exhibit is pretty good (it's about tyrannosaurs), but it's really loud, with lots of sound effects. We have some new managers, which is nice. But it's mostly the same old. In other news, I am still down a flatmate (another reason that I need to be earning more) but it is nice with just the two of us here for awhile. Plus the dog of course. She has had a red tummy recently, and the skin under her arm got all puffy. It's better now but I think I will have to take her to the vet when I can to make sure she's OK and not allergic to anything. Right now she's tired because we went on two long walks and it's a warm sunny day today, so she's sleeping under a blanket at my feet.

11 September 2014

Still jobless

Well the past few weeks have been more of the same. In a nutshell, my job-hunting has still come to no fruition, I am on a WINZ benefit, thought I still get some work at the museum, and I am once again struggling to find a new flatmate (the last one that moved in was the most loud, obnoxious person I've ever met, with some sort of personality disorder added into the mix, and we had to ask him to leave). I did manage to get one interview, which is good, but I need more of them because you certainly can't expect to get the perfect job from a single interview. However, it's not like there are a lot of jobs that are suitable going right now, so that was pretty much it. I am waiting to hear about the graduate development programme that the Ministry of Primary Industries runs. If I get into that, I will just need to find something to keep me busy and the bills paid till February. Plus I actually really want to work in that Ministry so hopefully I get in.

So to take my mind off work, or more accurately, my lack of work, I have spent the last weekend throwing a tupperware party. It gave me an excuse to bake yummy food, have people over (not that many in the end, everyone was sick) and I managed to find enough people to buy stuff that I will get a nice little pile of free stuff. This coming weekend, I guess I should make an effort to search for  job and catch up on my coursework. And my distraction for the next weekend? I am going to be an election day worker. It will be a long day, at least 12 hours, most of which will be spent giving people their voting papers, with some counting thrown in at the end.

I don't think Cher will be happy about me getting a full-time job again. Today I had a full day of work, and despite a long walk in the morning and a long walk after work, she is still full of energy. She needs a treadmill. Yesterday I took her to the beach, where she went for a swim, got knocked over by a wave, and half-attempted to bury stuff.