March 2015

I can't believe it is the end of March already. So much for having a great permanent job offer within a couple of months! But it's not all bad, I'm back at the Ministry of Education doing the same job as last year, which I enjoy so it's a good place to be for awhile. I would like to stay there if I could. Right now I am showing my worth by being the unofficial acting coordinator of my team and the process, because our actual coordinator has had to go away and be with her sick mother. Which is awful but a good chance for me to show that I'm up to a bit more responsibility. As for other jobs, I am still applying for permanent jobs. And remember that job at Statistics New Zealand that was a big deal a month or so ago? Well, a month after my interview, I finally got word from them. I didn't get the job but they wanted to keep me in the loop for the next round of recruitment, which was happening right then. So I was going to apply for that role anyway, but instead I was asked to just go straight to the psychometric testing stage and that they wanted me to come back for another chat and check my references. So that was really good news and when I finally got feedback it turns out the testing went really well. But I say finally because once again they were really rubbish at staying in touch and keeping me in the loop. Two weeks after I had done the testing I finally got fed up and starting trying to get hold of the person that had called me last time. When I finally got through to him he chased up the issue for me - because it was a different group of people in charge of the second round of recruitment. And no, after all of that they were going to stick with the group they had interviewed and not invite me for a second one. So all that stress for nothing. But the thing is, if I had sent in my application despite already being invited to do testing and stuff, would I have got an interview?

Anyway, that's it for now on the job front. They will be recruiting again soon and I will apply but truth is, I wasn't impressed with their communication so don't really want to. I will because I have to. At least I know I have full time work until July, and going back to the same job is actually a good thing, because it shows they wanted me back.

So this month's post is mostly negative and complainy I'm afraid. The next thing to go on about is my car. It's been playing up for awhile, but this week it has taken it to a new level. It dying a slow painful death would be bad enough, but what's worse is that it's quite intermittent. I never know what to expect. Sometimes it's fine. But when you turn it on it revs quite highly at first. Then other times it revs really low. Then sometimes, every time you slow down the engine just dies, as if you have stalled. What's worse is sometimes when it dies, the steering wheel freezes up, which is really not ideal when you're in the middle of the city, halfway through trying to turn onto the busy one-way system. Then just when you're really frustrated and feel like you're flogging a dead horse, it starts to behave itself again! On the Saturday just been it got really bad, then an hour later we went for another drive and it was mostly fine and it's been OK since then. But that's not all! Sometimes it has the opposite problem, and instead of low revs leading to it dying, the high revs increase to the point where it's practically driving itself! The first time it happened I was pretty freaked but Dad told me how to find the accelerator cable and spray it with CRC to stop it sticking. So second time it happened I did that again, but I don't know how long that fix will last. So I guess my first few pay checks will be going into buying a new car, because at this point there's not much point trying to fix the old one. Time for a fresh start.

To top it all off, I had to put up with a sick dog for a week. I'm not sure what started it, but then her food was exacerbating it, so now I have to get her a new bag of food, and it's not even on sale.

The only good point is that it's a short week this week. A bummer that I get paid less, but I'm looking forward to the weekend.

February 2015

OK so my scheduled post is two days late but I think I can be forgiven that on account of it was the weekend so I didn't check my diary and also it was a short month so the end of it came around sooner than usual ... Anyway how about I just get on to filling you in about my month? I left you last time with high expectations that the big deal job interview I had would come to something. Well, that was a month ago now that I had that interview, I had to jump through so many hoops, with stressing out over a presentation, being prepared for an interview and then doing a written test. And you know what? I have never actually heard from them! How rude. And now the same organisation is advertising for more statistical analysts! In different groups this time I assume but you think they would contact all the previous applicants before re-advertising. So I will apply because it's still what I want to do but I'm not impressed with their HR department. I will call before starting the next application, get the final word on my last interview and ask for feedback.

Of course I have been applying for other jobs in the meantime, and I nearly got an interview for another analyst role - I was longlisted but didn't make the shortlist. My temp work at the Ministry of Education has finally run out and this week I am just taking it easy and working at the museum, to give my eyes a break from all that computer work. Then in two weeks time I'm starting full time work at the Ministry of Business, same job I did this time last year. So it's secure and pays decently, I can probably stay there till July again like last year. Yet it's a casual contract so I can keep looking for permanent work while I'm there. Hopefully something will happen and there will be no gap between jobs. There is actually a permanent role going there too, one I applied for last year, but my friend there got instead. She has moved on to a different position so that role is open again, but after seeing how overworked she was there is no way I'm applying for that!

With work stuff going a little way forward at least, I can pay my bills without worrying anymore, and I am nearly out of overdraft. I would have been out already but I had to buy some flights ... It is so expensive to fly to Invercargill, even if you are booking three months in advance! So $240 later, I have flights booked down for Friday June 12th to early morning the following Monday. I'm sure it will be OK to take a day off work. Just as I was writing that I suddenly panicked and thought I had booked the wrong weekend! But I didn't, so it's all good. Now I have three months to get to work on the project that I have in mind.

So thinking back over the past month I have just remembered one funny story to tell, then I should probably go get my day started. So we were driving to the outlet store that is just out of town, and we got stuck in a traffic jam on the motorway. It was gridlocked and crawling along like a snail on account of an accident ahead, which required three lanes to merge into one lane. We crept along and crept along, and finally came to the big truck that was directing traffic to merge and the police cars on either side of the accident site. As we came closer we could see something on the road between the police cars but it sure didn't look like bits of a smashed up vehicle. It looked liquidy and brown, and as we got closer, we saw that yes this patch of road was indeed liquidy, and brown, and also full of fish ... So my guess is somehow a car accident caused a truck to lose some of it's nasty load of fish, and they cleared away anything else but now three lanes of traffic were forced to merge into one because it was too hard to wash away some fish goop? Seems a bit ridiculous. And my car speakers were all screwed up (they're not now, Daniel got sick of it and replaced them!) so we didn't even have good tunes to listen to while stuck in the traffic jam! We finally got past it and continued on our way, and the first then I had to do when we arrived was find the loo. While I was in the bathroom I could hear a child screaming and throwing a huge patty, and when I came out of the cubicle I found a crowd of ladies around a closed door, trying to encourage the child to try again. What did she have to try? Opening the door of course, the girl and locked it and couldn't open it. So I went into the next cubicle, climbed up on the toilet, clambered over the partition and rescued the poor thing. And the lock wasn't stuck at all, she had just panicked and wasn't turning it right. I hope I didn't break anything during my climb, neither the toilets or the partition seemed very strong. And so after a long journey I then saved the day for a distraught little girl, and proceeded to go shopping and treat myself to discounted outlet things that maybe I don't need but I wanted anyway.

And here is Cher:

January 2015

Well January is over, who would have thought it would happen so quickly? I have been very busy but among my resolutions and decisions for the year is of course staying in touch with people, which includes keeping up the blog. So new plan: monthly posts. Solve my struggle to think of a post title, sets a schedule that I can put in my diary and be forced to stick to, and lets you (yes you know I am pretty much talking just to you) know when to bother checking for a new post - 1st of every month. I also want to try get my food blog back up and running just for me and my own use, but that's a story for another day.

So, what has been happening? Well, Christmas was just the usual, nice and quiet, pretty much the same for the New Year. I didn't work at the museum for the holiday days, I wanted a break. But with it being cruise ship season I have been working very steadily since then - in fact, it's almost been too much, I'm not used to working full time! Plus I am temping for a recruitment agency so I have also had a decent amount of well-paid office work over the last month. It is hard to fit in job-hunting with full time work though! I have been applying for relevant jobs still, they are starting to really pop up again. It is sometimes disheartening to apply for a job that I know I applied for last year - maybe twice or more for some! But I finally have a really good interview coming up! This one is another big deal one, like the one I had near the end of last year which included psychometric testing. This one is for Statistics NZ and I have to begin by giving a presentation! Then a full competency-based interview, then a written test. The presentation made me want to look completely professional and I figure, all guys have at least one suit for interviews and such, right? So I bought a suit! I went to Jacqui-E, where they are having a promotion, I bought a nice tailored black jacket and got two free skirts to go with it, one that is part of the matching set (and so, so nice) and the other a plain black pencil skirt. So I'm all set for professional life and dressing to impress! Wish me luck!

In other news ... is there other news? Wait, yes there is. My car got fixed and passed it's warrant of fitness! But it's not all good news. The clutch is on its last legs. But it only makes funny noises sometimes, not all the time, so I really hope it's got a few months left in it. If it lasts that long I should be able to manage to save enough for a new one, a better one in fact. With a good stereo, I miss music in the car! Plus I want it to last long enough for Nathan to get his licence - I am currently being a driving teacher, which is a bit of a worry! But if I'm going to have learner drivers in the car revving the engine and riding the clutch, would rather it all happen to this car then a nicer new one ...

We also have had crazy hot weather here in Wellington, it has been so hot and dry that I get all grumpy and restless, and we have to sleep with the windows open. It hasn't even been very windy! Unfortunately left the windows down in the car one night (have to leave them down all day or my car becomes an oven) and it smells funny now so I reckon a cat got in it. With the lack of rain I feel bad about watering my garden so I have been being super ecological-minded and using the laundry water to do the garden! So all the grass might be brown but the garden is happy, I'll post a photo tomorrow, my late lilies are blooming and my earlier lilies seem to be having babies - one has tiny little bulb things growing out of its stem! I have loads of geraniums because when I walk past pretty ones I pick a bit off and put in my own garden! The self-root really well. I have garlic too and it's time to harvest it. I haven't had much time for the garden but it seems to be doing pretty well on its own. It even has a resident lizard. I never see it properly, but every time I walk past it scurries away into a bush, I see it out of the corner of my eye.

Now I need to go to sleep, I still have loads of prep to do, I want to be so prepared and I want my presentation to be the best thing since sliced bread. The house is a huge mess because Nathan just moved in (and Daniel is having to move out of his place on the 20th and will probably come here for at least a while, I don't know if this house can really fit 4 people!), shopping needs to be done, and a huge pile of laundry (what would you know but it's finally meant to rain tomorrow), and as usual the dog needs a couple of walks. But my top priority is this interview. I will be super busy for the next couple of weeks or so (did I mention that there is a 10-week temp contract on offer, so I will likely have full time work soon no matter what?) - but I will definitely let you know what happens and then write again properly in a month.

Quick Update

OK so what's new? Not much. No new job yet, but I've joined a recruitment agent which seems like a pretty good move. So far they have gotten me one interview and given me advice about my CV. My Publishing Diploma finishes in one week and I have two assignments to get through, so that is my number one priority this week. I should probably stop watching movies and reading books so much. Then with the course over, it will pretty much be time to go down south for a visit, then Christmas. Can't wait to get a Christmas tree and make lots of yummy food. Being rather poor right now isn't really ideal but most people agree that there won't be much chance of finding a job earlier than January now. However, tomorrow I'm going to make enquiries about some of the school holiday programmes, perhaps I can manage to get myself hired by the zoo or wildlife sanctuary for a couple of weeks.

So that's pretty much it from me for the last few weeks. Except Cher has begun having a bit of an incontinence issue the last week or so. It's just happened a few times, when she's sleeping, I think it's when she gets too warm because she likes to sleep under blankets, on top of me. So yes, that means she peed on me. Twice. And on her blankets and in the car. I've had a lot of washing to do this last week. There is more to do too, we were going for a drive yesterday, doing some early Christmas shopping, and when I was done I gave Cher a treat for having to wait in the car while I was busy. It was a treat that is supposed to be for cleaning their teeth so it's very hard an chewy, only they were small dog treats, not big dog ones. Since it was small enough for her to not bother chewing I think she swallowed it whole. Next thing I know, I'm driving along, stop at the traffic lights, look over my shoulder to check on her in the back seat and see a pile of puke sitting there beside her. I don't think I'll give her the rest of those treats. My car was overdue for cleaning anyway, as soon as I finish my assignments that should be my first task.

Still in limbo...

Not to mention halfway up the financial shit-creek. After a very intense week of interviewing and psychometric testing, I did not get the job from the other week. But it was not all bad news; it wasn't that I did not qualify for the position, it was that they decided to take on another senior staff member at the expense of one of the entry-level positions. So that was my job opportunity gone. However, they might recruit again early next year so I will stay in touch of the recruitment agent.

Luckily, I have another job interview this week. This time it is for a part time position as an editorial assistant with Te Papa Press, which is the publishing arm of the museum and creates really beautiful books. The interview is on Tuesday, so I should do some homework and find some tidy clothes. This could be a very good job to have for the summer (it's only a three month contract) so I hope that the interview goes well and that I finally get a job. I would really like to take a break from being a host at Te Papa for a few months too. I might not be able to, but it would be nice.

Of course, if everything else doesn't work out perhaps I will become a Tupperware selling wonder. I have my first few parties lined up and at the least I will earn my kit. But perhaps I can make it earn me some money too, maybe even enough to pay for more than just the necessities. New shoes and clothes would be nice.

At least not having go that full time job just yet means that I should have plenty of free time to enjoy the summer. I have a few other things to keep me busy though. I am nearly finished my publishing diploma but I really need to get on to the last couple of assignments. I got another research article published but I have one more still to write and submit. I have a stack of fabric that I hope to sew up into nice new things and a whole other blog that I have not touched in a year. So, plenty to do.

Today, walking Cher, we came across a little mouse snuffling around the gutter. I pointed it out to here and then she went nuts over trying to get it. Luckily she was on the leash but she still nearly managed to eat it. It was funny to point it out to her but I didn't really want her to maim a mouse in front of me so I dragged her away. Anyway, here is a picture of her sleeping hilariously upside down on the couch and another after she got into a muddy ditch.

And here are a couple of cakes I baked lately. On Monday I am entering a bake off and I really want to win.

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.

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.