I feel so bad...

...not physically but emotionally. You see, even though I know that this is my blog and I can write or not write what ever I damn well please (see I wrote damn) but I just sometimes feel bad when I haven't posted something for several days. I know I, along with countless others, have written about this before. Also as I've said before I know that there are so many of you out there waiting on the edge of your seat, day in day out, hour by hour, minute by well you get the idea. I just know how you can't wait for the next post and that when I've made you wait for so long many of you probably even forgo food and water for fear that you'll miss the next post while you are out looking for said nourishment. Well I just feel bad about it all and sometimes I feel so bad that it even flows in to the realm of guilt but not for too long I am after all realistic and know that I could never be that important nor would I want to be (okay maybe a little important wouldn't hurt).

All kidding aside I think I just feel that there are a few of you that have become friends in a far off distant kind of way, or you have become friends at least in my mind. Maybe that's the problem. Maybe I just think you're my friends and that in reality I've made the whole thing up. Well if that be the case then I must ask you to leave and stop reading this immediately as I have stopped the delusion in my mind that you are my friend. On the other hand if you really are my friend then then I shall continue to type and you may continue reading.

Unfortunately there's not much to type about around here. I continue to look for a job. I have officially applied for nine jobs and I have already been sent a "Thanks but No thanks" letter from two of them. It's tough out there and it's not going to get any better for a while I'm afraid. All I can do is keep moving in a forward direction and as hubby has said "The right job will come along in due course." I know he is right but I hate the whole job seeking process, next up will be the interview, well that is if I don't keep getting the no thanks letters. I'll get there sooner or later.

One nice thing happened as of recent. I recently found out that I would be getting my Diploma in Community Education after a long drawn out process. It's too difficult to explain but never the less I'm finely getting the diploma. Here in the land down under we name things differently, well that is different from the US. Of course you could look at it another way and say that it is the US that name things different. Anyway, I digress. About this diploma it is like a certification, well it is a certification and what it means is that I have the training/knowledge of what is needed to be a community educator including the development of resources, presentations, programs etc as well as the ability to help a community build upon itself. It's not that big of a deal but it looks really good on my resume.

The other big news is that while those of you in the northern hemisphere, more specifically the US have been inundated with snow and ice and everything that goes with it, we have been having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave. We're having a heat wave a tropical heat wave. You see I'm overcome with the heat I'm repeating myself. I'll try to focus. So yes ,it's been extremely hot for the past three days and with that comes the added danger of bush fires. We've been lucky here in Tasmania it hasn't been as hot as it has in other parts of the country where they have had 45C plus (113 F) for the past several days. It's suppose to break in the next day or so and for the people near the fires I hope so for their sakes. I know it is summer here but no one likes it that hot, well okay there may be a few of you that do and to you I say enjoy

And that my friends is it for now. We are going to some friends house tonight for dinner and a sleep over. The live in the country which here in Tasmania is only ten minutes from our house. They are dear friends and we love spending time at their place. the live on 25 acres however they recently had two tiger snacks near the house and I told them that if I'm coming down they will have to fix that. I HATE snakes. They told me they would do everything they could but could not promise. As if. Okay I'm out of here, hopefully I'll be back sooner that last time. I hope all is well in your end of the would Take care and enjoy...

I'm exhausted...

This whole looking for work thing is exhausting. I'm literally worn out by the end of the day and all I'm doing is looking for jobs on the net and then when find one that i might have a chance at I then have to answer question that they call selection criteria. You have to answer the question and then send those in along with your cover letter and your resume or as we say here in the land down under your CV (Curriculum Vitae). Then you wait.

Let me give you and example of one of the questions. Bear in mind that sometimes they look more like a statement. Either way I have to tell them how I can do the things they are looking for based on my previous work experience. so here goes:

Communicating:

• High level of interpersonal and communication skills including the ability to communicate using a range of mediums and with a multi-cultural and socioeconomically diverse client base in a strongly customer focused environment.
• Ability to work cooperatively as a team member.
• Well developed conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to liaise and negotiate effectively in a tactful and diplomatic manner with other employees at all levels within the Council

Now that's all one topic and usually there at least five or six different topics that they want you to comment on. Anyway, up to this point over the past two weeks I have done six of theses things. I know that may not sound like a lot but believe me your mind turns to mush after working on this stuff for four hours straight. The nice thing about it is that the government pays me while I'm looking for work. It's like unemployment but unlike unemployment you can sign up anytime and all you have to do is prove that you have been looking for the jobs. They give you a book that you write down every job you apply for and even those that you just contact and then maybe you don't apply because you can't fulfill that company's selection criteria. All I know is I'm worn out but I know that it will be worth it in the end someone will find out that I'm that right person for the job and I'll discover that they are the tight job for me.

In the mean time just so i don't make this a boring post I will share some pictures took at a dear friends wedding two weeks ago. They had a professional photographer but I just wanted to see what I could do using my good camera. I took a total of 200 pictures of which I ended up with only 183 that I thought were good enough to give to the couple that got married. So have a look see at theses sweet wedding pictures. They were married at the beach and it was EXTREMELY wind but I think I did an okay job and who knows maybe this is what I should look to do for a living maybe after a lot more practice. Anyway Enjoy...

The groom (the blond) and the best man


The Bride


The Bride and Maid of Honour (not the best shot but I wanted to show one with the maid of honour)


The ceremony


The ceremony


One more of the ceremony. I know you're probably bored out of your minds by now but then again no one is twisting your arm and making you look at the photos.


Signing the marriage certificate


Cutting the cake (I suppose you can tell that yourself but I'm just trying to be helpful)


The first dance (Don't they look like the kind of like each other?)

Onward and upward...

Let the healing, growth and enlightenment begin...

Where am I? What day is this?

That's the way I feel right now. I don't know if I'm coming or going. You see dear readers I am looking for a job. In this current economic climate it's not easy, but none the less I will keep looking. I have two solid applications pending and I'm just waiting to hear if I've been shortlisted for the job. I have three more jobs that I'm applying for but I have to finish the selection criteria (see below for definition) for each of them.

There is is a difference here in the land down under compared to how I was used to looking for a job in the states. Generally in the states I sent my resume in with a cover letter and hoped they would give me an interview. Usually if there was an interview I would talk to someone in personnel and then if they liked me they would set up one or two more separate interviews and after all of that if they all liked me they would offer me a job. Here it's a bit different. Here not only do you send in a cover letter and you resume or as they tend to call it your CV (Curriculum Vitae) and then you also have to attach a copy of the selection criteria with your answers.

The selection criteria is a set questions and or statements pertaining to the skills that the employer wants you to possess and they want you to quantify not only that you have the skills but how you used the skills and if possible at which previous job. I'll give you a sample question/statement.

Ability to maintain confidentiality, exercise initiative, judgment and discretion and to work without direct supervision.

Now to that statement I would have to write no more and no less than a paragraph to explain how I am capable of doing this.

After I answer all of the selection criteria of which there are usually 5, 6, maybe more questions. I send that in as I mentioned along with my cover letter and a CV. After that I wait to see if I've been shortlisted (a short list of applicants that they want to actually interview) and if I have well then I get to have an interview, if not I get a nice polite thanks but no thanks letter. The interview process here for professional based jobs opposed to labour skilled jobs are different once again than what I'm used to in the states. Labour based jobs here consist of one or maybe two separate interviews with different individuals. Professional skilled jobs consist of one interview and a panel of at least two but usually three people from within the company. All of the interviewers have some direct knowledge or working experience of the job you are applying. Usually one of the people will be the person you will be reporting to if you get the job.

The interview process consist of a series of questions asked by the three panelists and each of them score your questions. A the end of the interview they say thank you and they will let me know in the next day or so rather or not they are going to offer me the job. Once I'm gone they all discuss me both on physical presentation and also the content of my answers. If they think I'm the one they then call my references and believe me the truly call all of your references, of which you have to have at least two and most times three. If that all pans out, they call me to offer me the job. Of course if any part of the interview process including the referee check does not pan out you get a thanks but no thanks letter.

So looking for work has been a huge learning curve for me but it is interesting. Now all I have to do is get an interview and then hopefully impress the interviewers with my knowledge, wit and overwhelming charm. Anyway that's what's going on here so the posts will be sporadic but I will do my best to, keep you updated. I'll be back, wish me luck.

Mini vacation...

I know I have not posted for a few days and unfortunately for those of you who plan your days on my witty word well you will have to wait a few more days. Hubby and I are going on a mini vacation. We are looking forward not only to the wedding but also to the place where the wedding is being held which is here. Take a look for yourself and tell me if you don't think we are lucky this weekend. We are staying at the Lodge which is also where the reception is being held. We won't have to worry about driving anywhere after the reception. Can we say PARTY??? Anyway, I'll be back next week to let you know how it went. 

Knock, knock...

...Who's there? It's Me! Is it safe to come out yet? Well here we are the new year is here. It's all about 2009 now. 2008 is history as they say and that is exactly the way I want to keep it. When you think about it I really don't have a choice as to rather I can keep 2008 history or not because any way you look at it history it is and to it I say good riddance.

So now here we are 5 days into 2009 and all is well. I am not even going to venture as to what the year may or may not bring. I'm not even going to say I want it to be a good year or a great year or a year without pain, trouble and heartache. I'm just going to let come what may and go with the flow because in most if not all cases you don't usually have a choice as to what happens anyway. Sure you can try to plan for certain things to happen and set goals for things and that's all fine and well but in the end things happen for a reason and they will happen rather I've planned for them or not so I think I will just go with the flow and as the circumstances change then so shall I so as to accommodate the changes that life hands me.

This plan may or may not work and if it doesn't well then as I said I'll go with the flow and change my life accordingly. Now as for the rest of you I'm not sure I'd follow my lead so I suggest that you stick to what ever your plan is for 2009 and I hope that what ever you have planned it works for you. So onward and upward we go and lets just see what the future holds.

Until the next post take care and stay well. I'll see you in a day or so.