The longest job search I have ever had yet!

It took four months for me to get a job in my desired field of work – Desktop Support.

For the past 3 months I have been working in a 1st level helpdesk role; which has both positive and negative aspects.

Positive in that I could pay my bills and living expenses. Negative in that it was a helpdesk role. For 7.5 hours I was sitting in front of a computer – taking phone calls and responding to emails. Not what I have been used to or what I call an engaging job.

During my 3 month stint as an IT Helpdesk Officer I applied for over 20 jobs. Interviewed with 4 recruitment companies and had 5 interviews with clients. I was offered one of the jobs but was denied when I told them I would be away for 6 weeks on vacation.

As it was getting towards the middle of April I was resigned to the fact that I may not get anything. I was less than 2 months away from going on my 6 week around the world vacation. It’s hard to get a 6-8 week contract. There are more likely to be 3-6 months in length.

When it rains it pours

Last week I mentioned to my current manager the hardships of getting a job. Later that day he said to me I could stick around for 6 weeks until I leave for my trip and assist with a Desktop Deployment of 55 PCs.

The next day I got a call from a recruitment company I had interviewed with. She said The Age, a newspaper in Melbourne had a 6-8 week contract doing a Desktop Deployment of 350 PCs. This was Friday last week and I was scheduled to have an interview early the next week.

Flash forward to Tuesday of this week. I had the interview with The Age and two hours later I got the job. A job lasting exactly 6 weeks; which is perfect for me as I go on vacation in that time.

Life has its ups and downs

For the first half of the year I will have worked for 4 out 5 months. I was initially hesitant to take this Helpdesk role, but it turned out I needed it more than I realized. The Desktop Support job market was a lot tougher than in 2007. If I didn’t take it, I would have been unemployed for 3 months, making no money and using my savings.

Despite the boring nature of the job; I received experience working at another company, meeting new people and another entry on my resume.

I feel very fortunate and lucky they way things have turned out. I start a new job next week going back to my roots, the newspaper industry. It’ll keep me busy and challenged for the next 6 weeks. Then off on my vacation.

Australia 2020 Summit

Over the weekend in Australia’s capital of Canberra, 1002 people from all areas of life gathered to discuss the future of Australia. They were tasked with coming with up the best ideas to lead Australia into the 21st century, to be implemented by 2020.

People had to nominate themselves to attend the 2020 Summit and give reasons why they think they should attend. Of the thousands of entries only 1002 people were chosen.

The areas that the 2020 Summit focused on were:

1) Productivity: Education, Training, Science and Innovation

2) The Economy

3) Population, Sustainability, climate change and water

4) Rural Australia

5) Health

6) Families and Communities

7) Indigenous Australia

8) Creative Australia

9) Governance

10) Security

Each of the above streams was co-chaired by a community member and a member of parliament.

To add a bit of celebrity, Creative Australia was co-chaired by Cate Blanchett, less than a week after she had a baby.

Over the course of a day and half, people were broken into groups to come up with ideas to present to the Prime Minister.

A mighty task to accomplish such a thing in a small amount of time, but it was done.

Here are some of the ideas that came out of it:

Introduction of an Australian Republic in two stages, beginning with a plebiscite on the issue followed by a referendum.

Create a national preventative health agency. Funded by taxes on products with high social cost, e.g. alcohol, cigarettes and junk food.

All new buildings to be carbon neutral

Creation of “community corps” to allow students to reduce their HECS (student loans) debt through volunteer work.

Increasing the formal and legal recognition of Aborigines, with the possibility of a treaty.

The development and implementation of both a Charter of Rights and a National Action Plan for Social Inclusion

Contributing 1% of federal funding allocated to each government department to the arts

My thoughts

It’s great that the federal government of Australia is including people from all walks of life with skills and experience in their respective areas to help lay the foundation for the polices and programs that the government will implement.

It feels like democracy really at work.

It reminded me of my time at the Globe and Mail and having all the employees who wanted to participate work in groups to come with ideas of re-imaging the newspaper. I got to work with people in editorial, sales and marketing. It really felt like the employees were contributing to the organization they worked in.

I think the people involved in the 2020 summit would feel the same way; they are helping to shape the future of their country, lives and the communities they live in. It’s a wonderful feeling to be part of.

One comment that I thought was very telling was from aboriginal attendees. Saying over and over again “how wonderful it was to be brought back together”.

It seems like a revolutionary idea, but it shouldn’t be. Government is supposed to work for us. But it doesn't feel that way - politics, agenda’s and money seem to play a big part of how government operates at all levels.

Maybe it’s time we get back to the grassroots and have governments work for us and not treating their constituents as an after thought.

Writer’s Block or Busy Life ?

I haven’t posted anything to the blog in 10 days. One of the reasons being I haven’t felt compelled to write about anything.

Last week toward the end of the week I had 2 job interviews and was busy with that. This week has been pretty quite but again I have not had the urge to write anything.

What’s happening in my life at the moment ?

Trying to secure work for the next 7 weeks

Starting a new exercise regime with the help of a personal trainer

Getting ready for our trip to Bangkok, Helsinki and Toronto

Looking at courses to further my career

Dealing with moral issues about notifying an employer about time off (a 6 week vacation) when applying for a new job.

As well as applying for another job when you may have work already, but don’t like your current job, but it’s a job and your going away in 7 weeks.

Keeping track of when TV shows are returning to air (after the writers strike) and making sure to download it.

The struggle to cook dinner every night and not succumb to eating pizza.

What to have for lunch each day and not eat bread (It’s hard to do!)

That’s about all for now, nothing else that’s been happening to me or in Melbourne/Australia that has interested me enough to write about it.

The Rudd Salute

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been traveling all over the world attending summits and meetings with leaders from all over the world.

At a recent Nato conference in Romania, Kevin Rudd was caught saluting George W. Bush with a sheriff like salute.
It was condemned by federal opposition leader Brendan Nelson as "conduct unbecoming of an Australian prime minister".

When Rudd was questioned about it, he said it was "just a joke"

It's the media and other politicians who have made a big deal out of nothing. But I am sure there is a segment of Australians that feel the same way.

It really tells you how Australian's feel about the USA. Despite Australian's being outspoken, tell it as people they still have this sense of modesty when interacting with the outside world and not seeming as pandering to the big power of the US.

I am not sure what to make of it and can't really offer any more in-depth analysis. But I just wanted to highlight briefly.

Just another discovery into my Australian sociology degree of what makes the Australian people who they are.

Déjà vu all over again

In September 2004 I was told by my doctor I had to lose 10 pounds because of hypertension or high blood pressure. If I didn’t I would have to go on medication. It took me until November 2004 to join a gym and start getting fit.

Over a 6 week period with the help of a personal trainer I got in shape and lost 10 pounds. The reduction of weight also reduced my blood pressure to a normal level. During that period I also changed briefly some eating habits and cut out some of bad things for a month – pizza and coke.

To be able to do that I had to be really focused and determined in what I wanted to achieve. A switch had to go off in my mind that this was something that needed to be done and achieved.

Now in 2008 I find I have to do the same thing all over again. During my time here in Oz I have not been as physically active as I was when I left Toronto. Part of that has been that I had got out of the rhythm of going to the gym. Which lead to increased pounds or kilos in my weight.

In September 2006 I broke my foot and was not able to resume gym activities until mid-November. Then I left for Oz in December 2006 and because the gym was much more expensive here I have not been going on a regular basis.

That has changed as of now. I realize I just have 2 month left before I head off on my trip around the world and my one month visit in Toronto. That has triggered in me a goal to get active.

Back in February 2008 I made an effort to do this as well, but quickly fell off the wagon. The reason being I really didn’t have anything to work towards. Back then 4 months till the trip seemed like an eternity. But now it seems like its close enough that before I know it will be upon me.

So starting on Sunday I went for a morning bike ride and then in the evening attended a pump class, which is similar to boot camp class. The next day my entire body was aching. On Monday evening I started a 2^nd session for 10 weeks of yoga class, which also felt like a complete workout. This morning I got up at 6:15am and made my way to gym, where I signed up for a membership and did about 45 minutes of cardio interval training work and then later in the morning rode to work on my bike.

3 days into my new lifestyle which includes cutting out all the bad stuff to eat for a month or more and I feel good. Now I just need to keep it up and hopefully by June I will look trim, taught and terrific. It’s all in your head that drive and desire to accomplish change.