Two unsuccessfuls

Thanks for sharing my pain! I received an email notification about one yesterday - other applicants had been found to better match the requirements. And the other, even after yesterday's delightful interview where I was sure I'd done well

On reflection

'"The most important lessons that one learns from 'great failures' or 'great successes' in our professional career are discussed.

Interview prep

The slide presentation is done, saved to my desktop (and printed out for the panel in case the technology fails), my question sheet is being drafted...

Invitation to interview this Wednesday...

Just got the phone call for the industry ID job...  panel of 3 people (including my old buddy from years ago - which doesn't mean I'm a shoo-in, not at all) and please could I bring in my questions and some samples of my ID work. Right!

Take care at 'Apply'... and enjoy your shoes

Followed through with Seek and - please note - the glitch is not a Seek problem. (Read on for amusement!)

Short vent!!!

Sorry but... For this one job, I have just spent 4 hours preparing a 6-page CV, a 2-page application, a 3-page outline of relevance to criteria, got right through about 16 pages of online form

Two more ID applications (one industry, one higher ed)

For one job: Spent three hours today finessing the CV, writing a new letter of application, populating the missing info in the automatically generated database tracker (about 14 pages worth)... you might be interested the fields are: Personal details (contact info), Eligibility (Australian citizen), Qualifications (all of them, where, when, level reached), Employment History (Name of Org, title of position, duties, reason why left) I stopped at 12 of mine - enough already! - Salary (nominate your figure, Referees (names, positions, contact details), Resume (CV to upload from your computer) and also the letter of application (attached my new two-pager) and any other scanned documents such as references (I didn't bother). That's the industry one that closes tomorrow.
Now to finish my letter for the higher ed organisation (one of the many that I've worked for in the past)... another two hours I think - doesn't close till next week. I might delay it and phone for more info. This is a good one.

Old colleagues resurface as managers...

...which is why when you get a lovely response thanking you for your application, and advising you they are shortlisting, and the name sounds familiar from about 12 years ago it's handy to have a good memory of that person.

Teaching - next month...(+ NB - bubble wrap presents)

After today's guest session (most excitement was over spider eviction!), we spoke about more possibilities next month...pencil it in. : )
Feeling flat though - yesterday I received the farewell card and gift from ex-workmates, Express Post... but not enough bubble wrap! I emailed a newsy thank you and didn't mention the damage (a secret between you and me!) - they would be mortified!

Two more applications submitted

A half-hearted one for tutoring, and a serious one for Instructional Design and Editing work, which doesn't close for a week. A while to wait.

More teaching sessions...

A couple of days in a row end next week, just when Blog Part 2 assignment is due. That'll get me organised ahead of time! All good.

Application to Hardie Grant

It's a long shot, but I thought I'd try just sending my CV to an organisation that looks promising (book & magazine publishing), with HR in Melbourne: http://hardiegrant.com.au/magazines/careers

Top women work hard and emotional intelligence helps you get a job

A couple of snippets today. A new study finds top women tend to have the following qualities - 'strong self-belief, willingness to work hard, perseverance, resilience and the need to strive for autonomy'. (my emphasis) Oh and they are also smart! http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/top-women-have-much-in-common-20110314-1bubg.html Your jobsearch will also be helped along if you can show you have emotional intelligence (EI) http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/is-emotional-intelligence-as-important-as-iq-20110314-1bub5.html.

Happy Labour Day - celebrate the 8-hour day

In Melbourne, opposite the Trades Hall building stands a monument to the winning of the 8-hour day for workers (leaving 8 hours to sleep, another 8 hours for recreation). http://www.8hourday.org.au/news_archive.asp

Other blogs about work...

Here's one about being a UPS worker (a kind of postal delivery worker I guess): http://agentlemansword.blogspot.com/?expref=next-blog
He shares advice about not locking those security doors that make his job of leaving little 'missed you' notes even harder to wedge at the front door...
(This is not strictly about looking for work - just doing it....)

'If we knew what we were doing...

...it would not be called research'!! (apparently so said Albert Einstein, according to my Google quote of the day). So it is useful to be a little bit ignorant, or in the dark, at times. This is me, right now - a bit confused about what my next step should be... so I'm researching some more!

Straining old friendships

Had a coffee today with someone I hadn't seen for many years... she asked me how she could get a casual job at the organisation where my husband works.

Menial jobs - most embarrassing?

What would be worse – work as a cheeseburger-ad-placard-holder or being a right royal ‘groom of the stool’?
Dave Cauldwell observed placard holders and worked in some menial jobs himself. He discovered the connection between unhappiness in his personal life and the tendency to blame work issues, the latter providing a cover for the former. He says he's ‘eternally grateful’ for his ‘crappy’ jobs such as cleaning up children’s pee which taught him 'where the boundaries of his own worthiness lay', and that he shouldn’t take himself too seriously! http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/dignity-found-in-mopping-up-the-mess-20110312-1bs49.html
Again on the question of dignity, Iain Hollingshead reports that Buckingham Palace recently advertised the positions of eco-gardener ($24,000 p.a.), general assistant (wash up) and head of royal travel. Would you apply? http://www.smh.com.au/world/a-licence-to-chill-in-her-majestys-household-service-20110312-1bs7z.html I think Dave might have just read Iain's article, don't you!! Less than fascinating jobs might teach us something about life. What is the worst fear? Losing status? What is the most humiliating job you've done?

Ah-ha - insert 'jump break'

I've found it again in the tool bar... it's the toothy-looking gismo...

I'll use it here ...

Mining boom creates opportunities for local councillors

This extract  (p. 8) from Alexis Wright's award-winning novel Carpentaria, raises from a sympathetic perspective the question of personal gain, which is driven at a basic level by the need to survive:
'Harmless coercing of the natives the social planners hummed, anxious to make deals happen for the