Learn from the mistakes of others

well, house floors are pretty now.

furniture being returned to living spaces. at least they are over this shitty, hot and wet weekend.

most of this week i've been down at my parents' place. helping them get ready to move to perth, western australia.

i'll be acquiring a large selection of their furniture for a cash payment. what doesn't fit here will probably have to go into storage somewhere.

i have started up my job applications thing again. one done and sent, two started - one of which is almost done. i bloody hope i get a job soon. working takes less effort, and is more satisfying, than endless job applications.

i've passed the 800 mark now. probably more, actually, since we're talking about 4 years here. about 200 of those have been the full deal, "response to person specification" blah de blah. i now have a large collection of previous responses to cut 'n' paste from - though sometimes it takes longer to find a prototype than to type things out form scratch.

if i do get the job i've just applied for, i'll be doing something i do well - have done lots of - and learning a few things as well. and the remuneration will help a lot. be able to pay of some really annoying debts, and begin to look to next year with some confidence instead of clawing my way from financial year to financial year.

i so want out of this endless subsistence existence.

well, house floors are pretty now.

furniture being returned to living spaces. at least they are over this shitty, hot and wet weekend.

most of this week i've been down at my parents' place. helping them get ready to move to perth, western australia.

i'll be acquiring a large selection of their furniture for a cash payment. what doesn't fit here will probably have to go into storage somewhere.

i have started up my job applications thing again. one done and sent, two started - one of which is almost done. i bloody hope i get a job soon. working takes less effort, and is more satisfying, than endless job applications.

i've passed the 800 mark now. probably more, actually, since we're talking about 4 years here. about 200 of those have been the full deal, "response to person specification" blah de blah. i now have a large collection of previous responses to cut 'n' paste from - though sometimes it takes longer to find a prototype than to type things out form scratch.

if i do get the job i've just applied for, i'll be doing something i do well - have done lots of - and learning a few things as well. and the remuneration will help a lot. be able to pay of some really annoying debts, and begin to look to next year with some confidence instead of clawing my way from financial year to financial year.

i so want out of this endless subsistence existence.

i have now applied for more than 800 jobs since graduating with honours in law four years ago. statistically speaking, 0/800 is not a good average. i have had a few interviews. just wish people would stop finding excuses to hire other people and give me a go at being their first pick.

coming second or third every time would be a fantastic average if i was a pro athlete. unfortunately, i'm just a pro job-hunter.

perhaps not pro enough? don't seem to win the game.

*sigh*

i have now applied for more than 800 jobs since graduating with honours in law four years ago. statistically speaking, 0/800 is not a good average. i have had a few interviews. just wish people would stop finding excuses to hire other people and give me a go at being their first pick.

coming second or third every time would be a fantastic average if i was a pro athlete. unfortunately, i'm just a pro job-hunter.

perhaps not pro enough? don't seem to win the game.

*sigh*

A Comment posted to Ambit Gambit at The National Forum on the topic of Depression:

The recent resignation of Premier Gallop, announcing treatment for depression as his main motivation, was the catalyst for a discussion of the largely ignored issue of suicide. Jeff Wall suggests that we need to be more open about depression.

In response I wrote:

It is not enough that people are aware of depression, or that they discuss it and its effects and symptoms. We have to be discussing how we should respond, and what can be done to reduce or mitigate the many stupid things that factor into people becoming depressed - or that might alleviate the lot of those who suffer from it organically.

My depression is a result of circumstances. I can understand the man in the suit. I have a suit of my own, that I usually only get to wear when I fancy pretending I'm a real person™. Or when I have to convince some real person™ that I'm merely unfortunate. Because being different® is wrong™

I have been unemployed, or underemployed, my whole life. I have no superannuation, no chance of savings, and no obvious prospects of change any time soon. I have honours degrees in science and law, so it's not as though I'm not qualified or am incapable. But I'm different. Just a little, but enough.

It seems that, as a consequence, I'm not anyone's preferred candidate. I interview well, so I'm told. Just before I'm also told someone else had better experience, or a better fit of qualifications. Or whatever.

After a few years of this, you begin to wonder what the point it. A job application as a professional requires hours of work, researching the employer, crafting your response to the 'person specification' ... I know shit that marvels most of my employed friends.

My depression comes in cycles, and it's driven by hopelessness and helplessness. Government benefits do not provide for a lifestyle on their own. The DSP is "intended to be a living income" - at $500 per fortnight. With unrealistic caps on rent relief and so on, even getting to live near potential employment is a problem.

Until an employer takes the risk of employing me in a job more complex than reshelving books, it's hard for me to see what the point of all the effort that's required to put in a credible application. Particularly when, as the years go by, my lack of "relevant" experience mounts higher.

I have done volunteer work. Quite a lot of it. Some has kept me sane, and off the bridge. But it seems no one will pay for what they can get for free - or it's seen as "not relevant". Networking is fine, if you have the resources to keep it up. A few lunches quickly destroy cash reserves.

Hearing wealthy people like the Prime Minister telling everyone that we live in booming economic times, and that it's an employee's market so we'd better remove their rights or they'll get too powerful, makes me wonder where I missed the boat to fairyland.

You have to be employed to be an employee. For those of us on the regular no-job-today roundabout, it's worse than The Depression - if only because there is so much prosperity all around us that we're not allowed in on.

And it has nothing to do with receiving the pittance called 'benefits'. Government 'handouts' don't prevent me from participating in the workforce. Employers (and public policies) do. And as long as they do, I'll continue to cycle in and out of boredom, and it's bedfellow - depression.

Posted by: maelorin at January 20, 2006 10:43 AM

A Comment posted to Ambit Gambit at The National Forum on the topic of Depression:

The recent resignation of Premier Gallop, announcing treatment for depression as his main motivation, was the catalyst for a discussion of the largely ignored issue of suicide. Jeff Wall suggests that we need to be more open about depression.

In response I wrote:

It is not enough that people are aware of depression, or that they discuss it and its effects and symptoms. We have to be discussing how we should respond, and what can be done to reduce or mitigate the many stupid things that factor into people becoming depressed - or that might alleviate the lot of those who suffer from it organically.

My depression is a result of circumstances. I can understand the man in the suit. I have a suit of my own, that I usually only get to wear when I fancy pretending I'm a real person™. Or when I have to convince some real person™ that I'm merely unfortunate. Because being different® is wrong™

I have been unemployed, or underemployed, my whole life. I have no superannuation, no chance of savings, and no obvious prospects of change any time soon. I have honours degrees in science and law, so it's not as though I'm not qualified or am incapable. But I'm different. Just a little, but enough.

It seems that, as a consequence, I'm not anyone's preferred candidate. I interview well, so I'm told. Just before I'm also told someone else had better experience, or a better fit of qualifications. Or whatever.

After a few years of this, you begin to wonder what the point it. A job application as a professional requires hours of work, researching the employer, crafting your response to the 'person specification' ... I know shit that marvels most of my employed friends.

My depression comes in cycles, and it's driven by hopelessness and helplessness. Government benefits do not provide for a lifestyle on their own. The DSP is "intended to be a living income" - at $500 per fortnight. With unrealistic caps on rent relief and so on, even getting to live near potential employment is a problem.

Until an employer takes the risk of employing me in a job more complex than reshelving books, it's hard for me to see what the point of all the effort that's required to put in a credible application. Particularly when, as the years go by, my lack of "relevant" experience mounts higher.

I have done volunteer work. Quite a lot of it. Some has kept me sane, and off the bridge. But it seems no one will pay for what they can get for free - or it's seen as "not relevant". Networking is fine, if you have the resources to keep it up. A few lunches quickly destroy cash reserves.

Hearing wealthy people like the Prime Minister telling everyone that we live in booming economic times, and that it's an employee's market so we'd better remove their rights or they'll get too powerful, makes me wonder where I missed the boat to fairyland.

You have to be employed to be an employee. For those of us on the regular no-job-today roundabout, it's worse than The Depression - if only because there is so much prosperity all around us that we're not allowed in on.

And it has nothing to do with receiving the pittance called 'benefits'. Government 'handouts' don't prevent me from participating in the workforce. Employers (and public policies) do. And as long as they do, I'll continue to cycle in and out of boredom, and it's bedfellow - depression.

Posted by: maelorin at January 20, 2006 10:43 AM

i'm doing a bit of writing at the moment.

i'm drafting a novel (well, several), at least one article, and ocnsidering finishing those darn essays for the grad dip ed. oh, and i'm back to writing job applications. yeah. those suck. but a job would be welcome income - and give me 'something to do' ... lol!

if all my writing were for the write a novel in a month thingo, i'd have passed the 50,000 work limit in week two. day two of week two.

no wonder my eyes hurt.

a new monitor would help. and some extra ram. and a new video card. and another hard drive.

which brings me back to the job application/s.

i'm applying for a position as a prosecutor with the state dpp (department of public prosecutions). i'd like to give that a go. be on the other side of the game. and it would be good experience for other things i have in mind.

i've actually rediscovered my desire to practice law. and i'd like to get into dispute resolution, be a mediator and such-like. i'm also interested in certain kinds of disputes, including certain kinds of crimes. so working for the dpp would be a good thing™

irony is, the dpp was one of my two preferred employers when i came out of law school in the first place.

i'm doing a bit of writing at the moment.

i'm drafting a novel (well, several), at least one article, and ocnsidering finishing those darn essays for the grad dip ed. oh, and i'm back to writing job applications. yeah. those suck. but a job would be welcome income - and give me 'something to do' ... lol!

if all my writing were for the write a novel in a month thingo, i'd have passed the 50,000 work limit in week two. day two of week two.

no wonder my eyes hurt.

a new monitor would help. and some extra ram. and a new video card. and another hard drive.

which brings me back to the job application/s.

i'm applying for a position as a prosecutor with the state dpp (department of public prosecutions). i'd like to give that a go. be on the other side of the game. and it would be good experience for other things i have in mind.

i've actually rediscovered my desire to practice law. and i'd like to get into dispute resolution, be a mediator and such-like. i'm also interested in certain kinds of disputes, including certain kinds of crimes. so working for the dpp would be a good thing™

irony is, the dpp was one of my two preferred employers when i came out of law school in the first place.

i was informed last week that as a 'consumer of education services' i should expect to 'give value' for 'services rendered'.

by way of explanation, i have a rather substantial debt arising out of my university education. [15 years or so of hecs]

my response: "so do i get a refund if the services i 'consumed' failed to provide the advertised outcomes?"

<blank look ensues>

i continue: "you know, the not being considered employable by the 'employment market' despite having a 5.5 gpa average honours law degree?"

<blank look continues>

<brain engages>

"bwah!" and other chicken noises follow for nearly 45 seconds ...



'giving value' for 'services rendered' ... bwah!

i was informed last week that as a 'consumer of education services' i should expect to 'give value' for 'services rendered'.

by way of explanation, i have a rather substantial debt arising out of my university education. [15 years or so of hecs]

my response: "so do i get a refund if the services i 'consumed' failed to provide the advertised outcomes?"

<blank look ensues>

i continue: "you know, the not being considered employable by the 'employment market' despite having a 5.5 gpa average honours law degree?"

<blank look continues>

<brain engages>

"bwah!" and other chicken noises follow for nearly 45 seconds ...



'giving value' for 'services rendered' ... bwah!