Category: Career

As someone who gets a touch of performance anxiety it surprises me that job interviews have never really phased me. I guess there is the simple fact that you’re halfway there anyway, having been asked in after they’ve already checked you out from your resume. I think it is important to present well of course, but just as important to be yourself. Silly to try and pretend to be someone you’re not.

I always seem to have done ok in interviews, even when I thought things hadn’t gone particularly well. Hospice is a perfect example of that – I walked out thinking I didn’t have a chance, I felt like a square peg trying to fit a round hole. Then had the shock of my life a couple of days later when they phoned to offer me the job. Then there was the interview at the uni a few years ago, where they phoned to tell me they didn’t think I’d be suitable for the web developer job, but offered me a job in admin instead (in hindsight it is a shame I was so determined to work as a web designer back then!)

Today’s interview was a little different. I guess I was a bit more anxious to make a good impression, since the job was at the parish office of my church. I was still a little bit shaken from a dog attack incident earlier this morning (not serious – just woke some bad memories of when poor Kel was mauled). I walked out wishing I’d put more thought into some of my answers. The interview only went for 30 minutes, and poor Father was getting fidgetty towards the end of it (he was one of a panel of three). Since the job starts on Monday I guess I’ll know the outcome pretty soon.

There isn’t a terrible lot riding on me getting this job. I have two other applications I’m fairly confident of. There was some interest in my web publishing skills so regardless of the outcome, I’ve offered to help build the parish web site if one is wanted.

Into work yesterday for a sausage sizzle fundraiser, out the front of Bunnings warehouse. Right after a whole lot of media coverage during the week, calling for a ban on the barbie because of the high salt content of sausages. Didn’t deter our public luckily. On for the late shift, busy in stops and starts and then the big clean up at the end of the day. Seemed a pretty successful day overall, combined with a bit of fun clowning around with the other volunteers.

A big week for professional development with my second course conducted at the Hospice over the last two days. Volunteers obviously are a huge part of our organisation, I have a lot of respect and admiration for these people who freely give their time and skills towards the community. I felt a little sheepish to be attending this course when my involvement with the organisation is in a paid role, but this eased considerably as the course unfolded.

I gained a deeper understanding of the palliative care work that is carried out here, which is very important for the fulfillment of my role in the organisation. This course provided the perfect setting for me to learn more about this and other aspects of working for a hospice.

I also got to meet some truly nice people with whom I hope to be working in the days ahead. The hope is that volunteers will gain something from the experience of working for the organisation, which will encourage them to stay. Some of our volunteers have been around for over ten years and still going strong.

Dad tells me he knew I was going to get this one, as soon as he heard I’d been called for an interview. I wasn’t so sure, in fact on leaving the interview I was thinking philosophically about having missed out. I’d felt rather like a cold square peg trying to fit a warm and fuzzy round hole!

The position is for an administration assistant, just two days a week for now. The work is pretty easy, the workplace – not morbid or sad at all but quite energising, people care about the work they do and are genuinely kind and friendly. My job is to help the Administration co-ordinator manage the raising of funds for operating costs – the centre needs to raise $700m a year. There is some state funding but most of it is raised largely through donations and sponsorships from the local community.

The centre looks after no more than six guests at any one time, and has two nurses on duty around the clock. There are about 20 – 25 staff (I believe) and about 200 volunteers on the books. Needless to say, volunteers and training are very important in the centre’s operations.

In my first week, one of the guests died. She was an elderly Aboriginal woman who had been living with her daughter’s young family. She had mentioned to one of the nurses that she was happy to come to the centre where it was a bit quieter. It is a lovely, peaceful place for both the guests and their families with all the comforts and facilities of home.