Frustrations continue

I’ve been enjoying the sunshine lately, and sitting in it to go over my physical family history files. I discovered I had not added information from another researcher to my online tree so did that and worked on confirming it. Still have information to add.

The frustrations I speak of: I have not had any work at one of my part-time jobs for over a week now (nearly 2). I imagine there are no upcoming projects due to the end of financial year and no-one wants to commit. It is very frustrating, as I wait daily for news to go in, then try to get extra shifts at my other part-time job. It’s the cruelty of contract work – a win-win for employers, but totally unfair for people trying to pay their bills. Lucky for me, I have savings to cover, but for people like a colleague who had just taken a month off, it must be very difficult.

I still haven’t heard, and the lack of communication is rather poor. I have, therefore, just used the morning in obtaining extra shifts where possible at the other job. It will be a poor fortnight.

In the middle of enjoying a relaxing day for a change, I got a phone call yesterday to go to a job interview today! I had applied for two jobs. The one for today’s interview doesn’t pay very well but it’s permanent and full-time, so I wouldn’t experience the worries I’ve had over the past week. Immediate stress! Of course the sunshine has gone today – and it’s very wet and very cold. Just my luck. I just cannot relax before an interview so my day is ruined as I stay home worrying, my power bill sky-rocketing with having the heater on all day.

If I get the job, good. If I don’t, well I can hope for more projects and keep looking elsewhere. My current positions are well paid. It’s just the uncertainty of it which is stressful.

And now, I’d better prepare…

Postscript:  The interview went well, I thought. But I don’t care if I don’t get it. In fact, in a way, I don’t want it. I would greatly miss the people at my other jobs and I worry about the culture at this job. “Glass door” reviews are not full of praise. The interviewer didn’t even shake my hand or welcome me properly (the only other interviewer asked questions through a conference call). Also, not to sound racist, but all the managers seem to be Pakistani – nepotism? The reviews say the company is all about money and not people (as is often the case).

Meanwhile, finally received word that there is no work at the part-time job next week either.

So, I worry.

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Frustrations

Technology – great when it works, bloody annoying and time-consuming when it doesn’t work properly or wants you to jump through hoops. For a start Mozilla is currently taking ages to load pages, despite my clearing the cache and cookies. That means, of course, that I have to re-enter forgotten passwords. Gmail is a real bastard if you’re signed out. Even if you’re accessing the account from the same computer and you’ve forgotten your recently changed password, you have to have your mobile phone with you or remember, ffs, when you joined gmail (who remembers that?) – this despite answering a ‘secret’ question which should be enough.  Fuck gmail. I would like to find an alternative but that involves changing email for so many other websites.

Even just now, as I signed back into wordpress, I could not find the usual button for adding a post on the left hand menu. Have they changed the site recently? It seems you now have to click extra buttons to do what one button used to do – like the “Publish” which you have to click twice. Annoying!

It’s not just technology that’s infuriating me lately. It’s things like simply applying for a job. Here in Australia, government and associated institutions want a list of Key Selection Criteria which you must answer in a certain way. Most give a list of about five to eight criteria to answer, giving examples of “knowledge and understanding”, bla bla bla. I hate it. I loathe it. And when some job demands answers to 13 criteria I want to scream.

It’s that time of year. We’ve had cold, wet weather and with shorter days I get fed up with the cold and darkness. I’m a sun worshipper, and always feel much happier when the sun shines as it is, ironically, today, when I have stuff to do inside on my only day off. I tend to withdraw into a semi-hibernation, but also feel depressed (and, of course, alone).

I made an effort to go to a colleague’s birthday party one cold, very wet night, which involved a long car journey through unfamiliar, congested, roads in poor visibility. I’m not a party-goer, normally, especially when I don’t know others at the party. You’re supposed to be able to meet new people and engage in conversation, but as an introvert, I’m reluctant to barge in on obvious little cliques of people who know each other, and end up standing or sitting alone. I didn’t even have a drink to sip. The hostess had assured me there would be beer so I didn’t need to bring my own. I was not offered one, nor was it evident where it might be. The men had beers. Whether or not they had brought their own I couldn’t tell. I eventually went into the kitchen and helped myself to some filtered water. (The only beverage on offer in general was strong alcoholic punch, which I didn’t want to drink due to driving). I was relieved to leave when others did and drive home to the quiet, and my purring cat. I’m not the sociable type. I enjoy small gatherings with people I know, but parties of unknown people in loud conversation with each other is not for me.

I haven’t been able to relax lately, with organising getting the car serviced and preparing for the real estate agent’s six-monthly inspection of the property. Now, I’m trying to apply for jobs, which also stresses me out. I look forward to a week in the Cooks Islands next month. It will pass very quickly, and I won’t want to return to the depths of winter.

Enough for now. Back to the dreaded KSC. Three down, four to go, then the covering letter. Ugh.

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