I've Got a Job!

I got a job!

In the morning I got a exhilarating phone call.  It was from a real estate agency that I had went for an interview a day prior, and the guy told me that he's giving me an job offer.  I still can't believe it and at the same time I am also thinking "Finally!!"  because all this didn't come easy.

Early this year I decided to take real estate agent's rep course, in the hope of finding a job in the industry.  I thought with my bilingual ability and previous work skills, I should be able to get one pretty soon. So I finished the course and got the attainment, which equips me to work with sufficient knowledge required for the job.

Then I started looking for entry-level jobs, including assistants, administration and reception. I updated my resume, wrote and changed my cover letter again and again for different job titles.  I sent out resumes, and 1 out of 5 gave me a chance for an interview.  I went through interviews that I knew I didn't get it as soon as I walked out of the door.   I even drove around my suburb and dropping resumes in several real estate agencies, and none of them called me back.  I was a little frustrated, but at the same time have been reminding myself to persist and carry on.

This has been going on for more than three months.  And then I started doubting myself.  I am 41 now, and I don't want to be a stay-home mum for the next twenty years, using Peter's hard-earnt super for the rest of our lives.  Ashley is only 6 and we want to provide what's required for her to fulfill her dreams when she grows up.  I know I will get a job eventually, but I haven't seen the end of the tunnel yet.

I have never lived and worked in Australia before.  My previous marketing job experience doesn't seem to be able to apply here.  My previous employers don't do very well now and it is hard to find anyone to make reference for me.  I started to feel depressed.  But at the same time I have to move on and keep trying.

Last Thursday's job interview went very well, I thought.  However, that didn't guarantee anything.  I was the first to be interviewed and there were a few more hopefuls like me following up.  And similar things happened before whereas I was feeling good about the interview but it didn't turn out.  You know the feeling when you saw the email coming from the company that you just had an interview with.  It's frustrating and ruining the rest of the day.

But life has to go on, so I thought I would sit in front of the computer a couple days later and start looking again.  This cycle had been going on for months for me anyway.  Meanwhile, I've got to just suck it up, encouraging myself that at least I had some interviews so my resume doesn't look too bad.  I just need to work on my interview skills and my presentation.

And the next day, it happened.  The guy who interviewed me called up and asked if I could go to the office again on Monday.  I asked if it was for a second interview, but he said, no, this is a job offer and he would like me to get familiar with the office, and greet the other colleagues there.

This is going to be my first job here, the one that I've been trying to do and I think I'll nail it.
 I appreciate Peter's support along the way because he has never complained about me being a stay-home wife and mum for the past 8 years.  He knows since we moved back to Oz I have been trying hard, and it shows that I am not deterred by frustrations.  I can't thanked him enough for all this, and the real estate company that gives me a chance to work my best too.

My next post will be really about cards and paper-crafting.