On the job front...

Due to my desire to be incredibly anonymous on this blog, I haven't really posted anything about what J & I actually do for a living. We both work for the government, the same government department although in different locations and definitely different roles.

J & I have the same degree which is Social Science & Criminology (we met at university) and our professions are related (kinda!) to what we've essentially studied which is a good thing. I started working for this government department in June 2008 as a Level 1/2 (civilian govt employees have levels which goes up to 11/12. A Level 11/12 would probably take me 10-15 years to achieve). In March and April of this year, I relieved in a Human Resources/Finance position which is a Level 5/6. The money was good but I don't think I could have done that job for very long. Towards the end of April, I started relieving as an Intelligence Analyst which is also a Level 5/6 and I'm still doing that role now. I got the opportunity in relieving because the manager (Level 9/10) had to go on holidays and the IA got to relieve in the manager position. It was only supposed to be for 3 months but then when the manager got back, she moved to another manager position in another location. Hence, the IA is still currently doing the manager position and I'm still in the analyst position.

This is the job that I essentially wanted to do when I applied. Since I started in April, I now have 6 months of experience which is enough for me to apply for an analyst position in another location. Everything at work is still kind of a jumble and it all depends on whether we're going to have a new manager by early December. If we do, then we all go back to our original positions and I go back to being a 1/2. I know that whatever happens, I would still definitely have a full-time job but I do want an analyst job.

Due to the GFC (or Global Financial Crisis, etc), government departments have frozen their hiring which means not many positions are being advertised so the chances of me getting a permanent job somewhere else is very slim. Although there are still analyst positions that are being advertised but in another location.

At this moment, we live very close to my work and since I don't have a car, that's very convenient for me. But 2 analyst positions has become available in the last week which I'm going to try and apply for. It's a bit out of the way and it would require me to travel about an hour and a bit more (2 buses and some walking for the other location & a bus and a train in the other) but I really don't mind the extra travel. The position is for 12 months. That means IF I do get it, then I would only stay there for 12 months then at the end of those 12 months, I either go back to being a 1/2 unless I could then find a permanent analyst position or some other job.

I feel like I've been playing musical chairs for months and I still don't know where I'm going to land. As a 5/6, I'm earning $400+ a fortnight than a 1/2 which is also one of the reasons I don't want to go back to being a 1/2. There's also the fact that I actually like being an analyst and it's a career path that I want to eventually pursue later on. J is helping me with my application so hopefully I get one of the two analyst positions.

*fingers crossed*