Week One of Pre-employment Training

Well, I've successfully managed to survive my first week of pre-employment training. Surprisingly, the crazy early starts hasn't killed me, and I doubt that it will ... althought getting up early in the middle of winter is not at all pleasant.

But what have I learned this week?

The first thing that pops into my mind is that the lifts in the building where the program takes place are really unpleasant to go up and down in; they're like a the Giant Drop at Dreamworld. The unpleasantness isn't helped by the fact that the doors open before the lift stops moving. It's surprisingly alarming to see the floor move as the lift rapidly comes to a halt.

Yeah, the lifts there are not my faveourite ones in the world. In fact, they're probably at the bottom of my faveourite lifts list ... that is, if I actually had such a lift.

What else have I learned this week?

Coffee is an amazing invention, and a total life saver (probably the reason why the crazy early starts haven't killed me).

But if I'm honest, I already knew this about coffee.

I guess I rediscovered this little fact, and could appreciate just how amazing it is.

I also learned that I DON'T LIKE CHANGE!

I should probably explain that ... or should I not, and let you try and figure it out?

Hmmm

Because the two training groups that started this week were both so small, it was decided that the two groups should become one group on the third day. A decision that pleased no one when it was first announced to us ... apparently it was made during the break after both groups did an exercise together. But I reckon that little exercise was done to see how we'd all interact as one group.

Luckily, no dramas arose from the merge. Although the instructor has got to be regretting it, since we all seem to bounce off each other and get really loud. It took less than an hour for us to be labeled the "loud group."

So it would appear that everyone's concerns about the merge were groundless.

Phew! *wipes sweat from forehead*

Then there's my discovery about the Subway on Colins Street; it's not a good place to get lunch from at lunch hour. Today's sub was mediocre at best. It wasn't helped by the fact that they put pizza sauce on it when I specifically asked them not to (I only discovered this when I started to eat it once I was back in the classroom). Definitely won't be going back to that Subway.

But the most surprising thing I learned today is that it is, in fact, possible for a class to be interesting enough to keep me awake when I am so very, very sleep deprived.

In the past, if I only got a few hours sleep (like I did last night), I'd struggle (and usually failed) to stay awake in class.

But not today!

Today the closest I came was feeling lethargic during one of the group exercises. Otherwise, I was wide awake and buzzing. But this can possibly be attributed to the number of large coffees I drank the moment I arrived in Melbourne this morning ... and maybe sniffing the scented textures helped as well (there was a full set of textures with different food scents was lying in the middle of our table. Naturally that meant we had to smell all of them and discuss which ones smelled the best and worst ... the mint one was the definite loser).

So I'd say this week has been a productive one ... at the very least an interesting one. I hope the next four weeks are just as good as this one.

But at the same time, I'm glad my week is over. Now to enjoy the weekend.

FOUR DAY WEEKEND, BIATCHES!!

Pre-employment Training day 1

Well, as the title clearly says, today was day one of my pre-employment training.

After just one day, I personally think that the whole course can be done in 10 days. But that's just me. Maybe it's unrealistic ... but I don't think so.

Although, if the course was condensed down to 10 days, then I don't think there would be time for our campfires ... yeah, my instructor is also a fan of NCIS. There has only been two campfires thus far, but I think that I would really miss them.

And the people in my little training group all seem like nice enough people, which is always a bonus.

But the true high light of day was on the train home; some man went to all this effort of stowing all of his luggage in the overhead storage compartment thingy, before asking me if the seat was free.

I might just be me thinking this, but that seems like the sort of question you ask before you stow away all of your stuff.

I felt like being mean and saying that the seat was, in fact, taken.

But I didn't.

*sigh*

I did notice that this bloke seemed extra keen to be nice; once he was done reading his copy of the MX, he offered it to me to read. I honestly don't know if he was unaware that the MX is free or not. But he seemed determined that his free paper didn't go to waste ... right up til he dropped it under the seats in front us.

Awaiting Tomorrow

I'm all aquiver for tomorrow. It'll be so exciting to go out and start an all new adventure ... oh wait, this isn't like uni or TAFE. This really won't be like setting out and starting a new adventure like uni/TAFE is.

It's better than that.

It's pre-employment training, baby!

And I seriously hope that the guaranteed interview at the end of it lands me a job, because unemployment is starting to suck balls.

I assume that since it's at least a year and a half's work compressed into 20 days, pre-employment training is going to be much better than TAFE. For one thing, there will be less of a chance for me to get bored and then drop out, since new things will most likely be introduced to us like bam, bam, bam!

I should be suffeciently challenged to get through the 20 days.

Although all that stuff compressed down to 20 days is going to make it difficult to just lounge around and not do any work. I seriously doubt that I'll get much of a chance for that ... I'm actually going to have to do work by the looks of it.

But I seriously have no idea what I should wear. Since it's Aegis paying for everything, is this whole set up like some kind of informal promise? Do they expect me to wear business attire to class, since I'm kind of under their employ? Or can I get away with casual wear, since I'll only be studying?

It's all too much to deal with!

Actually, no it's not. It's actually quite simple, really; am I cautious enough to err on the side of caution?

No. No, I'm really not.

Door to Door Sales Person

So I rencently got a job. And about time!

It's nothing spectacular. In fact, it's probably the very opposite of spectacular ... unspectacular some might even say.

But the point is that I have finally got myself a job (so, hooray and all that for me!).

I'm now a door to door sales person for Austar ... ok, so the bossman calls it something else (can't remember what though), because the name door to door sales person really drags what we do through the mud ... but let's not get too concerned about nicties. Let's just call it what it is. I'm a damned door to door sales person.

I now get to annoy people in their homes, trying to get them to sign up to Austar.

At least I will once I get this stupid training out of the way.

The only thing worse than being a door to door sales person is training to be a door to door sales person. It is SOOOOOOOOOOOO fucking boring! I seriously hope that once I get out into the field things will start looking better ... or at least more interesting.