The
“Sweet” Life goes 9 to 5...
Well... 7 to 4 if we’re going to split
hairs...
But yes, Dear Reader, you guessed it: I
have finally joined the working world! And although it is quite a change to my
old way of life, I’m really enjoying it.
When last I updated you, I’d been
looking for full-time employment for quite a while and although I might not
have said it, I was beginning to feel pretty despondent. I had been on the job
hunt for about six months without any luck and that was when my wonderful Dad
gave me the contact details for a “guy who helped young graduates find jobs”...
I emailed the “guy” and asked if he could help me out and I was met with a very
prompt response from what I learned was actually a recruitment agency as
opposed to “a guy”. The agency was based in Joburg so, I wasn’t too keen to go
for the meeting at first given the fact that my heart belongs in Pretoria and I’m
very reluctant to leave this beautiful place... but I listened to the voice of
reason in my head and realised that I had been looking for jobs in Pretoria and
Joburg for a good six months without finding any joy, so perhaps it was time to
get some help from the experts.
I met with the folks at the agency and
they were really keen to help me find a job. But there was a catch... It was
likely that I would have to work in Joburg and there was a very good chance
that they wouldn’t be able to find me a job in my field of expertise. That was
when I started panicking. All sorts of things started sprinting through my
mind... “You can’t do a job that’s not in your field, it just took you five
years to get your degree and honours degree and now you’re just going to flit
off and go work in a field that has sweet nothing to do with what you studied?”
... “Your whole salary is going to go towards petrol; how the hell are you
going to deal with that?” ... “The traffic is going to be the death of you!”
... And the list went on.
But then it occurred to me that gaining
some practical work experience and getting my foot in the door at any company
at all would be better than sitting at home stressing about never finding a job
for another six months. So, I pulled up my big-girl panties and switched on my
go-getter attitude and told them I’d be willing to try out a job that wasn’t in
my field, even if it was just to gain a bit of experience.
A week and a half later, thanks to the
wonderful folks over at Jameka Solutions, I had been for an interview and been
employed on a four month contract basis at a huge ICT company in Bryanston... and
I was thrilled!
So, now I’m a working girl filling in
for a lady who is on maternity leave. I wake up at 4:50AM and leave the house
by 5:50AM everyday to get to work before 7:00AM so I can make the journey back
to Pretoria by 4:00PM. I seldom leave work “on time” but even when I do, I
usually spend the better half of about an hour and a half in traffic before
running errands and popping in next door to see my gorgeous nieces, beautiful
sister and wonderful brother-in-law for a little while. Then it’s dinner time,
dishes time and lunch-making time before bath time and bed time at about
9:30PM... and then it all starts again.
And despite the craziness and the huge change in my routine, I’m really
enjoying it. I’m gaining great exposure to the “real” working world and I learn
something new every day. I miss editing and writing more than I can describe
but I can honestly say that this job is good for me. It might only be a four
month position now, but I maintain that if I work hard and make a good
impression on my superiors, they will consider me for other positions that open
up in the future. And even if they don’t, the experience I’m gaining will look
great on my CV and I will have had a marvellous time learning about a field
outside of my comfort zone.
Even though I live for the weekends when
I can sleep in and work on craft projects and spend quality time with my
fabulous family, my beloved Greek and my darling friends; I feel a great sense
of pride and accomplishment at the fact that I paid my own rent, water and
lights and tax for the first time ever at the end of March. And I’m very proud
to say that thanks to my frugality, I have managed to cover my complete cost of
living (including the increasingly high price of petrol but barring medical aid
and car insurance) all by myself with my first paycheque.
Many people would disagree with me about
my desire to practice spendthrift behaviour despite the fact that I’m earning a
salary now, and I cannot blame them; trust me, I considered blowing my rent
money on a gorgeous pair of Nine West boots...
But, at the end of the day, sitting back
and realising that I’m practically able to pay my own way for the first time
ever makes this working girl feel pretty sweet!
