Back to being jobless

It’s a weird feeling when you become jobless. Not that I didn’t see this coming, it was inevitable on the 417 Working Holiday Visa. But still, not having an income on the other side of the world is pretty daunting and leaves us backpackers pretty vulnerable if we’re not careful.

I took this shot today in the Botanic Gardens, I was convinced a storm was about to hit however nothing materialised. It is my third day into unemployment however I am not pursuing any more work in Brisbane. I arrive into Melbourne on the 16th, and feel very fortunate that I work in a great company that has contacted properties in Melbourne to possibly take me on as an employee. So far I have been in contact with two potential employers and feel a lot more relaxed about not having a job before I fly.

It isn’t always this straight forward. But hospitality (hotels in particular) has proven a great industry for transferring or simply finding work around the world. Since I have been in the industry I have worked in six hotels in three countries and each and every one of these hotels uses the same operating system. A system called Opera. So even if I am not familiar with a hotel or city, the fact that I don’t need as much training to jump straight into a shift has proven invaluable, and I will see if this helps me find employment in Melbourne.

This will also be the case for many backpackers, or people looking to start a new life abroad. Looking for work? Stick to what you know! Even if it is just short term to keep you going. Ironically I told myself that when I arrived in Australia I wouldn’t work another hotel shift again. But then I remembered I was terrible at saving and needed to find work immediately in Sydney to keep me stable. And within a few days I was straight back into the only industry I know. But if it wasn’t for my time in Sydney I wouldn’t have found work in Brisbane so fast. And because of both of these jobs I have had contact with teams in Melbourne. So despite wanting to venture outside of hotels once I arrived down under, I am so glad I stayed in the industry. It has been incredible fun so far.

Six months is all we get to work with one company, unless someone is willing to sponsor us. I won’t be able to get sponsored, however I am looking forward to going home after two years away. I will of course keep you updated with my job situation and could potentially be working right in the CBD, meaning I get to experience the heart of Melbourne and have great public transport to visit it’s great suburbs. I have heard they are great from fellow bloggers and I will for sure be looking for recommendations closer to the time.

Oh, and I heard back from Sydney Police today regarding needing me as a witness for a trial, they are still unsure if I need to go as of yet. So I may be posting from Sydney later this month for a day or two, but this could also not happen.

But now that I have heard from employers in Melbourne, I feel a lot more relaxed not working. If I can hit the ground running that will be ideal, and I am sure my blog will benefit too. The less time looking for work the better and the sooner I can prioritise one thing…

TRAVEL!

 

 

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Cheers!

Sam

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Dealing with Disorder

A website dedicated to Tourette, OCD and co-occurring conditions. Daily updates celebrating neurodiversity.

35 thoughts on “Back to being jobless”

  2. When my sister travelled around Australia many moons ago she too easily found work in the hospitality industry but when that dried up her two older sisters financed the rest of her trip!

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  3. It is Monday and I have some blog reading to catch up, and I always enjoy reading post by you. Not so nice about your jobsituation, but I cross my fingers and think good thoughts for you and hope everything will work out for you.
    Think 2 years, absolutely incredible, a little envious, but incredibly happy on your behalf that you have realized this, a dream🦋
    Have a nice day Sam, and take good care🦋

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    1. It is Wednesday here and I am only now able to respond to comments xD

      Thank you and I feel like I am currently in a good position, with the contact I have had with some places. Appreciate the support!

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  5. While my context was very different, I once quit a job I hated at spent 3 months unemployed. I exhausted my savings, I racked up debt (that I only just now paid off, 3 years later. Long story.) but that three months was the best three months for me. My life changed. I gave an inch to the Lord and He took a mile; I found a job that is perfect and I am still there. Both of these helped give me the stable footing I needed to dive into building new friendships in a new community and take some social risks. To commit myself to God and

    All this to say: Take advantage of this time, and focus on what is important. While you aren’t fallen on hard times, this is more a lull between exciting new adventures, but you probably have a lot of time on your hands and no small amount of anxiety for what to do between A and B. I say again: Take advantage of the opportunity to focus on the important things.

    God bless you on your journey, I wish you all the best. I have a dear friend in Melbourne and from what I have seen it is a lovely city. I am sure you will enjoy it.

    AMDG,
    -Scoot

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    2. Thank you Scoot, it sounds like despite the financial difficulty in this period, it really paid off for you. I do believe that these risks can be much more rewarding in the long term, even if it makes things difficult in the present. I am really pleased for you that it worked out great. And I am really pleased you shared this with us! Thank you very much.

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    1. Thank you, yes I am very eager to get back to work and I do feel this shows in interviews if there is enough passion there haha. Thanks for reading my updates, really, really appreciate it 🙂

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  8. From one jobless soul to another, I am wishing you luck in your hunt for employment. You seem like a qualified, intelligent, well rounded dude, so I am pretty sure you’ll find something soon!

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    1. Thank you, that is is a very kind thing to say and I hope I find work soon. I also hope you find work soon if you’re looking, you sound like a very nice person and that goes a long way!

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  10. There are things you just can do with a big portion of optimism. Reading your lines i feel a little bit remembered of my years in Russia. I was young, wanted to get to know the country and more or less simply jumped there. And with the help of my friends there I found my jobs that kept me up and living. Things like that might be difficult for some moments, but you are benefiting from them for the rest of your life. Leave aside the thing about all the great people and friends you will meet – it gets you on another level of understanding and seeing the world. Go on your way, you’re on the right path 🙂

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    1. Sounds like a fascinating adventure for you! And I agree with you, even the hard moments really benefit us moving forward. Like I heard someone say recently, sometimes we win, and sometimes we learn 🙂

      Thank you for the comments here!

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    1. True, and I hope so! I had an interview today and I will see what happens from here. But it is true nothing is permanent and the important thing is to keep moving in the right direction!

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    1. It does, like anything worth having there is always some kind of sacrifice, be it big or small. Anxiety is one of these things we take on board when looking for change. But can very much be worth it and be very liberating!

      Thank you for the comment 🙂

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  14. Hi, Sam i am new here in your blog and came across this entry, like you i am jobless and looking for a job that suits the lifestyle that i wanted, it’s true that “anything worthy is worth of a struggle and the same time very liberating.” Hope you get the job that you wanted and keep on! 🙂

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    1. Hey! Thank you for the comment, thankfully I have continued working within the same company in Melbourne after transferring from Brisbane. However I wasn’t guaranteed a job when I posted this but I was very grateful to start work a few days after arriving in Melbourne.

      Are you having any luck finding a job?

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      2. Aw damn, but as long as you don’t give up, good things will happen. I was reminded of a quote today, ‘you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take’ and as long as you take those shots, there will guarantee to be a hit.

        All the best and keep moving forward!!

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