2008-04-23T13:30:00.003+10:00

Where do I start, at birth born into a poor family, nah too boring, I want this to be about my working life & what I have done to earn the good old Australian coin!

My first job I ever had I was the boss, I had really high hopes, as you do when you are a kid, I would go door to door in my community trying to drum up business for my car washing expertise, I'm sure a lot of you out there would have the same experience, except for all those people that were born into water restrictions, but I suppose now days kids avenues of making money have been expanded, all you need is an idea and a computer and the world is your oyster, although this has been the case for a number of years, just look back all those years ago when there was a kid named Bill Gates, he himself was able to make something out of a dream and a computer.

I noticed when you start working for someone else, you really have to conform. My first real job was in between year 11 & 12, (no holidays for this real go getter that wanted everything in life) it was cleaning a university, I would start at 4:30 in the morning when most people are still snoring their heads off, not my first choice in hours, then I got the news that would change my life forever, I was going to be a father at age 18, to my boss's daughter of all people, whooooooooooooooooo!!!! I was really over the moon, I always wanted a child, a bit early but I can deal with that, but what did this mean for my career path that had not yet even started, should I leave school only completing year 11, how would that look on my resume, should I care at that age, as making money to feed my young family at the time was now on the top of my agenda.

I decided to stick out school for another year giving me time to work out what I could do for a living, working part time again in between my holidays, trying to balance school, work and a baby, I admit it was difficult, but you manage it. By the end of year 12 I had come to a decision, I will not go to Uni, I will go straight into the workforce, this at the time was my best option, working part time really did not bring in enough money to buy all the things I wanted to for my young family.

I found myself working in a factory hard labouring for minimum wage, I wouldn't say that this was enjoyable work, but hey there was money coming in. This is where I became stagnant, working my arse off for a boss that did nothing but yell and hurl abuse to every worker in the factory, this is a slow demoralising process where all your self worth goes out the window, little by little till you are just a robot on autopilot, I would get up, go to work, come home, attend to my son, giving his mum a rest, eat and then sleep. I found I really did loose myself, this went on for approx 3 years until it all came to a head and I left, with no job to go to, I just left, my fingers worked to the bone to the extent that all my fingers had cracks and were bleeding, and would not heal, the last straw was when I asked one day that I be relieved from a particular job because the pain was too much and I needed time to heal, but the response was no help, I was labeled a sissy for speaking up, I am sure that even now this is happening in factory's in Australia, not really in line with the phrase "THE LUCKY COUNTRY"

So what now, do I choose another career path, or do I look at further studies as a means to an end, but not being in a job full time would mean that I could not pay for my own son, I could not do this! after rejection after rejection from my job applications that state "no experience necessary" I decided to go back into another factory, once again I found myself on autopilot and in a factory that did not care for the worker, where if whipping workers were legal this would have been a standard practice!

By this time I was keen to leave, to search out a company that had higher moral standings, a company that abides by OH&S regulations, but one that I could walk into with my experience, and I did, I found a place where my experience meant something and I was given a specialist role, where after my probationary period I was promised a substantial increase, but I was deluded once again, how could I be so gullible! after my probationary period had ended, I spoke to management, and nothing to do with the quality of my work, that always got high appraisal, I was advised that I would now be full time, and subsequently a lower salary!

Well that was it, I needed to get out of this rut, working in factories was getting myself nowhere, I decided to be proactive in my approach, I had at the time an opportunity to leave factories behind and head up North where there was a chance to gain new skills while still being paid for it, so I did, I up and moved to Yallara (Ayres Rock) where i experienced for the first time a boss that was not an arrogant so and so, a boss who who was supportive, someone who could build up my confidence in a happy workplace. This was an experience of a lifetime, learning about my countries heritage, gaining new skills, dealing with people face to face, instead of being yelled at slaving away in a factory!!

Being in a totally different work environment changed my outlook on my career prospects, I said to myself that never again will I work under those sort of conditions. Although I enjoyed work for the first time in my career, more to do with the people that I worked with more than anything. After 3 months I returned to Melbourne with a new lease on life, I would have liked to stay longer but this was the longest I had gone without seeing my son, of course we kept in contact over the phone, but that is not enough.

I felt good about my accomplishments, being able to just up and move to a new state, start a job in a very different role this lead me to my new career path. While in Yalara I found that I enjoyed working with people so I decided to find a job where I can work in a team, so I found a sales job that once again stated that there was no experience necessary, but this time they were interested, so I got an interview and I was hired.

I had no idea what this job was at the time, I knew it was in sales, but it wasn't until the first day that I found out it was door to door sales, I thought to myself what have I got myself into, how could I possibly do this, do I run or do I say I am here now I might as well try it, there are other people out there doing it, and making money from it so..... I gave it a go and what a surprise, yes it was hard work walking the streets and dealing with rejection after rejection but it was fun somehow, or I suppose better than being yelled at in a factory, and after a bit of time I found that I had quite the nack for it, and I felt good about myself, I was faced with a very different environment to what I was accustomed to, and I adapted very well, then tragedy struck, I broke my leg trying to ride my sons skateboard, 6 inches above the knee, I had a metal rod inserted down the centre of my bone from my hip to my knee, 2 bolts across my knee and one across my hip.

Well that really changed things, I was advised by the doctor that it would take at least 6 months before I would be able to walk again without the aid of a wheelchair or crutches, but with a new lease on life with my career change I was determined to move forward, so when I was able to be sort of mobile, meaning being able to get to work without someone to assist, I looked at what I could do, I no longer could do anything physical, and with my new found sales skills I took a desk job, in a small call centre, calling customers to book appointments for advisers to look over their home loan and refinance, this was great I worked closely with a lot of great people, but unfortunately my luck in finding this job did not last long, there was a change in the air, people were being let go left right and center, what surprised me was the fact that I was one of the last to go because of my sales skills, but the company went into liquidation, and along with it my last 2 weeks pay.

This is enough to break any ones spirits, but I thought I must soldier on, I have a child that needs my support.

To Be Continued......

What we really do for money