Yes, today I got up really early and went out to two job interviews. Long story short, I was a little too technically deficient for one job so they passed on me, and the second one they told me I could start tomorrow.
So I put on my fancy suit in the morning, and put on my dress shoes... which immediately began to bite into open-wound blisters I received from the very same shoes a week before. No matter, I had to endure it for the day, smile through the pain! I had my map routed out (even though the route mapping system of Sydney is in major need of an overhaul), I had everything planned in my head what I was going to say, and I had just a few dabs of hair gel left. As I got on the train I realized I was really going to cut it close to make it to this interview on time, and boy was I right about that! But more on that later.
My recruiter called me up a while later while I was still waiting for the train to leave (It was 8:45 and I had to be there by 10:00). We went over some things we had talked about the day before, and she wish me good luck and I was on my way. I arrived at the station and got on a bus, but it turned out I had to PRE PAY for this one. AH! So I quickly went to the ticket station across the street to pick up a ticket, but by the time I got back to the stop it had left. No worries, the next bus would come soon. But when it did come it said 'Macquarie University' on it, not 'Macquarie Centre' as I was hoping. Still, I thought better this bus than none, and got on anyway. That was a bit of an error. I figured the bus would go on to the centre after the univirsity, but I that was not the case. The university was the last stop... all the students got off and I was there alone, so I felt stupid and followed the last student out. Here I was, lost in a foreign university campus, with 10 minutes to spare until 10:00am. Sweat was rolling down my forehead and down from under my armpits. In a panic I ran towards where I thought the shopping centre was (where I originally wanted to go). Luckily, it was where I thought it was. Saved!
But I still had to quicken my pace because I was pretty late. As I got closer to my destination I remembered that these guys are pretty secretive (it's a research lab), and that it would be hard to find the entrance. Luckily, I found the right entrance right on the dot 10:00am. A guy opened the door and looked at my quizzically, when I said my name is Joram and I'm here for an interview with John... D'OH I had forgotten his last name. We got that sorted out pretty quick though and before I knew it I was in a room with 3 guys asking me all kinds of questions... that had to be answered immediately! The interview went well and I had to sign an NDA, so can't really talk about what the company does. All I can say is, what they do will REVOLUTIONIZE the industry they are targeting... just you wait. The main guy interviewing me turned out to look like my old boss Joe from my Niscon days, so it was very peculiar hearing a Joe-copy talking Australian. The interview went well, I answered all questions quickly without hesitation, remembered to laugh and smile at the right times and not slouch or put my hand over my face. They even showed me their testing rigs at the end and the main guy drove me to the bus station after; my first time in an Australian car!
After the interview I called the recruiter and we talked about how the interview went, and she even asked me some tough questions during the call, as if I was still in the interview! Crazy! In fact what she had prepped me for was something much harder than what it actually was, so it was good she did that because it prepared me for the worst. She kind of laughed how I took a big bow around Sydney to get to where I was going, since there were much more direct paths.
So I took the bus back to the main CBD (central business district) Sydney, and got another lovely look at the Sydney Opera House from the Harbour Bridge. I really gotta do the Harbour Bridge Climb one day, that will be amazing. I always see tourists on there. Anyway, I got to the train station and trained to West Sydney area, which took a bit of time. Good thing the 2nd interview was more of an open time frame that I was allowed to be at the interview, so no pressures if I got lost. When I got to the final train station and was about to get on a bus, I was stopped by a girl wanting donations for a charity. She immediately realized I wasn't an Aussie and we had a pleasant conversation instead of her begging me for money! Turns out she is from the UK and also working abroad just like me, and she told me I MUST go to the Max Brenner Chocolate Cafe when in Australia, or else my trip was for nothing! I should have got her number now that I think about it... she said if I get my job please think of the charity, and wished me good luck and I was on my way.
Now this bus I was on was amazing: it actually had a recorded voice say the name of the next station! You didn't have to look at a map and out the window frantically hoping you're matching up the stops. Very clear and non-complicated. Also, this particular bus line had a road specially designed for it; it wasnt' just the very far lane, there was an actual TRANSITWAY built for the purpose of a bus! To top that off there were even special 'B' lights inserted into the traffic lights so that only a bus could be in the intersection. Very impressive. So when my stop came I heard the voice say it and I pressed the button: no worries! 15 minute walk later and I was at the company.
I didn't sign an NDA with these guys so I can say the company is called Liquip, and Steve the guy who interviewed me was sooooooooooo laid back! In fact after explaining everything to me he was already setting up a computer for me and an account and told me be here by 8AM tomorrow! I was pretty amazed. Of course, now I will have to show these guys I can actually do mechanical drafting without my daddy helping me out all the time... should be interesting! Tolerances on dimensions isn't a walk in the park let me tell you! Lots of experience and you just have to 'get it', which I haven't completely. That's why I'm a bit worried. So I got that job, and as i walked back to the bus stop I treated myself to a 15-Dollar lunch, nice tuna sandwich with a fruit salad on the side and a nice cold bottle of Pepsi. While I was eating the recruiter for THIS job (another girl), called me and told me if I wanted to work tomorrow I had to kick it into high gear over to her office (again the other side of Sydney, North Sydney). I said NO PROBS and finished my lunch (it was 3:50, late lunch), and took the same way back.
I arrived at the recruitment office at about 5:30pm, and realized the 2 recruiters who had 'found' me were staying overtime just to set me up with the paperwork! I felt a bit bad I made them wait too long, but they were all like 'no worries' and really cool about it. So I got a nice pen and mug out of the deal, and some time sheets, I am ready for this thing! 8 to 5pm! Yikes! I will have to wake up SUPER EARLY to get there, it takes about 1 1/2 hours at least. But it's ok since I'm not too into night life, as you all already probably know, so turning in at 10, 10:30ish won't be such a big deal for me. I just have to buy earplugs because sometimes the neighbours can be really noisy at night.
On the way back the FIRST RECRUITER called me and said I didn't get the job because another candidate they had interviewed had more experience + skills than me. Oh well. The silver lining of the cloud is that they liked me, I am a 'good bloke' as it were, and they will try to find another position for me within the company. So that will be pretty sweet if it happens, I really want to be part of their operation, like I said earlier they will revolutionize their industry once the prototype becomes a product and goes into mass-production to be sold to vendors. Cool stuff.
So now I'm here waiting around writing the longest blog ever and hopefully not boring you, the reader. I will appreciate TL;DR comments. Those ones are the best. And I know they mean that you love me but I am too long-winded and should get to the point already. Oh btw crows and seagulls have really strange calls here in Australia. They sound like they are poor imitations of their much superior North-American cousins. But they make up for it for having way more exotic birds here.
Thanks for reading all, hope to hear from you soon.
_Joram
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