One thing I am ready to RANT about though is my current hunt for a job.

I know I need to work to survive financially (and I’m not denying that), but the search is so so so difficult. I’ve been applying to 3 or 4 jobs a day, which i definitely think is a respectful amount and on average, only 2 out of 10 jobs i apply for get a reply from the employer letting me know I’ve not been successful; the remaining 6 completely ignore me!

I feel really insecure about my employ-ability. Due to not finishing school because of being ill, i never received careers advice and i never received help building my CV. So i think that’s why i always second guess myself when i send a covering letting to an employer, as i never fully know if the things I’m saying is the type of thing they are looking for.

I was lucky enough to be given an opportunity working as a Customer Service Advisor before I had to relocate, but that’s the only work experience I’ve got, and coupled with my age, I really feel I’m fighting a loosing battle!

I had a really good pre-interview last week, which i felt went really well at the time, but it’s been several days now, and still no word back. Maybe I’m expecting too much too soon?

I also sent an application in to the place where my dad works, working as a support worker in varies homes in the area supporting disabled and very ill patients. It would probably be the most demanding type of work for me (aside from standing in a factory for a whole shift doing nothing but moving my hands from one place to another). It really is something I’d be interested in persuing, so I’m really hoping they invite me for interview, which is where i really feel i can really show them who i am as a person and why they should employ me.

It’s all so frustrating.

I just have a burning desire to update my blog at the moment, so here I am! Theres quite a few things I want to cover. Ranging from news articles I’ve seen over the past few weeks that I’ve wanted to comment on, to my hunt for a job.

Theodore Sypnier

This is a story I first read yesterday (9th December 2009). I formed my view on this instantly (which is unusual for me). Sypnier was charged in 1999 with raping two young sisters, who were aged four, and seven at the time. He has been released from a half-way house to a flat in Buffalo.

I completely agree with the article! He should spend the rest of his life behind bars, in jail. He shouldn’t be anywhere near the public/children, let alone in a flat of his own! What made this worse was the fact that he admitted even though he was 100, he’d never change. It’s disgusting. Truly. I have always been one for the American justice system. When a person in the US is found guilty of murder, they serve there life in jail. A life for a life. As a posed to the way the UK justice system works. Dammit, that’s a completely different point to the one I’m trying to make here. When someone rapes someone else, they should get a lot longer than 10 years! Especially when the crime involved children. He only served 10 years, he shouldn’t be freed, irrespective of him being 100! What makes things worse is he’s still able to walk ‘miles’! He said himself, he’d never change, he should stay behind bars.

MPs’ Expenses

Oh come on, I’ve had enough of all of this! I can’t be the only one that’s had enough of hearing about all of this? It really frustrates me! I’ve heard it all before. When I’m cycling through my Sky News phone application, I always ignore ones about MPs and the government.

I’ve always had an interest in the political world, especially before the Prime Minister changed to Gorden Brown, but recently, things seem to be heading down hill, and I truly do think the UK needs a change in direction.

It annoys me so much that instead of the government spending their time and money on more important things (I.E medical research and recovering the economy) they spent their time and money on porn and garlic peelers! I don’t even think I can say any more than that! *insert angry face*.

Job hunting!

Well.. what can I say? After moving to Coventry, part of my benefits where stopped (another sore spot sadly..). So I had to start my job hunt this week. I had major help from Richards parents, who where great and helped build my CV. My mum was also great and helped supply dates for the document, so I got that built and ready to go. I did take a trip down to the job center as well, but am not eligible for job seekers allowance, arg!!

That’s where my job search began, there in the Job Center. I hate this place. It’s fall of people who look lazy.. are lazy.. and are being paid to live by the rest of the population! Occasionally I have seen people who actually are hard working individuals and genuinely don’t want to be claiming from the Job Center. I respect these people immensely.

Anyway, that’s a different subject entirely! I started my search on the Job Center Plus website when I got home (I couldn’t face using the machines in the building in town). I’ve been checking the website daily since then, and applying to several jobs I see each day. I also started using a website called ‘Reed’, (they have a shop in Coventry center), and I’ve had more luck through there than I have anywhere else.

I must be applying for a good 10 – 12 jobs a day (maybe not all that many for the average person, but for me, thats a huge amount, especially due to the fact I have only one real qualification due to being sick, and most of the work available at the moment requires a degree, or at least a full education). I think I’ve heard back from 2, after the vast amount of jobs I’ve applied for, it definitely leaves me feeling despondent.

I made it to the second stage of interviews with a company called Source Marketing Direct, but it turns out that the job they were advertising, wasn’t all above board.. Meaning it was commission based (so no real wage), and it was door to door sales, not me what so ever!

As well as the above, I had an appointment at a recruitment agency today. I was interested in a customer service job with unusual working hours. They asked me to fill in an application form for their agency, which didn’t take long. She explained that the company I was applying to had already taken on the two candidates they needed, but due to the shifts starting at 5am (till 9am), very few applied, and due to me being flexible with when I can work and the fact I have my own transport, I stand a good chance of being offered a position (the candidates may resign due to the working hours, or the company may feel they need more staff, so I’ll be the next person they call, hopefully!).

I know I should be daunted by the prospect of having to be at work for 5am, but it actually would suite me very well! It would mean they dogs wouldn’t be alone more than an hour a day (due to Richard starting work at 8am at the earliest), and it leaves the rest of my day free for studying, so all in all it would be perfect. Lets just hope something comes up and they offer me an interview/job. The representative at the agency said she’d pass on my details, so I’ll have to wait and see!

Puppy

I’m writing this from the comfort of my sofa, with Kira, our Siberian Husky puppy by my side, half sleeping, half playing, and George, not actually wanting to be social!

I’ll start with Kira. Choosing and buying her came out of the blue, but the idea of me and Rich wanting a puppy wasn’t a spur of the moment decision. We’d toyed with an Irish Wolfhound for quite a while; he’d had one in the past, and loved him dearly. I was a little worried about the size of some of the dogs he was interested in, and whether we could afford to maintain a big dog!

Over the weekend, we’d viewed a few animal shelters, but decided that that wasn’t the way to go. The animals were lovely, but we just didn’t find one we ‘gelled’ with. It didn’t seem that they’d ever feel like they were ‘ours’, and they were nearly always at an age where it would be too late to integrate him/her with George (which was really important).

We came away from the shelters feeling really despondent. We decided to have a look at the net when we got home, to see if there was any possibility of buying a puppy instead. We looked around, and focused our search in the end on Siberian Huskies. Rich was keen on the breed, so I happily went with it.

I believe in fate, and destiny and I believed right from the beginning that when we found the right puppy, we’d know. The first 20 or so adverts we viewed just didn’t feel right. They where either too expensive, or male (which we didn’t overly want), or in a location that just wasn’t practical.

We did finally come across one advert though, and we had a really great feeling right from the beginning. She was the last of a little from Leicester. When we initially phoned the breeder, he was very, very friendly. He answered all of our questions and was happy for us to go view her.

Leicester is only 20 minutes or so from us in Coventry, and we traveled up to meet the puppy. The area wasn’t what I was expecting; it was the poorer side of town, so we where a little apprehensive. When we met Kira, she initially seemed very sleepy (she is a puppy though so it was to be expected). Rich held her first, and she snuggled him, and when straight back to sleep. Then I held her, and she just sank in to my arms. She loved every minute of it, and we instantly bonded. I didn’t want to put her down!

We questioned the breeder, and all seemed to be in order. She eventually woke up and instantly jumped down to the floor and started to chew my shoe laces! Naughty Kira. We decided to buy her there and then. We loved her so much! She traveled home just perfectly, she lay down and went back to sleep. A big contrast to how George is when he travels, he gets super excited and barks the whole way!

She’s settled in extremely well She’s chewed everything, peed everywhere, made lots of mess, and spent all of her remaining time sleeping! She’s really settled in nicely, and is growing bigger and bigger by the day! It’s really strange seeing how she’s changing; just her facial features developing, and her coat colour.

She wont be fully grown until she’s 2 and a half years old (she’s 8 weeks at the moment). She’ll get as big as I am when she’s standing on her back legs. She’ll also need walking an hour or more a day (which will be Richards job as my health just wont stand it).

That’s all for now regarding dogs!
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Christmas

Christmas is closely upon us! ARG! I’m trying to work out how long I can put off Christmas for. Don’t get me wrong, when the day arrives, I love it, I just dislike how suddenly Christmas starts in August and September and my radio is filtered with Christmas tunes! Really frustrates me.

As far as plans for Christmas day though, I’m really conflicted as to where to be and what to do! I really don’t want my dad being alone at Christmas, would be so strange without him. As well as that though, I’m going to be super sad to not see my sister at Christmas. Boo.

In the end we kind of came up with some form of plan. Dad will spend the morning of Christmas day with my Jen, my sister. At mid day he’ll travel up to me and Richards (about a 2 hour drive). We’ve all then been invited to Richards brothers wifes parents (still with me?!) for Christmas day meal, which will be great, means I don’t have to cook, hurray! Boxing day will be spent at Richards parents for boxing day celebrations.

Thats what’s happening on the 25th! It’s all so new for me, we’ve never really made a huge fuss at Christmas. We’ve always had the family tree, and the meal in the afternoon, and presents of course, but that’s been about it! We’ve never really had boxing day celebrations, or new years celebrations, so I think I’m in for some fun this year!

As far as presents go, Richards sorted, dads sorted, mums sorted, as is her boyfriend, and my uncle/aunt. Still conflicted as to what to buy my sister, due to the fact my mum stole my present idea! What a coincidence! GRR! We had such fun laughing over that when we found out that we’d both decided to buy the same present for her, i’ll make sure she knows it was my idea first!
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Open University and job hunting

As i’ve already mentioned, i’m studying the first course which will count towards my degree. I received the results of my first assignment a few days ago, and and am pretty dam chuffed with the mark! I was scored 88% (The Open Uni works in percentages instead of grades..). I’m dam chuffed I have to say! There’s certain points I need to work on, so will make sure I sort those out for the next assignment. I also had my monthly tutorial last night, which meant I had to travel back east as I haven’t changed regions yet. I was feeling terrible and really didn’t want to go, but it turned out to be worth it and helped answered a few questions I had.

I am completely shattered today though. I’m in super amount so of pain after the 5 and a half odd hours driving yesterday (To my dads, to pick up his car, back to my tutorial, then home). Having some trouble walking as my knee and ankle joints/muscles have swollen and seized up. Is due to me overdoing it and I know I shouldn’t push myself in that way, but sometimes it’s necessary, at least once a month for my tutorial.

Due to part of my benefits stopping, (as I think I’ve already mentioned), I’ve had to start to search for a job, something I didn’t anticipate I’d have to do until after I’d finished my degree. I’ve applied to several retail positions, working on tills, and varies boring things.

I’ve also applied today to several Web Content Editing positions, which I have to say I’m pretty nervous about. Due to not finishing school though, I have little qualifications (pre degree), and have had no previous work experience, so I’m just not confident I’d land a job in the IT field (which would definitely be ideal for me).

I’m hoping to pick up some volunteer work over the next few months, and work hard, so I have at least some experience to put on my CV, as it’s looking rather bare at the moment.

Before I sign off, I’d like to thank the continuing support of the readers of my blog. There has been so many views, and comments over the past month, and it’s really appreciated. I have always said, and always will, that I write for me. I don’t do it to follow the crowd. I don’t limit my posts so it follows a set of ‘rules’ or ideals. I just write. It’s always been a release for me, a way to get things off my chest and document what’s happening in my life, and I think that’s reflected in the end result. So again, thank you for reading!
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