Being presented with surprise art piece, designed and crafted entirely by Mieke whilst at home sick and whittling away a cold, grey day.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Things that make my heart sing #1
Being presented with surprise art piece, designed and crafted entirely by Mieke whilst at home sick and whittling away a cold, grey day.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Career change
Do people do this? Change their careers in their mid 30's? I feel as though I should be grown up now, I should be settled in my profession of choice.
Thing is, I'm not. 10 years into social work and I'm still not sure whether this is really what I want to be doing. It's a tiring job. At times it's highly emotional. It's poorly paid (our sector earns about $15000 less than others). The expectations on us are beginning to exceed what is actually possible. A starting salary in Child Protection is what I could expect as a manager in my organisation and yet the jobs of child protection are gradually being shifted onto services like mine - without the remuneration to go with it. Court literally does my head in. The idea of court produces such anxiety in me that I doubt my effectiveness on the stand. Yet the foster care worker is one of the main witnesses, after the protective worker.
I was in Dusk yesterday picking up a few more of my favourite melts (If you haven't tried these I recommend that you do - standouts for me are Honolulu and Passion) and while standing at the counter I picked up a card which read 'RECRUITING NOW'. Walking out of the shop with card in hand, I began to seriously contemplate whether I should send in my CV. I often find myself fantasising about a job where I can go, earn money, leave it all there when I go home. Where I don't have to manage family dynamics and the behaviour of traumatised children. Where I don't have to supervise the sometimes fraught access visits between children and their birth families. Where I don't spend 80 per cent of my time sitting in front of a computer - in a job I took because I wanted to work with people - and worrying that I haven't seen my client enough this month.
Dusk would be a perfect job for me right now. I adore their products so I would have no issue selling them. I could work less than 3 days a week if I should so desire (a luxury my current position does not afford me). I would work at work and be a parent at home, a novel concept!
My concern with taking the step out of my chosen career path is that I will end up standing behind a counter somewhere feeling like I'm not doing a worthy job. Because all my life I've been geared up around helping people so it makes sense that it's what I chose to do for a living. Would I feel unstimulated and bored? Would the conversations I have seem a bit superficial?
Regardless, I think I will forward my CV to Dusk. I can always go back to foster care after my children have grown a little more and don't require so much of my attention. It'll be a good move for the family. And me.
Thing is, I'm not. 10 years into social work and I'm still not sure whether this is really what I want to be doing. It's a tiring job. At times it's highly emotional. It's poorly paid (our sector earns about $15000 less than others). The expectations on us are beginning to exceed what is actually possible. A starting salary in Child Protection is what I could expect as a manager in my organisation and yet the jobs of child protection are gradually being shifted onto services like mine - without the remuneration to go with it. Court literally does my head in. The idea of court produces such anxiety in me that I doubt my effectiveness on the stand. Yet the foster care worker is one of the main witnesses, after the protective worker.
I was in Dusk yesterday picking up a few more of my favourite melts (If you haven't tried these I recommend that you do - standouts for me are Honolulu and Passion) and while standing at the counter I picked up a card which read 'RECRUITING NOW'. Walking out of the shop with card in hand, I began to seriously contemplate whether I should send in my CV. I often find myself fantasising about a job where I can go, earn money, leave it all there when I go home. Where I don't have to manage family dynamics and the behaviour of traumatised children. Where I don't have to supervise the sometimes fraught access visits between children and their birth families. Where I don't spend 80 per cent of my time sitting in front of a computer - in a job I took because I wanted to work with people - and worrying that I haven't seen my client enough this month.
Dusk would be a perfect job for me right now. I adore their products so I would have no issue selling them. I could work less than 3 days a week if I should so desire (a luxury my current position does not afford me). I would work at work and be a parent at home, a novel concept!
My concern with taking the step out of my chosen career path is that I will end up standing behind a counter somewhere feeling like I'm not doing a worthy job. Because all my life I've been geared up around helping people so it makes sense that it's what I chose to do for a living. Would I feel unstimulated and bored? Would the conversations I have seem a bit superficial?
Regardless, I think I will forward my CV to Dusk. I can always go back to foster care after my children have grown a little more and don't require so much of my attention. It'll be a good move for the family. And me.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Thermomix
I want one. You'll have to google it to read more if you want to. But I want one. They are AMAZING and I'm convinced I would cook much more if I had one of these on my kitchen bench.
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