I wish I could say that a lot has happened in the past year but, really, I don't think much has happened until now, almost exactly a year since the move. It's like having a second go at this whole re-starting my life business. Still, a year deserves a recap of sorts, so that future my biographers (hah!) can describe 2011 as a mixed bag that established a jumping point for my next leap upwards.
Employment
This was my major achievement- finally securing a job with a salary. For my first five months in Melbourne I engaged in the lifestyle preferred by many youth here- bludging off of Centrelink. Centrelink is the government organization that provides welfare to people who can't earn income for one reason or another. It's far more extensive than welfare in the States- at least that is my one-sided perception having never been on welfare in the States. I'm able to receive Centrelink because I am a dual citizen (see also, my tattoo), though there was a lot of confusion at the Centrelink office as to why I had no official presence in their databases except for my birth. Briefings about my confusing childhood ensued and, in the end, I was able to begin receiving the paltry sum of $530 per fortnight; this, plus my savings and occasional injections of parental welfare were enough to carry me through until May, when I was hired by Hanover Welfare Services.
Can I just say, though, that I am incredibly proud of myself for being able to bludge off of Centrelink for that long? I had no idea how nerve wracking it was to only get barely $1000 per month with rent being $695 not including bills and expenses like food and public transportation; my savings and parents helped tremendously but I learned more about budgeting than I ever would have if I had just found a job as soon as I got here (incidentally, I kind of did, but it was a terrible pyramid scheme sales job that I did for one week before opting for unemployment over the loss of my soul). It especially encouraged me to cook frugally so I have a nice collection of large meals that I made and then ate throughout the week with dwindling optimism. However, now that I am off Centrelink, I have progressively more expensive bread, and I'm mostly ok with that.
The work that funds said expensive bread is social work. I am a "housing support worker," which basically means I am a social worker for people who are homeless and are trying to find somewhere to live; specifically, I work with families with multiple and complex needs. The work I do encompasses everything from providing emotional support to filling out all manner of applications to making numerous phone calls on my client's behalf. I could say a lot of things about what my job involves but that just becomes daunting and a little self-aggrandizing, because, really, it sounds like a lot when I list it out. Suffice it to say, it's not a job for everyone. I didn't know if it was even for me for a while; I've since concluded that this is a stepping stone job- one that I will do for a while before moving onto something else with my social work experience tucked firmly under my belt.
That is the most important part about this job- the experience. I was working at a mental health hospital before this, on the eating disorders unit, which was a very acute, highly specialized area. This is real life that I deal with now- people who are going through different kinds of disasters than I found on the eating disorders unit. That isn't to say that what the girls on the eating disorders unit were going through was not real life, because it was; I'm just finding that the kind of calamities I deal with in this job are making it easier for me to deal with the kind of problems found in an acute setting. It's cliche but I'm learning so much in this job- I'm starting to feel like a dauntless, assertive, and creative social worker- and I know it will all diversify across whatever job I do. I'm also staying because of my clients- I have a truly amazing group of clients- especially my clients who come from an immigrant and/or refugee background- and I want to see things through to their rightful end with them.
Employment
This was my major achievement- finally securing a job with a salary. For my first five months in Melbourne I engaged in the lifestyle preferred by many youth here- bludging off of Centrelink. Centrelink is the government organization that provides welfare to people who can't earn income for one reason or another. It's far more extensive than welfare in the States- at least that is my one-sided perception having never been on welfare in the States. I'm able to receive Centrelink because I am a dual citizen (see also, my tattoo), though there was a lot of confusion at the Centrelink office as to why I had no official presence in their databases except for my birth. Briefings about my confusing childhood ensued and, in the end, I was able to begin receiving the paltry sum of $530 per fortnight; this, plus my savings and occasional injections of parental welfare were enough to carry me through until May, when I was hired by Hanover Welfare Services.
Can I just say, though, that I am incredibly proud of myself for being able to bludge off of Centrelink for that long? I had no idea how nerve wracking it was to only get barely $1000 per month with rent being $695 not including bills and expenses like food and public transportation; my savings and parents helped tremendously but I learned more about budgeting than I ever would have if I had just found a job as soon as I got here (incidentally, I kind of did, but it was a terrible pyramid scheme sales job that I did for one week before opting for unemployment over the loss of my soul). It especially encouraged me to cook frugally so I have a nice collection of large meals that I made and then ate throughout the week with dwindling optimism. However, now that I am off Centrelink, I have progressively more expensive bread, and I'm mostly ok with that.The work that funds said expensive bread is social work. I am a "housing support worker," which basically means I am a social worker for people who are homeless and are trying to find somewhere to live; specifically, I work with families with multiple and complex needs. The work I do encompasses everything from providing emotional support to filling out all manner of applications to making numerous phone calls on my client's behalf. I could say a lot of things about what my job involves but that just becomes daunting and a little self-aggrandizing, because, really, it sounds like a lot when I list it out. Suffice it to say, it's not a job for everyone. I didn't know if it was even for me for a while; I've since concluded that this is a stepping stone job- one that I will do for a while before moving onto something else with my social work experience tucked firmly under my belt.
