Post by biteybird on Oct 27, 2016 4:00:35 GMT -5
Some time ago I decided that I need to change jobs. I'm a special education teacher (kids with autism) and have been in that field for about 5 years, after switching from music teaching (prior to that I was a musician in the Australian Army and prior to that I was teaching secondary school fresh out of Uni).
I work in a Government school. The principal and the staff are great, BUT...the admin workload is incredible and growing exponentially. Combine this with 160 minutes of yard duty (playground supervision) per week on top of the teaching load & losing all breaks in the school day whenever it rains = high stress!
I also feel as though my effectiveness as a teacher and my class preparation is diminishing rapidly because of all the administration requirements; in summary, burnt out.
My GP suggested I try to reduce my stress at work, but in this type of work I have virtually zero control of how I spend my time. I've been deliberately doing no school work at home for a couple of months....with the result that my 'To Do' list is growing and I remain exhausted.
So in March I applied to be a train driver for Metro. They advertised 'trainee train driver' positions. I had to do an online logic/deductive reasoning test, then a phone interview. After the phone interview they said "we may be in touch to do the next phase in a few months, watch your emails". So I forgot all about it....then just a month ago I got an email inviting me to the next phase, which was an Information Session and Validation testing (to make sure that the initial online test I did was actually me!). OK. Did that, thought I'd bombed out, then got an email to attend an Assessment Centre the next week. OK. Did that (half a day consisting of group exercise, 2 roleplay scenarios, written exercise & formal interview), thought I'd bombed out. Got an email the next day inviting me to Psychomotor testing. OK. Did that today (2 hours straight without a break, testing reaction times and accuracy on a Nintendo-type console with coloured buttons and joystick, REALLY HARD). I'll probably find out whether I passed in the next 2-3 weeks. If I've passed, the next step is Medical (scary) and Referee checks, then wait for a start date.
They told us earlier that there were almost 10,000 applications for about 100 train driver positions!
So even if I miss out, I'm actually very happy to have made it this far. The people who got to the Assessment Centre phase were in the top 15% of applicants, so I guess I must be higher than that to have made it to Psychomotor testing. [Actually I can't work out how I made it this far at all!!!]
So today I was on the train coming back from the testing (Metro officers came through checking our fares - the irony, LOL). I got a phone call from another job I applied for just last week, asking me to do a phone interview "is now OK?". I said "I'm on the train, can I call you back in 15 minutes?". OK. Did that and answered the questions, not expecting anything and the woman said "Can we book you in for a Psychometric Test next week or the week after?". I asked for the week after because with all this job stuff I've missed one day of school every week for 3 weeks now & it's probably starting to look a bit suspicious.
So then I went to the supermarket and got a phone call from the Education Department in the Northern Territory. A few months ago I applied for a job in Darwin, but missed out. The guy who was the head of the interview panel passed on my details to someone for another position, so they asked me for my first referee details - I gave them my principal's name and the school phone number. When I got home I emailed my principal (as I wasn't at school today...) telling her about the phone call.
Here's the funny thing: if I'd been at school today I would NEVER have been able to answer those 2 phone calls!
I have no idea how any of this will turn out, but it's really bizarre how things happen and, sometimes, all at once.
Now I just have to work out how to have yet ANOTHER day off work to attend my next interview....wish me luck!
I work in a Government school. The principal and the staff are great, BUT...the admin workload is incredible and growing exponentially. Combine this with 160 minutes of yard duty (playground supervision) per week on top of the teaching load & losing all breaks in the school day whenever it rains = high stress!
I also feel as though my effectiveness as a teacher and my class preparation is diminishing rapidly because of all the administration requirements; in summary, burnt out.My GP suggested I try to reduce my stress at work, but in this type of work I have virtually zero control of how I spend my time. I've been deliberately doing no school work at home for a couple of months....with the result that my 'To Do' list is growing and I remain exhausted.
So in March I applied to be a train driver for Metro. They advertised 'trainee train driver' positions. I had to do an online logic/deductive reasoning test, then a phone interview. After the phone interview they said "we may be in touch to do the next phase in a few months, watch your emails". So I forgot all about it....then just a month ago I got an email inviting me to the next phase, which was an Information Session and Validation testing (to make sure that the initial online test I did was actually me!). OK. Did that, thought I'd bombed out, then got an email to attend an Assessment Centre the next week. OK. Did that (half a day consisting of group exercise, 2 roleplay scenarios, written exercise & formal interview), thought I'd bombed out. Got an email the next day inviting me to Psychomotor testing. OK. Did that today (2 hours straight without a break, testing reaction times and accuracy on a Nintendo-type console with coloured buttons and joystick, REALLY HARD). I'll probably find out whether I passed in the next 2-3 weeks. If I've passed, the next step is Medical (scary) and Referee checks, then wait for a start date.
They told us earlier that there were almost 10,000 applications for about 100 train driver positions!
So even if I miss out, I'm actually very happy to have made it this far. The people who got to the Assessment Centre phase were in the top 15% of applicants, so I guess I must be higher than that to have made it to Psychomotor testing. [Actually I can't work out how I made it this far at all!!!]So today I was on the train coming back from the testing (Metro officers came through checking our fares - the irony, LOL). I got a phone call from another job I applied for just last week, asking me to do a phone interview "is now OK?". I said "I'm on the train, can I call you back in 15 minutes?". OK. Did that and answered the questions, not expecting anything and the woman said "Can we book you in for a Psychometric Test next week or the week after?". I asked for the week after because with all this job stuff I've missed one day of school every week for 3 weeks now & it's probably starting to look a bit suspicious.
So then I went to the supermarket and got a phone call from the Education Department in the Northern Territory. A few months ago I applied for a job in Darwin, but missed out. The guy who was the head of the interview panel passed on my details to someone for another position, so they asked me for my first referee details - I gave them my principal's name and the school phone number. When I got home I emailed my principal (as I wasn't at school today...) telling her about the phone call.
Here's the funny thing: if I'd been at school today I would NEVER have been able to answer those 2 phone calls!
I have no idea how any of this will turn out, but it's really bizarre how things happen and, sometimes, all at once.
Now I just have to work out how to have yet ANOTHER day off work to attend my next interview....wish me luck!
