July 2006

Congratulations to Andy and Amy who have another little girl in their lives, Millie Grace was born on 14th July!

On the 10th July I took my first tentative steps away from Coles supermarket and had an interview at Moranbah Health District (Queensland Health) for a casual administration job. Considering what the job was, the interview letter was quite terrifying considering I hadn’t had a proper interview for over 6 years! A panel of three would be interviewing, but before that I had to do a practical test!! I researched Queensland Health extensively and any topical health issues, re-read my ‘Great Answers To Tough Interview Questions’ bible and had sleepless nights wondering whether they would make me mail merge a 1000 letters in 10 minutes. However, I needn’t have worried too much as the practical was typing a letter (although I was so panicked by this time that I had a mental block remembering which side the customer’s address went on!!). The interview consisted of such killer questions as ‘What does confidentiality mean to you’ and ‘What details would you write down if you needed to pass a phone message on to someone’.
The following week I found out I had got the job, and I handed my notice in at Coles after 10 months of suffering!! Hallelujah!!
The work can be at the hospital, community health centre, mental health or main offices and being casual means I cover holidays and sick days, I can be phoned at any time, but I have the right to say no. I am really enjoying the work a lot more that I originally thought I would. (You wouldn’t believe how much the task of having to cover brand new books with clear sticky stuff can be so scary though)! It is so refreshing to be in an office environment and to feel like I am human again! The people who work there are all really friendly and helped me settle in straight away.

Andy went back to college in July and August to the TAFE in Mackay for ten days (split up over several weeks) intensive electrical tutoring.
The rules here in Australia are that however much experience you have or whatever electrical qualifications you have in England, you have to be approved by the Australian electrical body and then you have to be approved as an electrician by whichever state you live in!
Queensland dictates that Andy has to pass the Queensland fourth-year electrical apprentice exams in order to be given an electrical license. This was a very scary thought for Andy who hasn’t studied for ten years, and we all know that we couldn’t re-take our final exams now! At the same time as studying at college Andy got put with an electrical company in Moranbah for a few months work experience outside of the mines, so he was going round doing house-wiring and installing air-conditioners!
There was a lot of pressure on him passing these exams as, theoretically, if he didn’t get his license then they may send us packing back to England!
After many hours studying in the library here and the tough days at college, he passed his exams with flying colours and is now the very proud owner of a Queensland Electrical License! He wasn’t finished yet though, he then had to be signed off as an electrician at the coal mine…. This wasn’t to happen until another 4 months later!! The whole process took 17 months which is crazy considering he worked as an electrician in England for about 9 years!