| Thursday, March 08, 2007 |
| stupid mistake #356 |
Lesson I've learned today: I really should think things through before I make hasty decisions.
Today I had an interview for a job at a Before and After School Care centre. As my scooter is still being repaired, I had to catch a bus which I always find a little daunting when it's a line I've never caught before and I'm not sure when to alight.
Needless to say I got off at the wrong stop and started walking in completely the wrong direction before I ended up at Morningside Primary. Oops, wrong school.. So I asked a nice little lady where I might find the correct school, and she pointed me vaguely in the opposite direction. It was lucky I was super early so I had plenty of time to traipse around Bulimba, sweaty and bewildered.
When I finally got to the right school I was 20 mins early and there was noone in the OSHC office, so I sat down out the front and waited... 12 o'clock rolled around - nothing... 10 past 12 I decided to ask at the admin office - they had no idea. I left a message with them, and went back to the OSHC office to wait a few more minutes on the off chance someone would come by. At 12.25pm the girl who was interviewing me, Claire, finally showed up, completely unaware that she had an appointment!
Claire would have only been a few years older than me and she appeared to be slightly nerdy, the kinda girl I probably would have picked on in grade 8.. but she was apologetic and nice enough, and I was super friendly and relaxed. She had a form with a whole series of questions on it which she filled out while I talked.. it was mainly boring stuff about my availability and what special qualities or skills I could bring to the OSHC, but there were a few questions about my theories on behaviour management and what I believed made a good OSHC which I know I rambled on in response to.
One question gave a senario of if I were called in at the last minute one afternoon and had to prepare an activity on the theme of "The Circus", what would I plan? I said I'd draw on my theatre background and teach the kids some clowning techniques like slapstick comedy and juggling. WHAT THE?! I don't know how to juggle!! And at the end of the interview, Claire made a comment on the juggling and how interesting that was. If they hire me, I'll have to avoid the juggling topic at all costs!
So I got the impression there were a number of people who applied for the job - she had a folder full of applications, and said they'd been interviewing for over a week. She seemed impressed by me, but I really have no idea where I stand. She's going to call me tomorrow.
ANYWAY, here's my dilema: I've pretty much worked out in the 5 hours since my interview that I don't want the job.
The way things work with my Centrelink payment, a second job is like digging your own grave. I'd be taxed an exorborant amount, and still have to report the income BEFORE tax, even though I'd only be getting half of it in my pocket. Which means my payment is drastically reduced and I end up worse off financially for the fortnight.
She made a point during the interview that the hours are quite casual and I could expect two or three 3 hour shifts per week.. not enough to quit Coldrock entirely, therefore solving the problem of the dreaded "2nd job".
Add to this the fact that I'm all of a sudden terrified at the thought of working with children. Well, not so much the working with children part, but more the akward first few weeks where they don't know you and aren't comfortable with you yet...
Plus I can't goddamn juggle!
So I'm hoping and praying that I don't get the job. Then I can go to my boss at ColdRock and beg for more hours so I'm not constantly broke all the time.
Moral of the story is, I really should have thought about all this money stuff BEFORE I started applying for a second job willy nilly. I'm so freakin' stupid sometimes it makes my head hurt. |
posted by Jac @ 6:34 PM  |
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| 8 Comments: |
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Remind me and I'll teach u to juggle when you come and visit.
I hate that the more you work to try and keep your head above water, the more tax you have to pay.
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IF you could learn to juggle then maybe they would want you for more hours and quit coldrock but still get centrelink. I can`t beleive you told them you could juggle...hehe that is hilarious!
Morningside primary is near my old highschool....So I am guessing so is the school you ended up going to. There are some huge HILLS in that area...hope you didn`t have to climb to many
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Hee the brain says the strangest things during interviews. Hope you get the job even if it's so you can turn it down.
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You should learn how to breathe fire. It always keeps the kids entertainted.
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The whole "not knowing they had an interview thing" would have made me storm off in disgust. I HATE when companies don't have their act together, especaially when people go to all the trouble (like you did) to get there on time and show up for the interview and they can't even organise themselves.
Secondly, I worked for a fairly dodgy OSHC but the one thing I never had to do was just make up an activity on the spot, much less a themed one. That's a really bad on the spot question, but it's awesome you told them yuou could juggle :D
I have often gone for jobs and realised I really don't want it, it's not so bad, except they are the jobs I get and I have to tur them down. As for tax and the second job deal, you are totally shooting yourself in the foot, it's pretty much lose,lose.
If I can think of any other jobs I'll let you know.
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Hmm, I'd be really annoyed at that girl for not turning up on time too.
You're probably right with the 'worse off financially' theory, but I just thought I'd let you know that with a second job, you don't actually get taxed at 48% like everyone thinks you do. They just assume that you're earning over the $6800/yr threshold. I'm pretty sure the tax comes in at the base rate of 12%- so as long as you claim the tax free threshold on the job you earn the most on, you shouldn't do too badly. I've had a couple of times where I've had a temp second job (like a day here or there), and I certainly wasn't getting taxed at anywhere near 48%. You should probably check this out somehow, but I'm not sure who you could ask, without going to an accountant (maybe you have some accounting student friends?). But, of course there's the chance of losing Centrelink money, which is a pain...
So, don't discount a 2nd job straight off! But you're probably right.
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you are not stupid, i do this sort of thing all the time. rush into things with best intentions and then think, oh shit, i really hadn't thought of that angle/aspect... so don't worry.
if you do get it just politely decline - of course you can say that you have to because it's just not enough hours and maybe that will prompt her to offer up more.
good luck!
x
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Your head hurt?!?!? What about us?
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Remind me and I'll teach u to juggle when you come and visit.
I hate that the more you work to try and keep your head above water, the more tax you have to pay.