Wish me luck guys! And a personal story to accompany this post!

[foreigncorrespondent]

For those who don't know, this year I moved from Melbourne to the bush, or rather a lovely little beach side hamlet fairly close to the lovely town of Lakes Entrance in Victoria. This really has been the second best move I have ever made in my life.

Anyway, today I finished working on a cover letter and KSC (Key Selection Criteria) for a job as a Koorie Juvenile Justice Worker. It has taken me over a week to find the right formula for both. Obviously one of the hardest I have ever had to do. But this really is a job I know suits me to a T, and one I really REALLY want.

While the pay is better than what I would be making sticking to the security industry, that isn't the reason I wanted this job. Hell if I don't get this job I will be volunteering my time to work there anyway. But the main reason I wanted this job is a personal one.

Not many know, that when I was growing up, at the age of 16 I ended up in a refuge/halfway house because I was a pretty rebellious kid. The way my life was going I was heading straight for the juvenile justice system as an offender. But thanks to the people who ran the refuge, I managed to turn my life around a bit. And now, I am an upstanding citizen of the community. Very honest and very reliable.

Whilst working security, I began to have a deep need to want to help the juveniles I was arresting, rather than just arresting them for crimes committing, and then walking away and forgetting about them. Unfortunately that industry has restricted my ability to do that in so many ways. All this brings me to today.

Since moving here and joining a job network, my whole life has had a rather huge sudden change in direction. One from being just a security guard for the rest of my life, to one that is about to undertake this new job (I am thinking very positive) and beginning my Bachelor of Art in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Art in Indigenous Studies, and my Bachelor of Art in Security, Terrorism and Counter Terrorism. And I owe all the thanks in the world to two people. One who is no longer in my life in any capacity but does deserve a mention, and the other who is in my life now, and saw something in me only one other person ever saw in me. One of course is my ex Sapphocrat. She showed me that anything I put my mind to I can achieve with great results, and the other is actually the manager of my job network and my case worker. The first day she met me, she summed me up with in five minutes. The second time I saw her for some training I was doing under her care she told me that she felt I would be good working in the juvenile justice system, then began giving me ideas. Now three weeks on, this job shows up out of the blue with my name written all over it.

It is because of my history, I know I would be well suited to this job. Getting to help others is something I have long wanted to do. And being able to help Indigenous Australian's from ages 10 to 20 is simply awesome to me.

So seriously wish me luck, guys. This really is what I want to do. Doing the three university courses via correspondence is only me security my future, not just here in Australia, but in any part of the world I may chose to move to at a later date.

[Esra Star]

1. I wish you the very best. It sounds perfect for you.

The only thing I would say is:- don't take your work home with you.
You can do your job best if it doesn't compromise you.
Cheers

[foreigncorrespondent]

2. Thanks!!!

No worries about bringing the work home with me. I been working in high some pretty high stress jobs the last couple of years, and managed to not bring it home with me. Like I do talk if I need to, to family and friends, who are my support network, but we all do that!

And yes, it really is the perfect job for me. I know there will be the cases where they are just going to really piss me off to no end, but I am a professional when it comes to work, and will be able to handle it. :)

[canetoad]

3. `````````` ````````````````````````````

(LMFAO!!! I left that bizarre subject line cos it was my cat sitting on the edge of the keyboard. Bastard can't spell)

Good on you mate. From previous posts I know you were having a hard time in Melb. and security industry. Only thing I would cautiously say is maybe take one course on first and see how you go - but then again if you've found your vocation you may fly through them.

And remember....A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.

[Matilda]

4. Lots of luck to you, FC.

I know things have been hard for you recently (thanks to Howard and his IR laws), but now you're
opening a new door.

You're taking on a lot, but it sounds as if you're really dedicated to seeing this through, and I
wish you well with it.

[anakie]

5. hope you are doing OK down there with the weather

and everyone gets through ok

Peace

[foreigncorrespondent]

6. Where I am...

...we are in the high part of Metung (15 minutes from Lakes Entrance) so we haven't been flooded out. But, the small village of Metung has been hit. The pub was pumping water out yesterday, several homes who are on the banks of Lake King have water in their yards, etc. The main road out of town to take us back to the Hwy to get to Bairnsdale is closed. Deep water from th Tambo is over that road. The other way out (the Nungurner road) which takes us back to the Hwy to get to Lakes Entrance is open, but the Hwy coming into Lakes Entrance is closed due to landslides and water over the road a little further down.

Right now we are cut off from every main town that is near us. We went out yesterday to investigate how bad our area has been hit by it and my sister took some pictures of our local area she will email them to me today and I will share them here later. (Will be going out again later on to take another look around.)

We have family in Bairnsdale who told us yesterday they could see the water from the Mitchell (which is under Major flood warning), but were ok, but that was yesterday. We have family in Paynesville, which is a wash. And we have family on Raymond Island who have water right up to their home.

My sister can't get ito Lakes Entrance to work, so she hasn't been working. I can't get into Bairnsdale to work, so I haven't been working. And lucky for my brother-n-law he is currently on holidays, but he wouldn't be able to get into work either.

They are expecting another king tide today which is affecting both Lakes Entrance and Metung. Basically any town on the lakes system will be affected. And another king tide tomorrow. This is all due to the full moon. So we have the flood waters coming into the lakes system as well as the extra large high tides mixing it up and it is creating real problems.

I have heard that these are the worst floods in 17 years. And considering the Mitchell peaked at 8mm I reckon those rumors are true.

Ok, gonna go look for some floaties now. ;)

[Esra Star]

7. So, no drought problems then? The water will subside, people

will talk about it for years, governments will talk
about fixin' stuff. Nothing extraordinary will happen.
Life goes on.
Cheers,
How's the job coming along?

[foreigncorrespondent]

8. Unfortunately...

...there hasn't been enough rain (even though it has been the heaviest fall in 40 years) to fill the catchment areas to capacity (only at 30% this morning), so the drought still continues.

The job is going good. I really do enjoy it, and miss not being able to go. And last night I took a fall which has left me with either a very badly sprained ankle or a broken foot (can't get to the hospital to find out), which mean I may not be working when I can get back either.

Cheers!

[foreigncorrespondent]

9. Here are the pics from around Metung (with captions)