[Mrs Pony]

Well... First of all I haven't slept well all weekend because of the wind and last nights sleep was horrible because I was nervous as well! So I was exhausted before I even got there! THEN, walking to work SUCKED this morning (stupid rain!) but I'll just have to get used to it! It's not worth it to get a car to walk half a mile (.8km) to work. However, it was pretty much a complete 180 from working in the US! and it's GREAT!! I'm training for a month and then filling in for a lady while she's on maternity leave. She called in sick today so I just hoped around with some others that are in the dept.

I looked at TradeMe with my boss.... yeah... NEVER would happen in the US (at least not with my last boss). My new boss also told me that I can look at whatever I want online (besides porn...damn! ;) ) as long as I get all my work done, she doesn't really care.

So for my first day... I think this job will be crazy easy! Hopefully I don't get too bored with it too quickly. Hopefully the real training will begin tomorrow... and I love working 8-4!

[clairelouise]

Yeyyy!! So glad it went well.... sounds pretty damn perfect really! :D

[Tesall]

Well... First of all I haven't slept well all weekend because of the wind and last nights sleep was horrible because I was nervous as well! So I was exhausted before I even got there! THEN, walking to work SUCKED this morning (stupid rain!) but I'll just have to get used to it! It's not worth it to get a car to walk half a mile (.8km) to work. However, it was pretty much a complete 180 from working in the US! and it's GREAT!! I'm training for a month and then filling in for a lady while she's on maternity leave. She called in sick today so I just hoped around with some others that are in the dept.

I looked at TradeMe with my boss.... yeah... NEVER would happen in the US (at least not with my last boss). My new boss also told me that I can look at whatever I want online (besides porn...damn! ;) ) as long as I get all my work done, she doesn't really care.

So for my first day... I think this job will be crazy easy! Hopefully I don't get too bored with it too quickly. Hopefully the real training will begin tomorrow... and I love working 8-4!

Great stuff.... isn it a huge relief to discover on your first day that your manager isnt a micro managing butt hole! :bluebanana

A good job can make the process of settling so much easier.

[victoria24]

:nice1 good to hear some posinews for the ponies!

[Arwen]

Great news Mrs Pony!! :nice1 So glad your first day was a success. ;) I wish you many more happy days 'on the job' so to speak!! :laugh

[Jacqi B]

oh fab news. Really pleased for you. I think I'd like working 8 to 4 if work was so close to home as well. Hope it continues to be good :-)

[victoria24]

next thing you know, brandon will have his dream job at park road :nice1
sending you a bit of Vluck;)

[Scotty69]

Glad to hear your first day went well, pity about the porn eh :D but it all sounds good.
I have my first day next week and sh****** it being in a room full of 5 year olds :laugh
Hope your OH get a job soon fingers and toes all crossed.

Natasha

[Ash3000]

all the best!!! :nice1

[CJ22]

I think this job will be crazy easy!

Welcome to New Zealand. It can be a bit disconcerting at first! Glad it's working out :cheers

[TheNaylors]

Really pleased that you like your new job Mrs Pony (and what a boss too!) :nice1

[Shones]

Fantastic to hear you've got a job in the Uni, should be easy to find another one once you're temporary contract is up. Experience counts for so much...
Just hope you don't grow webbed feet with all the rain ;)
Glad to hear it's coming together for you.

[tea drinker]

Good to hear Renee :nice1

[Mrs Pony]

Yea walking in the rain SUCKED but I have 1 jacket with a big hood so I'm guarding that with my life! Today was great though! I'll have to get a bag to put my lunch in and shoes! Start wearing sneakers to work and just carry the work shoes!

My trainer was here (poor thing looks like she's about to burst!) so she showed me a bunch of things... man she's fast! There were a TON of things to get done... just to upload one thing! ugh! That's going to get old fast... but once I start doing it myself I'll get the hang and I'll be getting it done fast too... then I can surf!! ... Like I didn't in the US!

Tomorrow she's letting me do things myself... eek! The training notes she made up are fantastic though and take you through each step! Plus I'll learn faster by doing it... even though it makes me nervous!

They also gave me a map of some walk way shortcuts... so I might get to and from work even faster! Because 5 minutes walk isn't fast enough! :D


OH is still looking for work... no luck still... but he's been asking for advise from the people that have turned him down and he's at least getting some! He's redone his resume a few times over...adding movie and song work that he's done before... and a few of his friend in the US have asked him to do some producing work on their albums (yea now that he's OUT of the US!) On a good note... one of those guys is going to see a friend of his that happens to KNOW Peter Jackson! COME ON NETWORKING! :) Plus we know where his house is in Khandallah so we could just mail him OH's CV... but that might be a bit stalker-ish! :laugh

[victoria24]

smack it in the letter box!

[JandM]

Yes.:nice1 If you don't ask, you don't get.

[PaoLe]

Dear Mrs Pony,

First of all, congratulations for your job!!! I am so happy to see that the things are going better for you. And best of luck for your OH. I am sure he will find a job very quickly. :raebanana

It took a long time without coming to this forum because we have not managed to sell our house and we had to stop our plans...

But today I remembered you all... and found this post with your good news... :clap

:cheers

[3fromSA]

oh Yay Im so happy for you!! and if it was my OH hed probably be setting up a little campsite on PJ doorstep haha!!

[Mrs Pony]

Welp... I was on the pc all day while my trainer chilled and just told me what to do... my head hurts! Thank God I have a month to get all the F11, ALT F11, SHIFT F7, buttons at the right time and in the right program!! But she did say to others that I was really good... so I hope she wasn't just saying that!

And I took the 'short cut' back home today after work.... BAD idea! VERY BAD idea! It thought i was going to DIE! SOOO many stairs! I had to stop 3 times to breath and let my legs rest a bit... man that was horrible... and i'm so out of shape (like I ever was) ... it's sad really

Trying to get used to this whole Tea time thing... i don't really drink tea or coffee (well this week yes because i can't sleep)... They tell me to take a break and I don't know what to do with myself... :uhoh

However, they announced today that 2 people will be loosing their job because they are going to restructure... didn't make me feel too comfortable because I know I'll be ok

[dilanium]

Take that shortcut more often! It's good for you! :)

[ellenmelon]

Glad to hear your job is going well! How handy that it's close to home.

Unfortunate about your other halfs job situation, but really I know SO many people in the industry that are in the same boat, kiwi or not. There's a lull in the movie market and it's just the way it is at the moment for a bit, but something will come up..he's an audio engineer right? Had he tried some of the audio companies? Might be able to pick up some casual work at least to tide you over.

[Flutterby]

LOL about the shortcut, it will get shorter the more often you do it!

Congratulations on the new job, glad they are at least a little laid back.

[Mrs Pony]

OH has looked at some music studios here and still nothing... I'm sure we'll get there though... hopefully!

Took the shortcut again... only stopped twice this time... it wasn't as windy either so it wasn't as bad! :)

[ellenmelon]

I wasn't talking about music studios..more the actual audio companies (even the likes of Metro for example) that do gigs/corporate functions etc etc but that still need audio engineers. I'm assuming he knows the nuts and bolts of it too?

[Mrs Pony]

He had an interview with Vidcom but they told him he was over qualified for the position... i think it was an inventory job... I looked that place up and I'll see if he knows about that one...

[M-Squared]

Yay so glad you're loving your job! :nice1 :clap Most people I see on the street in Welly have a backpack for their stuff - frees up the hands. Good about your coat, umbrellas are pretty useless in winter here. :laugh

The working environment really is a complete 180 from the US isn't it?! :D

[Mrs Pony]

Where is a good place to buy a little backpack or even a tote bag or something? Nothing fancy I'll just need it for shoes, maybe a jacket (in case it rains), a book and lunch. I just looked in Farmers today and there was nothing...

First week was great! SOO much to learn! I think I'm addicted to tea and milk now...

OH still looking... had an anxiety attack the other night for the first time... poor guy is stressed and needs work :( Hopefully soon...

[M-Squared]

Where is a good place to buy a little backpack or even a tote bag or something? Nothing fancy I'll just need it for shoes, maybe a jacket (in case it rains), a book and lunch. I just looked in Farmers today and there was nothing...

I found mine at the shop in the railway station (other end of the inside hall from New World). It's black leather and put me back $60. :nice1

First week was great! SOO much to learn! I think I'm addicted to tea and milk now...

You Brit! :laugh

OH still looking... had an anxiety attack the other night for the first time... poor guy is stressed and needs work :( Hopefully soon...

:( I hope he can find something soon, and relax...

[Mrs Pony]

yea... and I've decided that I was meant to work in NZ! I was telling the girls I work with how different it was with my last just and they were amazed. I was the black sheep in the US because I didn't stress and have always been pretty chill... and it seems like EVERYONE here is like that... so I feel like I fit in better here! The cold is still killing me but at least I seem to fit in at work!

[M-Squared]

The difference is wonderful isn't it? I got a telling-off from my boss as I've been putting more than my scheduled 37.5 hours in my timesheet. I told him I'd just fudge the numbers then, but he insisted I not work one second over 37.5 hours! He said it's extremely important for the company to have staff who have a proper work-life balance.

When I worked at a Fortune 100 company in the US, our standard week was 40 hours, but most people put in at least 50. My team lead regularly put in 70-75. Zero overtime paid, of course, as we were salaried. I'm salaried here, and if I am called on to work overtime in a support on-call role, then I'll be handsomely rewarded. In the US, we were "expected" to work a minimum of 10% extra. For no extra pay. So I just put in 44 hours on my timesheet each week and decided I was NOT going to kill myself over a job! I did, however, point out to my boss at the time that Illinois law forbids companies from requiring overtime to be worked. He said that he would just ask and ask again until it was done. Utterly reprehensible!!! When I got laid off, he was on the list, too, but chose to remain in the company, and found a role where he doesn't manage a team anymore. He said he absolutely hated having to tell people they're expected to work extra, for no time-off in lieu, and no extra compensation.

[Mrs Pony]

yea like with my last boss in the US.... gave me a measly 3% raise (out of a whopping 5%) and then ask me if I want more work... :roll

It's all about work work work in the US and then you die! No life just work.

I like working... it keeps me busy but I LOVE coming home to OH and hanging out with friends!

[M-Squared]

My mantra became: Work to Live, don't Live to Work. :nice1 :)

When I worked for Manpower when I first got to the US, everyone was overjoyed when we got a 2% raise. First thing I did was ask the finance guys in the cubes next to us what the rate of inflation was. It was 4%. They wouldn't even pay us in line with that. Measly sods...

[sks]

...When I worked at a Fortune 100 company in the US, our standard week was 40 hours, but most people put in at least 50. My team lead regularly put in 70-75...

Slackers! I've worked 70+ hours this past week alone -- plus I'll be putting in another 12 or so over this holiday weekend (Memorial Day weekend in the US). All for no extra pay, as you said.

Yet people ask me all the time why I'd think of leaving -- "you've got such a great job!"