Working Mummies Support Group #2

[wysiwyg]

Good luck MN

[OceanPrincess]

Why don't people pay their bills?

Seriously. I haven't been paid properly in months. I'm sick of juggling money between cards and accounts. It's driving me bananas.

Amen sister. If people paid their bills maybe I wouldn't be back at this job, which gets more depressing every day

Good luck today MN! Today? I think.

Nyigi, it sounds like your baby and your body are both telling you to wait. If you do work on your thesis now, if you try and finish it off, is it actually going to be your best work? I mean that in the nicest way possible... but if you're stressed and distracted... I think maybe wait and refocus, reassess, once baby is here.

Wysiwyg, I missed your update, yay! Good one! Here's hoping you actually see some improvement and get that experience you want.

TT, have you had any luck with your HR people? Sounds a bit rubbish hun

AFM, spoke with my mgr about getting out of this area and into something else. Basically if I need a qualification I need to sort it out myself as work won't support re-education unless it is for a "business critical" function. I work for a bank so it needs to be a finance-related course... which mine would not be. I want to get into HR.

So, that's disappointing, as there is no way we can afford even just a certificate IV, which would be 3k. Not right now anyway, and I wanted to do SOMETHING productive to try and boost my motivation.

Sigh.

[Mother Goose]

Look into government funding OP. Depending on your current level of qualification, you may qualify for some financial support. Best to talk to the RTO you want to study throigh

[wysiwyg]

Hope it went well MN

New role is good in many ways - there are some challenges from previous one but I can live with it - I am busy and feel useful so that is the main thing.

OP - when I signed up for my CERTIV I only paid $660 - if I had completed it all on-line it would have only cost me that. I ended up needing to go to workshops because I couldn't devote enough time, so I did spend more than that in the end but was less than $3000. I did look at government funding, but there was no way I would qualify (which I thought was fair enough really). Have you done any of the qualifications through ABA - one of them is a CERTIV in T&E I am fairly sure?

[Teeki]

Hey all!

Sorry I haven't been in much, been trying to figure out that work life balance thing and failing miserably. I'm yet to see a good thing about me working, aside from the money and beginning to wonder how worth it that really is.

TT how are you doing? What a horrible situation, hoping the acting manager has gotten it sorted for you.

MN how was your interview?

[wysiwyg]

Hugs TT

I think Work life balance concept doesn't really work - because it puts the idea in your head that the time should be balanced between the two and that is pretty difficult to achieve (unless you include sleep on the life side) - I like to think of it now as minimizing work vs life conflict. I think I am at peace with the idea of working now, but it has taken a while and I have the added benefit of having had periods of not being able to find work and be very short of money which I can look back on whenever I think the 'is this all worth it' thoughts.

[Astrid]

Hi ladies, sorry been slack with this thread.

I am ok with working. I know I am better for the challenge outside of home, I know I am better having less money stress (still there, but not as bad). I know that I am fortunate that I work school hours, which takes away some of that juggle. The balance still gets out of whack though, I think wysiwyg is right about it being more conflict than balance. I think the life part has a lot of components that need to be juggled (me time, kids time, DH time, house work, school stuff, etc) and then you add work in on top of it. It seems like work is what is tipping the balance, but it is really only one part of it all.

[OceanPrincess]

Wysiwyg great minds, I just enrolled in TAE with ABA. $190 - win. The course I was looking at was a full Diploma I think. So I decided to start with the TAE which is a cert IV and will be able to credit across if I decide to do the full HR diploma. The TAE should get me going - I love training with the ABA so I'm already excited about that.

In other news, I applied for a new job today. Lol. I saw a position advertised internally last week for a "Learning Consultant", which sounded pretty good and even though I don't have any actual HR qualifications I looked at what they were asking for and went "know what, I could do that." Heaps of the skills they are asking for I easily have from my BA stuff and it'll get me into L&D, which is awesome.

So, we'll see.

Teeki, I'm sorry to hear you're struggling. I feel your pain wysiwyg has a very accurate take on things... But I get you. Our family works better when I am at home. So, my plan is to change things or make it work. In the change camp is new job. In the make it work area is things like start meal planning, organise a washing/cleaning roster (so DH can do stuff - he is willing to help but he often just doesn't see things that need to be done)... I just need to be organised.

[nyigi]

Yep I agree OP. I made a plan to finish up with my thesis on the 22nd. I don't want to just drop everything now but I need to be realistic and also make a firm stopping date. Though now I'm not so sure... I just got back from my follow up scan and everything is looking normal now and it looks like a false scare the other week. So now I'm wondering if I should keep working a little longer... I think I should stick with my plan. But I also have no idea what I'll do with myself for 3 weeks if I finish up and the baby takes his time arriving.

OP: Great news on the course and job application. Best of luck with it! Sounds like a great opportunity.

Teeki sorry to hear you're struggling. It's really hard to make it all work. Completely agree with the others that it's not so much about finding balance as about minimizing conflict and finding something that works ok for you at the time (much as I would like to I never seem to be able to find a stable solution). Good luck!

[MummyNaomi]

Teeki - hope the balance all falls into place. My bestie is in the same boat, she cant seem to get the worklife balance happening with the kids and she is totally miserable and not quite sure what direction to take. She's just muddling through at the moment and is not in a good place. Its so hard keeping on top of everything when the only perk of working is the money

OP - Good Luck with the Learning Consultant role - sounds interesting

nyigi - not long now!

wysiwyg - Yeah, I guess work/life balance has a different meaning to all. For me its about not compromising on the non-negotiable family stuff - eg being home at dinner and bedtime for the kids, being able to be involved in some school stuff, and being able to have the luxury of our weekends free for us to fill without work pressures. Having those priorities certainly mean there are some job opportunities that I am missing (as long commutes, rotating rosters etc just wont work for me).

My job interview was fine, but even if I get it I doubt I'll take it. I didn't get a good feel for it and tbh it wasn't my cup of tea at all. Seeing as I still have almost 3 months of employment, I have no intention of taking a job I dont feel good about. If I get desperate in 6 months time I would look at things differently. However I just found a great opportunity on seek that is 5 mins from home and 2 mins from DSs school. Could be perfect. Would be a significant paycut but would fit all my work/life balance / family requirements which outweigh the money significantly. Going to knock up a bang on rock your socks off application and get myself an interview!!

Work is just weird now. I have inherited some team members from another Leader who has left (one of my best mates) so just adjusting there. We are down to a third of our workforce as the redundancies roll out. Some days I have very little work to do and the days just drag. However, it gives me plenty of time to apply for jobs etc. I've been very up and down. When people close to me leave I fall in a bit of a hole, it's so depressing and deflating.

Surely things need to take a positive turn soon?

[nyigi]

Sounds like a great opportunity MN. Best of luck with that application!

[~TT40~]

Hi girls, thankyou. I did have a win last week, that workforce manager dude I emailed emailed me back saying yea he does deal with hr issues in my area, so I told him my situation and he said the lwop shouldn't make a difference because I was still employed and doing paid working hours despite them, so I still have 40 completed weeks of service. I passed this onto the acting manager, and she said good, now all I need is a letter from my dr confirming my due date and to meet with the big big boss to approve and discuss dates. I have the dr appointment this morning. And hope to meet with the boss this week. So I should get mat leave from 38 weeks, now it's just a matter of if I can take 2 weeks annual leave before that so I only have to work until 36 weeks, FX!!

I'll keep you updated and I'll come in for more personals later, but right no I have to coax a toddler to get dressed so we can go!

[wysiwyg]

Wysiwyg great minds, I just enrolled in TAE with ABA. $190 - win. The course I was looking at was a full Diploma I think. So I decided to start with the TAE which is a cert IV and will be able to credit across if I decide to do the full HR diploma. The TAE should get me going - I love training with the ABA so I'm already excited about that.

If you ever need a volunteer to be one of your learners as part of the TAE - I am happy to oblige.

[wysiwyg]

How is everyone?

New role not really working out :-( seems to be the same as last one, keep me away from everywhere I can be useful and no one really wants to involve me in anything. Not sure quite what to do - wait a few more weeks and see if gets better - I always think you have to give somewhere 6 weeks and I am only three weeks in.

[Teeki]

Oh that's not good wysiwyg Why aren't they getting you involved? What's the point of hiring you if they don't let you get in there and do good work?

I'm not doing great. It's only 9 weeks in (I think) and I'm already at the point of feeling like I'll need stress leave soon. I realised today that the support I need just isn't there, I can't do my job effectively without that support. I'm working from home almost every night and I can't help feeling like this is not at all worth missing out on my family for.

[MummyNaomi]

Boo to crappy and non supportive work environments

Teeki that really sucks to be spending family time on work commitments, is your work load realistic?

I am becoming quite successful in being unsuccessful in my job applications - boo! Finding something local and work/life balance friendly which hours suited to a young family is proving extremely difficult

Shall keep plugging away!

[wysiwyg]

Oh that's not good wysiwyg Why aren't they getting you involved? What's the point of hiring you if they don't let you get in there and do good work?

I'm not doing great. It's only 9 weeks in (I think) and I'm already at the point of feeling like I'll need stress leave soon. I realised today that the support I need just isn't there, I can't do my job effectively without that support. I'm working from home almost every night and I can't help feeling like this is not at all worth missing out on my family for.

I can't really get a feel for what is going on, it is super frustrating (I do have some ideas but I don't really want to put on public forum just in case - but you can PM or FB me if you really want to know) - I still have not mastered the just put up and shut up and be happy you are being paid mentality - I need more than that, I need to feel useful or it drives me insane. I have never managed to acquire the contractor mindset - and on projects I am on there is a lot of people with the preserve your own role ahead of the good of the project mentality (which is really silly as there is enough work for everyone if we all worked together we could all keep our roles and do a good job). Although the new PM is very straight talking everyone else seems the opposite.

I am not working in the evenings but because of the issues I feel like I am thinking about work all the time (I am having problems sleeping in between 4-5am which is the main way stress manifests itself in me)

That is no good Teeki - all can offer is hugs - and to say something am sure I have said on this thread before - but I do think that finding the right job that fits for you after children is I think one of the most stressful things, and is something I never envisioned could be so difficult.

That is no good MN - are you utilizing LinkedIn much? Groups on Linked In seem to be reasonably useful in my field (not so much the job ones but the topic ones, just liking stuff encourages more profile views)

[peanutter]

Sorry to hear that, wysiwyg ... that's doesn't sound fun.

I understand not taking pleasure from the paycheque in and of itself. I need to be productive, and progressing.