Climbing:
I have gone out climbing the past 4 out 5 weekends. I talked about the first two, but here's some news on the last two: ....they've been amazing. I'm climbing with the guy who wrote the book on one of the major mountains here; his name is Josef (Joe) Goding. Among other compatriots I am climbing with an Australian surfer, an ex-lawyer, an ex-pat from South Africa, and Gen (from the last blog post, no pic this time, check FaceBook). Pictures are below (in order)...
This is Joe leading the route he had just bolted. This is known as a "first ascent" (FA). I got to do that route as part of the FA...even though mine wasn't technically an FA...but my name'll be in the next guidebook! Ha.
This is Matt. He's a surfer and a "tradie" here. Great personality and goofy jokes.
This is Metani. She was a lawyer and so therefore we have fun with verbal sparring, all in jest. She climbs extremely well and is giving my vocabulary a run for its money.
This is Mark. He grew up in South Africa and his brother works to prevent Rhino poaching. His stories and his accent are equally interesting.
This is me. I don't smile...because I'm tough. Super tough...
Interviews:
Dammit I've had a lot of these things. Instead of painfully telling you about each, I'll list them out and I'll list all the current job prospects. You'll get a sense by the end of it why I wrote the sentimental section below.
Interviews
1. Project Manager, Web development company
2. Project Coordinator, FMCG company
3. Project Coordinator, Software company regarding energy sector
4. Tech Editor, Fashion magazine online (heh, fuck it, why not right?)
5. Project Engineer/Manager, Traffic camera company (foothold in the states as well)
6. Client Relationship Manager, Consulting company
7. Business Intelligence Analyst, Energy consulting company
Current Prospects
1. Brian (family friend) has talked about his company hiring for a position here. He's putting my name in the hat.
2. Joe (climbing buddy) is a project manager here and is shopping my CV around as we speak.
3. Honeywell called this morning for a project manager position...and talked about my Visa status at the end of the call...sigh.
4. Cara (CEO of ReFab, the non-profit I'm working with) is shopping me around amongst her extensive network.
5. One of the recruiters I interviewed with recommended me to a different recruiter. He'll call tomorrow, his name is Bill...friendly chap.
6. One of the "mentors" for the ReFab non-profit recommended me to her consulting company.
Dejection:
By all accounts, reading the above it would just seem like a matter of time before something came together here. What I can tell you is this: I'm exhausted. I'm not sure how many more visa conversations I can have with companies with it ending: "you're great for the role, but your visa is a problem". If the reason I weren't being hired was something I could change, it'd be fine; this is something I cannot. It is weighing much heavier on me than I'd like to admit. The Current Prospects list also looks quite formidable, to which I'd agree. Alas, the previous prospects (propects that did not come to fruition) list would dwarf this current one. For the more astute of you, yes, this is a call to action for myself. I'm not sure yet what that action is but I'll likely know by next blog post. By then (2-4 weeks), all the current prospects should have run their course and things will be more certain.
Until then, as always: You're missed and I hope to hear from you.
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