How I discovered what I wanted to do with my life

Okay so,

Some people grow up knowing exactly what they want to do, or at least what field etc. etc.

As I was growing up all I wanted to be was an Olympic gymnast, which again will be another blog post because it shaped who I am today.

Through school I struggled and struggled, I wasn't interested in anything, I couldn't focus on any subject, pay attention in any classes, all I would do is try and stay awake whilst all I wanted to do was fall into a big depressive sleep.

I remember once, in year 10? doing business management as a semester subject and being forced to do an assignment to do with whatever career path we were aiming for. You know what I chose?

CAKE DECORATING.

It was the only remotely interesting career path I could think of that I wouldn't hate doing. Either that or brick laying, which I slowly turned away from once I realised how painful brick laying would be on my hands and having to be outside ALL the time :)

But really, I didn't want to do either of those things, but an assignment is an assignment and saying "I honestly don't know" just gets you in trouble.

In year 10? 11? IDK whatever year you get forced to see a careers advisor it was, I was SO excited thinking someone would help me figure out what path I should follow... in reality all they did was ask questions about 'hobbies' and 'favourite subjects'???? God if I was a career advisor, I would be getting into SO much more depth than that. They put all your answers into some program yadda yada and voila! I was told that my career path was to be a cartographer.

For those of you who don't know what that is-because really who TF knows what that is????

ITS A PERSON WHO DRAWS UP GEOGRAPHICAL MAPS.

I'm sorry but WHAT. I literally was like right... because I'm doing geography as a subject and I like learning about it even though I ABSOLUTELY SUCK AS GEORGRAPHY AND ANYONE WHO KNOWS ME WOULD AGREE I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I AM, HAVE NO SENSE OF DIRECTION, CAN'T REMENBER COUNTRIES AND HAVE NO IDEA WHERE ANYTHING IS IN RELTION TO ONE ANOTHER that my career path is within geography.... (I can read maps really well, but I can't bloody well make them) and I hate digital design. absolutely hate it. couldn't think of anything worse for me. but ya know THANKS guess I know what to do for my life now....

Then in year 12 I had some lovely teachers tell me that "you are going to go nowhere in your life" and "I'm refusing to write you a letter of recommendation" :) Thanks pals, I mean maybe you could have just asked if I was okay rather than saying awful things to a student who was CLEARLY STRUGGLING. Not that it mattered, my brother filled out my 'preferences' for uni for me with a bunch of random courses encase I wasn't kidding when I said, I don't want to do anything, any choice I make now is going to be wrong.

So I left school and was terrified to get a job because everything scared me, eventually I grew a pair and got a job in hospitality. This hospitality job was at an RSL. (Returned Services League) Basically just means as well as a bar, function room, restaurant, gaming room, we also have a community support office, this is where all the benefits from being a solider can be redeemed. RSLs are not for profit any money made goes towards programs for the Returned soldiers, war widows etc.

ANYWHO This also means that majority of the clientele in the restaurant are old biddies. A lot of people I soon realised get really frustrated with elderly people, complain about them, almost try make their life more difficult bc you know they can be rude because they're not up with the times and they're racist and sexist because it’s how they were raised. ASIDE from that, I soon realised that I ADORED THEM. I LOVED serving them, making their day, making them smile, making them like me for being nice and respecting me. I realised straight away how to treat all clientele and how to make the difficult ones love you instead of fighting back with them. M Y heart always went out to the elderly who would come and sit alone, god did it break my heart. I befriended them, you don't realise how much difference that make to them to come back again and again. YOU become the people they socialise with if they don't have friends or family.

Imagine having no-one because for whatever reason, family died, don't get along, friends drifted, friends passed away... you have no-one to catch up with, but you also don't have the energy to cook today so you head off to a restaurant to at some food and be around people. GOD the way you can change someone’s life by just being friendly and taking an interest in their life...

I've gone off on a tangent but ya feel? I was like maybe my calling is within this field? I enjoy hospitality and working at the RSL with all the oldies and making their bad situations turn better and building relationships with them.

However, I had many phases at my work where I hated it, for whatever reason. I'd never considered working in the community support office until I was placed on reception. I BUILD ALL MY RELATIONSHIPS UP EVEN FURTHER. I would get people calling and saying, 'Oh I'm so happy you answered the phone it’s so lovely to hear a happy receptionist voice' BLESS THEM. but that was my goal. to be a good person to make other people days better??????? IDK to me its common sense and it flows naturally from my bones, but for a lot of People it doesn't, even if they think it does, it doesn't (sorry not sorry but you aren't that kind and caring)

WELL I decided I wanted out. I also decided that my heart was YEARNING to help more people. SOOOO in between my 38-45-hour weeks at work I got into volunteering. One day I just looked up a bunch of things and of course the first thing that caught my eye and my heart was Wesley mission. If you haven't heard of Wesley mission- they've changed their name as of 2 years ago??? To uniting care. ANYWAYS they are a huge organisation who do incredible things for people, they run heaps and heaps of programs...

Bet you didn't know what one of those programs is called 'Wesley Do Care' This particular program is one that is offered to elderly people who live alone. When you reach a certain age council/government programs go out and visit you at home and discuss ALL sorts of groups, clubs and things, all sorts of services that can be provided to them, 'Do Care' is one of those programs.

quick run-down: Fill out a HUGE application asking why you want to be involved, intensive reference checks etc etc. I called up and the manager who answered the phone was so surprised to hear me on the other end, he said 'no one your age is ever involved in this program' and I said 'Well I'd love to be' and we had a nice long chat, he was so excited to have a young person like me on board???? TBH I was very confused but whatever because I was so drawn to it.

The program involves a volunteer (me) being matched with a client (socially isolated elderly person) the idea is you become their social contact, whether it be one a week, once a fortnight, they try not to make it any more spaced pout then that or it defeats the purpose.

So off I went, and I visited someone temporarily for a bit of fun, so this old man wasn't left alone whilst they waited for his correct match to be sorted. I would go to his house once a week and we would talk and have coffee and biscuits. He would show me all his drinkers around the house- I was basically a substitute granddaughter. Don't get me wrong I loved volunteering for him, but it was only temp.

By the time I was matched again I had a lovely elderly lady who also wanted weekly company for coffee and chats, however she also wanted someone to go for walks with her because she was too scared to go alone in case she fell over. So very Sunday I would go to her place, tell her about my week, we'd go off on a small walk so that she could get outside, then we could go and have coffee and breakfast together. She adored me, I adored making her so happy.

ANYWAY, time goes on, for personal reasons this match finished, and I stayed on the books but by then I was already volunteering elsewhere too. Bythis time in my life I had realised I think I wanted to work in the community services sector but didn't know how to get involved. I ended up applying for a volunteer role with Big Brother Big sisters.

SO once a week I travelled to the head office in the city and did large amounts of administration for free for this organisation, so that they could run. Not-For-Profits even with funding struggle so hard to keep a float and help everyone that they want to. Now this program is the same as Wesley but the opposite. This program is where an adult mentors a child who is either being raised by one parent, adoption, has a disability that’s making their life difficult socially and physically and they get matched with someone to help them stay positive and be a positive influence in their life.

As I said I was just doing admin there however 6 months volunteering in, the head of the program 'Big Futures' which is the school version, aka. you go to a school as a mentor and meet with certain school kids during a lunch period and mentor them. They've had to be referred from the school staff. Believe me when I say. THIS PROGRAM IS AMAZING.

ANYWHO she asked me if I could start mentoring these two twin boys who were extremely anti-social and struggling MAJORLY. naturally I SAID YES. wow I changed their lives that year. anywhos I'm not gonna talk about the program I can do a separate post talking about all my volunteer gigs I'm just yacking to let you know how I figured out my path.

Somewhere in this time I also managed to score myself a volunteer role at the Monash children's hospital. 6 months into volunteering at the children's hospital I finally figured it out. Somewhere along the way I was sick of working full time hours and doing 3 volunteer roles on top of it at the same time...I wanted to do my volunteer work FOR WORK. I quickly realised I'd have to have a qualification in order to get a paid position in the field. somehow along my online searching, it fell right into my lap.

Community Services Diploma. there was absolutely no chance of me going to UNI, so a diploma was perfect. And I could do it online. 2 weeks after enrolling myself into this course, my work offered me a secure full-time position...so naturally I was like WHY. And I had to have a meeting and explain the course I was enrolling into, and the placement requirement etc. etc. He was so supportive that I had finally figured out what I wanted to do. (remember at this point I had been working at the RSL for 5 years with no plan of leaving)

So, over the next 2 years whilst working full time I completed my online study (I struggled really really bad at the start) I'm not a studier, I have so much self-doubt I assumed all my answers were incorrect etc etc. after a couple of assignments I got the hang of how to be a student and really took to my learning! I ended up doing really really well never got an assignment sent back, I rarely had two ask for help with the work it came naturally to me. That’s how I knew I was 100% doing the right thing and I couldn't wait until I finished so I could leave my job and move into the community services sector.

So, I was at the RSL for 7 years, earned my long service leave, made SO many relationships with the members of the club, figured out what I was going to do with my life, and I got there. I started job searching immediately.

Buuutttttt ya'll know how job searching works it takes SO LONG and so many applications and essays of Key selection criteria etc etc. I literally applied for hundreds of positions and finally started hearing back from some.

So that’s where we are today. 1 month after my 7 years I was offered a full-time position that was 9-5 and 5 minutes from my house, IN THE COMMUNITY SERVICES SECTOR. Dreams can come true people.

Now the way I look at it is, this isn't my dream job at all, I don't HAVE a dream job. my DREAM is just to continue to make people’s lives for the better, I have my whole life to change jobs but as I've gotten to know my staff, the job, the people, WOW I love it. SO MUCH. NGL is a bloody hard job but I'm so proud of myself for following my heart. It's the only way you're going to be happy AND successful in your life.

Moral of this story:

School sucked for me, so I'd imagine it does for a lot of other people

You don't have to have any idea on your career path, you'll know when you know. However, that doesn't mean sit at home. That means get a job and work really hard at it whilst you figure your shit out...

If you can't go a day without thinking about something, its clearly your calling, for me that was I couldn't go a day without thinking how I could help someone that day, clearly that was a sign that I should be putting my good-natured heart to use.

AAAAND I'll post the next post with a career description because babes this post is way too long for me to add that to it!