And the result is...

I got the job!

The principal called today and said they are really impressed with me at the interview, and the range of my experiences and skills. The psychologist there in particular (according to the principal) is really eager to work with me.

BUT...

At the moment, i cant go thru registration. Not till APS assess my qualifications and gives me a statement of standing for my certs. And that takes close to 8wks to complete. The lady over the phone was very helpful but there is nothing much she can do. However, she was willing to allow me to send me some of the documentation first while waiting for some other required documents (certified pages of my thesis which is still in SG - thankfully a friend is helpful enough to try find it in my room and courier it to me) even though typically they wouldnt accept the application in piecemeal. That is because i told her i have received a job offer and would like to complete the process ASAP.

So.. how do i feel?

For one, i am really happy. I mean i felt really lucky... i know of alot of friends (hub included) who had look through countless adverts, sent out countless resumes and not get a positive response. Here i am, in a seemingly "effortless" way, got a job just by sending out my first ever resume here, followed by a quick response for an interview which went exceedingly well. The whole registration hooha is the stone around my neck that is keeping me anchored to reality and prevent this whole experience from becoming surreal and 'miraculous'.

Now i felt pretty unlucky.. it is like something has happened to send me flying through the roof and then just as suddenly, send me crashing straight to the ground. Look at it this way.. i am offered my 'dream' job BUT i may possibly not be able to take it up. I am on a knife edge and feeling dreadfully jittery. Wilkie is adamant that i should just feel happy and take it one step at a time, following through with the due process. Of cos, i understand that but my heart keeps going up and down because i am occupied with the thoughts that i could be on a fool's errand and if i get too happy with the job offer, if in the end i don't get it (either cos the sch cant wait.. or the registration dont get thru..), i am going to feel devastated. And i wont know what happens until 3-4mths down the road! That is too long a time to keep my heart yo-yoing....

And with so much feelings being bounced around inside me... i realized i havent had time to stop to think what it really means to be working (and leaving kiddo!). I want to take some time to tackle that aspect of what's happening BUT yet, i dont want to go into making mental preparations abt it AS IF i am going to start work and in the end, nothing pans out. SIGH! Tell me.. am i thinking too much?

Post-Interview

Interview went well.

And the corny thing is... despite how well the interview went and how interested they are in me (and vice versa), i am 99.9% sure that i am going to kiss the job goodbye.

Why?

1) Misinformation from AHPRA (australian health practitioner regulating authority - something like that)

During enquiry prior to going for the interview, person at AHPRA told me that i do not need to get my qualifications assessed by the APS (Australian Psych Society) and process should take 6-8wks. Went down to the AHPRA office today, only to be told that i DO need to get my qualifications assessed, without that piece of assessment paper from APS, i can't register. And assessment takes 6-8wks as well (all in all, it could FOUR months before i can get registration - that is IF they will approve my application ... all that non-refundable money!!)

IF i have known that, i would have told the school about this so that perhaps from the onset, they will just let me know that they cant wait for 4 mths (who will??) and i dont even need to go (prepare) for the interview (new clothes and all..). Major, MAJOR disappointment.

Then with the APS assessment, i will need to provide certified true copies of pages from my thesis which i wrote 10years ago. That said thesis is now currently residing (collecting dust) somewhere in my room.. in SINGAPORE. What? Transcript and certs not good enough meh? Why need to see the title/abstract/biblo pages of a 10yr old thesis?!

2) My own stupidity

Have to admit that i should have the foresight to get all these done before coming here. Actually i HAD the foresight, i just chose to ignore it. I saw all the processes and stuff (and this is the most important part, MONEY) required and decided that heck, i am not goint to throw in time, effort and money into something that will not guarantee my success in registering as a psychologist in Oz. I will just find something similar to do based on my experience working with ASD kids (and there ARE options) without having to be a 'psychologist'. It was a conscious and thought-out choice i made then. I had just given birth, trying to apply for PRs for hub and kiddo, dealing with a new baby, going back to work and finally packing up and shipping out of SG... so going through the hassle of just having that chance of being registered as psych just wasn't my priority then. Shrug. It wasn't like i needed that done for skill-assessment migration purposes since i am already a PR.

Sigh...

Perhaps life is just telling me that this is not a path to pursue further and just move on to other things.

5 years married

Happy Anniversay Hub!

Sorry that it wasn't quite the anniversary we were hoping for (we werent hoping for much to begin with! just a quick submission of papers and then off to have a nice walk and dinner).. ended spending so much time trying to sort out my stuff and then you had to watch a grumpy me for the rest of the day, trying to make myself feel better with sushi (and that spoilt my appetite for dinner!).

So so sorry...

Thank you for trying to cheer me up with dessert and making me supper (and washing up!). I know you have been really encouraging about the job and registration thingy... i wish i have your attitude! Thanks for being there for me...

So.. it is not quite a romantic anniversary but we got to spend the day together... having a nice walk outdoors with Kiddo... and just chilling... I think it doesn't get better than this...

Gambette! Year 6 here we go!!

Interview

This has come as sort of a surprise but i am going for a job interview tomorrow morning (make it later in the morning).

I was not actively looking for a job actually but 2 weeks ago, wilk sent me an advert from Seek.com which was a Autism school looking for a part-time educational psychologist. Because i wasn't really thinking of going to work, i only read the advert like a day or two later. However, when i read through the job scope and key selection criteria, the job sounded like something right up my alley. The nature of the job is very very similar to the work that i have done in SG and I felt i met every one of the key selection criteria listed. I find myself getting abit excited because it seems to meet every one of my needs IF i was looking for a job. It is a part time position (so i can still take care of Avery), the pay is more than decent (more than what i was paid), the job is something i am familiar with and i believe my previous work experience will definitely be value-adding. In short, i have a strong feeling that i will get positive response if i try for the post.

So, i redid my resume (its been a while since i written one), wrote my responses to the key selection criteria, my cover letter and sent them in through Seek. Within 2 days, i got a called back for an interview. However, there was a slight glitch then as the principal asked if i am registered as a psychologist in Oz... And i wasn't (well, i sort of knew this may come up but i decided to send in my resume anyway... try try mah). Anyway, because the position is for an educational psychologist, Oz law requires all psychologists to be registered with the national board of psychologist (AHPRA) which comes under a central governing body that regulates all health (and allied health) workers. This is to maintain accountability to the public in terms of service delivery and standards. This was something that i knew at the back of my head before i came but because i was dealing with quite a lot of issues before coming to Oz (e.g. being preggie, having a kid, organizing a move etc), i just put the whole registration onto the backburner (plus the fact is the whole application process cost alot of $$). I figured i may just find some other job that doesnt require me to be a psych (something like autism consultant or therapist...) then this job came up.

Initially, the principal asked me to check to see if i could get registered and after alot of phone calls to AHPRA about their registration process and making sense of the application, i found out that it may take 6-8wks (no guarantees that it will be approved). Understandably, i didnt think that the school is going to interview someone whom they may have to wait 8wks for (and for all they know, wont get the approval for registration). I called the principal back and told her about my situation and she said she would talk to her selection panel about it. I took it that it meant that's it... so i was pleasantly surprised that she called again the next day to invite me for an interview. She and the panel felt that i am very experienced and they are really interested to speak to me despite my lack of registration. And if everything goes well at the interview and i am their best candidate, they are willing to work around that 6-8wk wait. I must say, i am quite happy to hear that... it is nice that there are people who felt that i have experiences that they need. Quite confidence boosting actually. So there we go.. i will be going for the interview later in the morning. Even went to get new clothes and shoes cos i realized that i dont have any formal workwear and shoes (only tshirt and trainers) as i left them all back in SG (like i said, i wasnt planning to go back to work till Avery is settled in childcare)...

Of cos that doesnt mean i will actually get the job. After all, there may be people who is more suited to the job than me (local experience, registered psych already etc) but i am more than willing to give my best at the interview and see how it all pans out. I am not so worried about the interview itself, i have enough confidence about my ability for the job but my nagging worry is if the psych board will actually approve my application. For one, i am not locally trained and two, my MA was a reseach based one, and not clinical. However, i do make up enough of clinical supervision hours in my previous job to warrant at least a specialized registration. I am prepared to go state my case but really, it all bores down to the board of psych here in Oz. I guess even if the job don't work out, i am really hoping that the registration will get approved. For one, it will widen my possibility of potential work, and two, the application fees is a hefty A$490 non-refundable charge (and that's not inclusive of the A$390 registration fee and possible A$890 for my papers to be accredited if necessary)!

Sigh.. like alot of people said, it is only money.. can always earn back. I know if i can get it, it will be really helpful for when i start looking for job (if this one dont work out). So hoping for the best! Wish me luck!