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Neglect, excitement and dolla dolla bills

So this blog hasn’t moved for a long while now but I thought I’d pop in for an update!

One - I’m home from Australia, have been for over a month and it feels great. Missing a few faces in Melbourne but I’m so fortunate to have had that experience. It was amazing. I’m so grateful for all that I learnt (which is a ton).

Two - The “job opportunity” in Auckland which was a large part of why I didn’t stay on in Melbourne a bit longer, ended up being pretty crap. Did some useful stuff, but ultimately it went nowhere, which is a bummer, but I’m past it and looking forward to the future already!

Three - Graduation next month!!! I didn’t count on it happening even a tiny bit until I was sure I had passed my final paper. But I got the mark this morning and it was better than expected and I’m so excited now.

Four - I’m going into DDB tomorrow! It’s just a chat, so I don’t expect anything to come of it, but I’m still excited. If anyone has any tips for leaving a lasting impression, that’d be great!

Five - Will work for food/experiences ultimately leading to food.

Questions.

Nearly three years ago now, I had finally sorted what uni course I was going into and thought that I would be able to write the old “What do I want to be when I grow up?” question off as “answered”.

Not only is this question yet to be (completely) answered, but I have about a billion more questions that need to be answered too.

Do I accept a job offer?
Which one?
Why that one?
Where would it take me?
Or do I want to continue studying?
What do I want to study?
What country do I want to study it in?
What institution in that country?
Could I do two courses at once?
What will I do until the course starts?
What will I do after the further study has ended?
Where will I do it?

I feel like a kid in a candy shop. I’m absolutely spoilt for choice and every single option looks delicious, but I’m scared that either…
a) it’s going to have a licorice centre (I hate licorice), or…
b) I’m gonna suck at it and time would have been wasted. (Screw the analogy, I’m talking about my life here, people. Gosh.)

Actually, time wasted’s no biggie as long as I enjoy it and learn something from it, but still. I’d like to move onto a career asap, without wasting time on something I know isn’t reeeally me.

I’m going to grow up well before I know what I want to be, aren’t I? That is if I’m not already grown up. 

What’s better than receiving good feedback?

Receiving REALLY good feedback.

The early days.

A lot of mark-ups, a car brand tagline project and a few meetings (even get to go out for meeting on Friday! Ha!). Some filing too, which was disheartening (and papercutty), but it’s okay. Someone has to do it!

Been exploring Chapel St a tiny bit too! Pretty exciting. So many sales. Must explore further on the weekend. AND we’re apparently getting a fancy lunch delivered to the office tomorrow, so that’s exciting. But not overly. I’m staying with a top chef for the time being, so I’m eating pretty well.

I’m actually a bit overwhelmed by how much I’ve learnt already! Which is also exciting. Really exciting. Got my eye on a couple of roles I really want to work towards. :)

How I got my internship

Kelly Addis is the CEO of Boilerroom Communications in Melbourne, Australia (see last post regarding internship), and like me, is a former student of Onehunga High School and I met him at the Onehunga High Business School Hall of Fame dinner.

The event is organised by the year 13 students of every second year (with the help and leadership of the incredible Linda Everett), and the purpose is to honour a few former OHS students who went on to become great successes. I was in the class that organised the 2008 one, but Kelly was one of the inductees at last year’s event, so was Charles Widmore Alan Dale, but that’s irrelevant. (I like LOST, and what?)

Anyway, this is how I did it…

• I got my photo with Alan Dale
• I introduced myself to Kelly, shook his hand
• Expressed how much I’d love to do work experience with him
• Received his business card
• Finally built up the courage to flick him an e-mail SIX MONTHS LATER and politely ask for work experience.

That’s basically all there was to it. It was all go two phone calls later.

If there’s one thing I wish I knew before all this, it’s that I should have sent him a brief e-mail the day after the dinner, just saying it was great to meet him and I’m excited to continue our discussion of work experience in the near future or whatever. It would’ve kept me from worrying that I’d missed my chance, because I just felt like an e-mail then might have made a lasting impression or something.

I know I am extremely lucky that it was so easy, and I wish I had advice to offer on how to get an internship without having awesome contacts, but I’m afraid I don’t. I guess all I can say is, who you know can really help. I’d be interested to hear how everyone else went about getting their internships!

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