mystery_boy_x's Journal: Some info about me

Okay, so no-one's interested, but here goes ...

I am an Australian. I am a student at Monash University, doing my Dip.Ed., which means I will be a qualified high school teacher at the end of the year. Me, and kids. Its a scary thought.

It wasn't always like this. I am a former programmer, driven out of the industry by the IT recession and an unfortunately timed retrenchment. I had only gained one year of experience at the time - not enough for most jobs, but perversely, too much for some graduate positions.

I was unemployed for about 8 months, followed by a period of 10 months working part time, 18 months of limbo in all, before I started the course I am doing now. The part time stuff was originally to tide me over until I got my next full time IT position.

The first P/T job I got in this period was that of a door-to-door canvasser. My purpose was to get peoples phone numbers by getting them to do surveys first. After this salespeople would attempt to sell them security systems. Slightly dodgy but it paid OK so I didn't mind. I got a friend, my brother and my sister jobs there. All of us lost at least two weeks pay when the company went under, after 4 months. Great. It was my brother's first job - he was 17 - and he never got paid a cent.

That job did, however, serve as a springboard for my next one - a sales job with an ADT company - home security systems again. Although it was commission only, the early signs were positive.

It was hard as hell. I wasn't selling and wasn't making money. They closed the office I was working in, forcing me to travel to one much further away. I quit one week later.

Shortly after this I started working in a take away. This probably sounds like the bottom of the barrel, but it wasn't for me. The money was cash in hand, which I sorely needed, and I got paid whether or not we had customers. The work was easy too. I quit recently because it conflicts with my upcoming teaching rounds, but I quit on good terms with my employer; a plus in my opinion.

My chief hobby is wasting time on the Internet. My fave social outing is a coffee shop with friends. I'm a rugby league fan, a supporter of the Newcastle Knights, and a Christian as well.

So there you are.