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Saturday 20 November 2010

DESTINY 1

I was 17 years old and had flown through my final year of high school---I didn't have to wait for my results, I knew that I had passed every subject and passed them well.
My parents were pointing me towards a University education but I wanted to earn money--I didn't want another 4 or 5 years of a decent degree---I wanted to be out in the world and raking in the big money ---ha, smart kid.
It wasn't that I didn't know where I wanted to work but as to what I wanted to do, that was another thing.
My maternal grandfather was an engineer in the ship building industry in Scotland, my paternal great grandfather was a master mariner---owning and mastering ships that traded along the coast of Australia and my paternal grandfather was a wharf and jetty builder for all of the Ports of this state.
I was born and lived all of my life on a peninsular with magnificent beaches but great views of our deep water port on one side and an ocean fed river and inner port on the other side.
I was always on boats---I just loved shipping--it was a passion---and I was going to work in some sort of marine industry---which one, I had no idea---but one of them.

My parents insisted that if I wasn't going to University to study, that I should be working as soon as possible---and they instilled into me that if I could.t find the job that I really wanted, I should take a job to earn my way and get some experience---seemed fair to me so I applied for seven jobs--none of them in my chosen field but all not far from home.
I got seven call backs / interviews---good deal, it was easy. Six of them were an absolute coast and I was happy that I had done well but the seventh one was strange---they had aptitude tests, psychological tests and mathematical tests--well, it was in an accounting area.
I turned up for my testing thinking that it would be one on one with an interviewer but there I was in a classroom situation with eleven other people---test booklets were handed out, the clock ticked over and we had a maximum of three hours to complete all testing. About an hour in I had finished and sat there staring into oblivion--the testing officer came to me and asked what was wrong---I told him that I was finished---he looked at me and said "I doubt that---very few people can finish these tests in the three hours allowed, so you have done something drastically wrong--maybe you should take the time to look through them again"
Now that panicked me and I started all over again going through one test after another --it took as long as doing the tests but not long after the two hour point I was sitting there looking at the interviewer---he came to me and I told him I had checked everything and was happy with my work---he took my tests and escorted me from the room and told me that I had done something drastically wrong and that I really shouldn't expect to hear from them again----and I didn't think I would.

I decided which of the jobs I wanted---it was with a nation wide airline and could hold my interest for a while.
I got replies from the original six interviews, five of them offering me a job and of course, the airline said I'd finished second so they couldn't offer me a job right then.
The next day I heard from the the seventh--they wanted me to come in and talk about my testing.
I was sure that I stuffed up---well, the interviewer told me---but I thought that I might as well find out where I went wrong.
I turned up for an interview with the managing director of this major electronics company, expecting to be told that I was stupid----he started of by saying that he couldn't offer me the accounting job--even though I had aced the mathematical testing, the aptitude testing said that my abilities should be used elsewhere---I stood up, shook his hand and thanked him but he stopped me---no Clyde, we wont give you this job but what we want to offer you is a cadetship in Electrical Engineering--we will pay you to go to University and you will work with our engineers here and interstate---you will be fast tracked and from what your testing reveals, you should have a 5 year degree in 3 years.
Now that stopped me in my tracks---I had refused my parents pleas to go to University because I wanted money and here I was being offered the only cadetship in Australia and being paid a full wage to go to University.
It was a lot to think about and I asked for a few days to make a decision.

Two days later I had made up my mind.
I had methodically gone through the pros and cons of every job on offer to me and I had made my decision for the best of reasons.

Ten days later I started work with a British based insurance company.
Why ?
Well the receptionist had a great pair of tits.
Hey, I was 17 years old---and what do 17 year old boys think about.

Turned out that she was 26 and hated younger guys

A week after I started, the Airline contacted me and offered me the job---but I chose to stay---
I only lasted 3 months---it was not challenging in the least and those tits just weren't worth it---I quit and went in search of a job in shipping.

Next time

7 comments:

SB said...

NoooooooooooOoooOOOOOooooo!!!

wow, you really had brilliant offers!
thanks for the peep into your past. i love hearing about the little facets that make up a person.

Fanny said...

How can anyone know what they want to do when 17? It makes sense to work different jobs.
Like your "Tits" reason, my first job - 16 years old - was at a Car Dealership. 8 girls and 50 guys. Work experience.

Clyde said...

Lyrical Lady

When I owned up to the big offer to my parents and granfather, they almost disowned me.
But I will always follow my heart and not my head

Clyde said...

Fanny

Well hello lady---long time.
Oh, I'm still sure that at 17, 90% of kids have no idea on a career--and I still think that tits was a good idea.
Geez 6.25 guys per girl---no wonder you worked there---good choice

Ponita in Real Life said...

Ah well, what can you do! As long as you're happy with the decisions you ultimately made, then it really doesn't matter, does it?

As the first kid in my family to actually finish school (my two older sisters had both dropped out), I had been accepted into university but didn't go because I had no idea what I wanted to take. My parents, and especially my mum, were very disappointed. But in another 12 years, I found my way into nursing... and I'm still there. It's been a great career and definitely worth the wait. :-)

Clyde said...

Ponita

It was all too early in life to be making those decissions.
The number of people who have university degrees and don't use them in their daily occupation, is quite amazing
I think my parents biggest annoyance was that they were paying out to send my brother to university but I could have been paid a wage and be sent there at no cost to them

JennAventures said...

hmmm.gutsy...very gutsy.