Day 18 – Monday 22nd November - “I’ve been calling her Tour Guide Barbie”

Had to be up at 8am to get to the interview for 9am. Took a train to Central but then realised when I got there that I didn’t actually know where I was meant to be going when I got to Central Station. Luckily I had my laptop with me so I took it out in the middle of the street and started working out the way. This is really what I miss about having my iPhone. The ease and accessibility of never having to be in a position like that ever again.

Finally found the office and got greeted by the famous woman that I’ve not actually written about or mentioned yet. I’ve been calling her Tour Guide Barbie from Toy Story 2 to everybody here. She’s the woman from the company that’s been ringing me with regards to the interview. She’s the most excited and energetic person in the whole world. She’s also very official and lives her life like she’s in a script.

She got me to fill out some forms and then took me and some other Swedish kid through to another room to meet the male trainer. There were also 4 or 5 girls there too but we left them in reception because we were “working on gender lines today” (sexism then basically).

He took us downstairs and we met up with 2 other boys that appeared to have been already doing it before. The trainer said we were off to Town Hall and it was a nice day so we should walk. He really reminded me of when Dane Cook does his gay character voice, although this wasn’t put on. He was just gay.

The monument we were based on for Marketing

We got to Town Hall and we set up base on the monument. The two not so new boys put on Australian Red Cross t-shirts and neck tags. The trainer then asked them what their target was going to be for the day.

Instantly I just thought, “this is bollocks”. I know the job stated that it was about raising brand awareness but this did not fall under the Marketing category at all in my eyes. Especially when you’re just working as a street sales man. Yeah it’s a charity but still after a couple of minutes in the city centre I could already tell for myself that the people of the public just weren’t interested. The trainer was just embarrassing, he kept coming up to me like “Oh we do these really fun games where we try and guess where the backpackers are from” or “We try and do the funniest walk or dance to get somebody’s attention”. I was watching him go “Hi Friend” to random passers by. It was just so cringey. I’d already lost interest within 10 minutesof being there and I couldn’t even be bothered to fill out the booklet he’d given me that I was meant to be doing.

I decided to hit him with one last question that had the power to tip the whole thing. I quizzed him about the pay scheme. I found out that it was all commission only. That did tip it. I said to him that I couldn’t work without money promises and it wasn’t the sort of Marketing that I was expecting or used to. I said it wasn’t me and I wouldn’t be able to be like or do what they were doing day in day out. He said fair enough, you might as well leave it now then. Bang. So I did, I left after 15 minutes. The way I look at it, it was just another opportunity to test out my options, I’m glad this one didn’t filter through, and I’m also glad I got rid of it sooner rather than later.

The Apple Store was really nearby so I went in just to check up on my Facebook etc. Whilst I was there I ended up applying for a job at the Apple Store. I wasn’t too hopeful because I know its such a gruelling process to be successful but I didn’t see any harm in trying.

Also whilst I was there it had to be about time to get back on Gumtree again and get looking for another job opportunity. I noticed a job that hadn’t been posted too long ago about Labouring in Marrickville. Normally I just ignore Labouring jobs because you need so many things to be able to do them, experience obviously being the key one. But this one mentioned nothing about experience, tools, white cards, green cards or even having to have your own transport. I thought this is one I have to ring. The bloke said that he hadn’t filled it yet and that if I could come down today that would be very ideal. I thought for a second and then thought yeah why not. Give me a couple of hours and I’m there. Now for $22.50 an hour that is some great news and a great turnaround for the day, after the unsuccessful morning I had just had.

Shot back home, fixed a sandwich, and got back on the road again to Marrickville. Five stops South Westerly from Central on the Bankstown Line. Got there a little early met the bloke and another kid that was also going to be working with me called Rory from Belfast. The job was to collect all the bricks from the extension of a 100-year-old house he was knocking down. We then had to clean off all the old cement and then restack them at the end of the garden. It was backbreaking, tedious and pretty boring. It was also really hard in such high heats. For half a days work though it worked out very well for me in the end. I’m also working tomorrow all day.