Whale watching in Sydney

We had wanted to do this while visiting the Gold Coast in QLD, however due to unfortunate weather we weren't able to so I jumped at a Travelzoo voucher that included a 3 hour whale watching tour and one drink from the bar for $39 each. This was a really good deal as most started at $50 for just the tour! The company was Sydney Whale Watching Adventure Cruises and we had a fantastic time! We discovered that even with a nice camera getting a good picture of the whales is difficult but luckily we managed a few OK ones.

A mother and baby whale traveling together

My favorite part was as we were headed back we found a baby whale that was just showing off. Up until that point we hadn't seen the whales breaching more than a couple of times, but this little whale seemed to be playing and continuously breaching. I got a video of it but unfortunately it's too large to upload. I will have to try to make it smaller to post up for everyone to see.

Acing a Phone Interview

Many recruiters and human resources professionals give preliminary phone interviews to weed out candidates that aren't right for the position they've applied for. These calls can last anywhere from 15 minutes to one hour and can be about general availability/interest questions to more in depth questions regarding your strengths. Sometimes it can catch you by surprise and if you don't do well you won't be invited to interview for the position.

Here are just a few of the steps you can take to be prepared and ace this initial phone screen:

- Research the company. At the very least know what the company's mission is(why does the company exist?), an understanding of the history(Were they always in this industry?) and recent events (Was there a recent merger? New product released? Were they in the news?)

- Find a quiet location. If the interview was scheduled ahead of time this should be simple, however if you are called at an unexpected time you can ask the caller to hold for a moment while you find a more quiet spot to speak. If this is not possible, then ask if you may call them back at a later time. This shows that you take the conversation seriously and respect the recruiter's time. 

-  Know your strengths. Go through your resume and write key strengths that you developed or helped you to be successful in each of your positions.

- Have examples ready. Make a list of professional accomplishments so that you have examples of why you were successful in each role. This can include targets or deadlines you met, projects you were recognized for or extra responsibilities you were given.

- Eliminate “um” from your vocabulary. One way to keep this from happening is to speak more slowly than you normally would so that you are focused on the words you are choosing during the conversation. 

- Maintain a upbeat and positive demeanor. Have you done dozens of these interviews and frustrated that you haven't found a job yet? Do you think the question is pointless or obvious? Do not let this slip into your voice. No matter what the job is, no-one wants to hire someone with a negative attitude.

With a little preparation, your phone interview performance can be strong enough to land you a job! Good luck!

What would you do for $5?

What would you do for $5? 

Well list it on http://fiverr.com! This site has been around for a couple of years now but recently it looks like it's been revamped with some new buyer protections so I took another look at it.

I even posted a couple of "gigs" that I'd do just to try it out so let's see it if anyone contacts me! 

$5 may not be much but it does add up!

Corporate Attire at a bargain

Over the weekend I found a store that sells clothing appropriate for work for decent prices. 

I'm sure this is no hidden secret, but to me it was a good find. Working as a temp doesn't afford you a large wardrobe, but at least some key pieces can be found here:

/http://www.barkins.com.au/

My $20 hair cut

Not unlike New Yorkers, Sydneysiders spend quite a bit on their hair. I had asked around for recommendations, but most people were telling me they spent over $90 on their salon visits! 

For the past 4 years I haven't colored my hair and had my mom trimming my hair to save money (in other words I spent $0 on upkeep) so naturally hearing costs of $90 + made my heart rate speed up. 

 During our first couple of weeks in Sydney, my husband found this place by Central Station that did men's haircuts for $10. We recently returned for another hair cut and I noticed that they also advertised women's wash,cut and blow dry for $20 so I decided to give it a try. 

I was a bit nervous given that the place was called Shiny Star Hairdressing which I found to be corny (not that a business name necessarily reflects service but let's be honest - it's the first impression) and wondering if I was going to get what I paid for but to my pleasant surprise the hairdresser did a great job! My hair is a simple style which of course also adds to savings and also leaves less room for error on the part of the hairdresser, however the service, time it took and products were also great. This price even beat local beauty school prices so I'm glad to say I have found a local hairdresser here!

If anyone is interested I went to:

Shiny Star Hairdressing

816 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Working Girl

Now that I have some place professional to be Monday through Friday, I'm going to need some attire. When we left New York, all we had was one large carry on each with just the essentials for summer wear. So now comes the painful process of shopping (I say painful because of the higher prices and I'd like to lose some weight before investing in a new wardrobe) however, I need to look appropriate for the time being and spend the bare minimum. 

So far I was able to get the following:

- One pair of black pants (With a stretchy band so that way if I lose any weight I may be able to wear them for a longer period) Cost: $25

- One pair of black capri pants (Also with this stretchy band that I hope will last longer) $21

- One pair of black pants $19

- One plain black long sleeve cotton shirt $10

- One plain grey long sleeve cotton shirt $10

- One black and white stripped shirt $5

- One pair of grey shoes with low heels (although pretty uncomfortable) $10

My investment so far in work clothes has been an even $100 so I figure my goal for this weekend is to find a pair of black shoes and 2 more versatile shirts and I'll be OK for the time being. I have a black cardigan, a purple scarf and some tank tops I can use for layering. If I can get the rest of what I'm looking for $50 it'd be amazing, although I doubt it based on the bargain shopping I've attempted so far.

I've signed up for member club cards at nearly every store I've went into but I haven't been able to see much benefit yet. This differs quite a bit from the US as often once signed up you get emails of coupons sometimes weekly from retail companies. I'll just have to continue to keep my eyes open for sales!

If anyone has any tips for shopping in Australia, please share!

Movie Night!

It doesn't matter where we are in the world - hubby and I really enjoy seeing movies! 

Australia is expensive in all aspects, so of course we had to find a way to see a movie without breaking the bank. We discovered eVent Cinemas had Student Mondays where movies are $8. We signed up for their Cinebuzz Club and just need to present a student ID. 

After 10 movies, we get one free which I'm sure will happen within the next couple of months.