Job Hunt

...dun dun dun dunnn...

So, the "fun" has finally begun (well actually about 2 weeks ago I guess) and I am job hunting to my hearts content. I have been writing, re-writing and re-re-writing resumes (Not allowed to call them CV's here as people have no idea what that means!) for various job roles. I always thought one resume would suffice for all job applications, as long as you differentiate the cover letter, but no, I need a new resume for all job types >_>

I've been looking down a few avenues for employment that might match my degree and experience. I really think I need to get some office experience under my belt, so I've been looking down the Admin Assistant road as a starting point. Only recently I found out Admin Assistant is just the new word for Secretary, to try and remove the "sexy, young female" stigma attached to it. I don't know if there is still a sexist preference towards women in this role, but if so, I guess I can try and pull it off, not sure how long I could be convincing.

Another avenue I have looked down is banking. There is tons of banks here and my degree in finance and previous job in customer service would sound a good starting point for customer service role there, although I've had no luck yet, not through lack of effort. I'll keep checking their websites for new positions though.

My final "long shot" efforts have been in an entry level finance role. It would match my degree well and could be something I might like for a permanent career. Although, I have no experience here and no Canadian qualifications, so this might be hard. 

For now I am looking at more career based roles. I've applied to a few local retail jobs, but not heard anything. If I get desperate in a few weeks time, then maybe I will go down that avenue, but for now I want to concentrate on something I could like long-term and that offers possible progression. 

Oh, I did have a telephone interview for Strangeloops Networks, the #1 Company to Work for in BC today http://www.bcbusinessonline.ca/profiles-and-spotlights/businesses/2011-best-companies-fewer-100-employees. It was unexpected and out of the blue, so I am not sure if it went okay or terribly. I'd love to work for them though as their work ethic is amazing. Free breakfast, a PS3 room, a ping pong room, a nap room(!) and no dress code. It sounds amazing, so no doubt I won't get it. 

Bum Categories

You may have misunderstood the title of this post. This is not going to be about the various types of posterior I have come across in Vancouver, it is actually about the different approaches homeless people like to take in order for you to give them your change.

Some of you may be unaware, like I was, of the many methods homeless people go to, so I will go through the ones I have witnessed first hand. 

(Warning: Stop reading if you are easily offended or are highly sympathetic towards homeless people. I am not.)

The No Effort Bum

This is the bum we all know and love. They can be identified by their lack of effort. They are normally the older, more experienced bums, who have been through it all. They sit/lie down in a doorway, pretending to be asleep for the entire day. Often these bums don't even look to be trying to ask for money. If they want to put in the minimal of effort, they may have placed a plastic cup beside themselves. Overall, these bums get almost no money.

The Minimal Effort Bum

These bums put in slightly more effort than the No Effort bum. They may actually appear to be awake, rather than hiding. They won't sit out of harms way in a doorway. They tend to sit on busy streets with lots of passing traffic. Often they are holding some sort of sign along the lines of "hungry, need money for food." If they are feeling energetic, they may blurt out the words "Spare change?", but that tends to be the extent of their efforts. Again, they will have a cup for collecting coin and they are likely to earn a little more money than the No Effort bum. 

The Decent Effort Bum

These bums will put in a decent amount of effort towards their trade. They might actually stand, smile and often be polite, wishing you a nice day even if you completely ignore them. They often stand opening doorways to busy places, like train stations. You will feel a bit of guilt come across you as you walk past this kind of bum, as at least they are trying and they are polite. These will surely earn more than the previous mentioned bums. 

The Above and Beyond Bum

These are the highest quality homeless people. They put in personalized effort, approaching people in a one on one situation, explaining their story and asking nicely if you have any spare change. This is the only I have ever given money to, once. He offered to take a photograph of me and my friend when we having individual photos near the coast. He didn't even look like a bum. I said no to the photograph as he seemed dodgy, but I did give him $2 for his kindness.

The Guilt Trip Bum

Guilt is their game and money is their aim. These bums often act like the Minimal Effort bum, only they do their absolute best to make you feel guilty. They look so sad and brazen, staring into abyss, often holding signs along the lines of "Too proud to prostitute, too honest to steal." That example was one of a few young female bums I have come across. It is difficult to not feel sad for these, as they are so young. I'm unsure how well they perform financially. 

The Stand-Up Bum

Comedy is this persons profession. They can be found holding funny signs such as "Smile if you masturbate". They surely get a few giggles and at least they are attempting to brighten up your day. Their goal, however, is to get you to look at their sign long enough for them to speak to you. Have a quick glance, then walk on by, unless of course you want to lured into their trap.

The Opportunist Bum

If there is one bum I hate, this is it. They will do anything to get their hands on your money, putting you in in-deniable positions regarding whether or not you have change. They will sometimes sit outside of shops (Normally 7 11's) so as soon as you leave the shop (and of course have change) they are waiting to pounce.

However, the absolute worst, is the bums that target you at ticket kiosks for the Sky Train. As your change is pouring out of the machine after buying a ticket with a $20 note, they approach you as if from nowhere, and ask if you have any spare change. Well what do you think? You just heard about $17 in coins clang into the change tray, of course I have change, I'm just not giving it to you. 

I am so sick of homeless people here I don't even bother with excuses anymore. I simply say I am not giving them money, rather than saying I don't have change

Silly Signs Pt. 1

Anybody who has me on Facebook will most likely have seen all of these, however, the majority of my readers don't have me on Facebook, so I thought it could be fun to throw these into my blog as well!

Whilst I've been here in Vancouver, I've noticed a lot of weird or just "different" signs compared to what we have back in the UK. So, I started taking photos of them for a collection of Silly Signs. I'll randomly put them on here for enjoyment, so here goes: 

I found this sign deep inside Stanley Park, where I'm almost certain even the most skillful wheelchairer (yes I made up a word) couldn't access. Not only this, if for some reason they managed to traverse the forest floor, I highly doubt they would have been hurtling around corners at high speed. I just found it funny that the park deemed it necessary to warn people that wheelchair users may be around, what possible risk is there?

This sign was at our table at the bar below our hostel. It seems there is a rule here in British Columbia that ensures bars force feeds its drinkers. Maybe a ploy to prevent drunk and disorderly? Or just a way to make tourists spend more money? I'm unsure, but we tended to want to order food anyway.

This sign was on the wall in a Burger King. Clearly they didn't want people loitering for too long. I can't imagine why, considering I went there for a quick dinner and the place was pretty much completely empty. I hope this rule wasn't enforced too strictly, otherwise there could be families being thrown out if their children didn't eat quickly enough. I suppose it is "fast food" so I guess it's "fast eating" as well.

 

 

I hit 500 page views today, which isn't a huge number, but a pleasing milestone, even if 50% of them are my mother :)I enjoy writing, so even if I only had a few views I wouldn't mind, but thanks to anyone who is following my blog.

Nightlife

Last night I went for a night out for the first time since I arrived in Vancouver. Yes I know I've been here over a month, you would think a 23 year old would be going out constantly. 

I'm not a big drinker in all honesty. Sure I'll go out now and again, but I would sooner have friends over (well, not in our empty house, but hypothetically) and have a few drinks, than go out clubbing. 

I had read about the nightlife here before I came over and I actually wrote a little about it earlier in the blog I think, so did it match what I had read?

Well, pretty much, yes. 

First of all we had the majority of our drinks before leaving (Note: Blueberry cider isn't great), as it is a lot cheaper to drink at home then head out later, than it is to go out earlier. From our house it is quite far to the main nightlife area on Granville Street, maybe a 45 minute journey including 2 sky trains and a fairly long walk. Long enough to sober you up a lot from what you had to drink at the house.

Drinking in the streets is understandably illegal here, as it is in the UK, but it is enforced strictly here apparently, whereas in the UK you can pretty much get away with it, if you're discreet. So, that was out of the equation.

When we got to the bar, it was pretty busy, but everyone was sitting down. The actual bar area itself was empty. Bars are like restaurants here, you sit at a table (something which they take very seriously, if you look at the picture) with a drinks menu and a waiter/waitress serves you your drinks. Pretty formal for a night out. Oh and it is expensive, as expected. One pint of cider cost about $7 plus a tip. Suffice it to say I didn't buy many (and at this stage I was pretty tipsy from the drinks we had at home)

We stayed there most the night then went to another bar/club where you had to pay to get in. But again, most people were sitting.

I also read that being drunk here isn't anything to be proud of, which is very different than England (most people's aim there is to get wasted). I guess I like the ethos, but combined with the sitting, waiters etc. it makes for a sombre night. 

BUT! The one thing that makes me not want to go out, is the journey home. We had to walk to some bus stop in the middle of nowhere, wait 10 minutes for a bus, get that bus to somewhere else we didn't know and finally get on another bus which dropped us off near our home. All I want to do after a night has finished, is crash into bed, not wait around for hours to get home. We must have left the bar around 1.00am I guess and I didn't get home until past 3am (although we did stop for some pizza)

Overall, I spent around $60 for a night that was fun, but I could quite happily live without. I don't think I will be painting the town red too often, especially not until I have an income.

Canada: So advanced...

yet (way) behind the times

Having been here a month, I've realised (Okay, I realised ages ago) that this country can be very advanced in certain areas, yet in other, it's way behind the times. In fact, it's way behind the times in many, many areas. I'd like to take you through some examples:

Advanced

Transport System

The transport system here is far superior to anywhere I've been to in the UK. To begin with, the trains have NO drivers! Upon walking onto a Sky Train for the second or third time, we soon realised we could actually see out of the front window, where the driver should be! Complete madness, it's like being on a roller coaster when you manage to secure the front seat!

Also, a transport ticket here covers all modes of transport for a period of 1.5 hours. You can take a train, bus or sea bus (boat) as many times as you like within that 1.5 hours on the same ticket. It's a lot cheaper to travel here than anywhere I've been. 

Finally, the trains are incredibly frequent. You never wait more than a few minutes for a train, ever. In rush hour they're literally every 30 seconds. 

However, trains are behind the times in one aspect. There are no ticket machines, or transport employees, at the end of your journey to make sure you actually paid for a ticket. A lot of people don't even bother paying for tickets. I must have traveled on well over 25 trains and I've been asked once for my ticket. The police ask for tickets here though, and its a $250 fine if you get caught without one. 

Washrooms

The washrooms here are also pretty advanced. The toilets have motion sensors and flush after you walk away or stand up and the taps turn on when you put your hands under them. Sure, we have this in fancy restaurants/hotels in the UK, but I'm talking in fast food chains! 

This may be an exageration

 That's all I can think of for now, I'm sure there is more advanced things in Canada I've just forgot them. But as for behind the times, oh boy!

Behind the times

Banking

Where do I begin here...let's see. Okay here goes:

1. You have to pay $40 for a cheque book (stupid)

2. You can only use your own banks ATM, of which there aren't many. If you use another banks, you get charged.

3. You can't buy anything online unless you have a credit card, ridiculous.

4. You have to pay to have a bank account

5. I have 2 bank accounts linked to one card, why? Pointless.

6. Lots of places don't take debit cards as a form of payment and instead point you to their ATM to get cash out...only the ATM charges you to use it. Annoying!

7. There is no such thing as direct debit here. WTF?! I have to physically walk to the bank to pay bills like internet, electricity etc. How ancient is THAT?

8. ATM's give you your cash before your card. Why? I bet tons of people forget to get their card back.  

I can't think of anymore, but I'm sure there is plenty other stupid banking things going on here.

Taxes and Tipping

Okay, I get it, things you buy have to be taxed, it's the same in the UK. But WHY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH DO YOU MAKE US ADD THE TAX OURSELVES? Is it that hard for the stores to include the tax in the displayed cost? But nooooo, we have to add 12% to a $4.99 bill, making the price $5.58. Who the hell thought that was a good idea? I'm walking around with pockets full of change because the tax system here is a complete joke. 

You think you're getting a nice cheap meal, only to be slapped around the face with 12% tax and an expected tip of %15-20%. Prepare to add %30 to your bill right away people!

And why is tipping so expected here? I will tip if the service is exceptional. I shouldn't HAVE to tip every single meal I have. Apparently not tipping is offensive, even if you get awful service you are meant to tip 10%. F*%& that. People say waiters and bar staff are poorly paid. Well pay them more then! Don't pass the costs onto the customers for God sake, why should we be paying the staff? That's what the company is there for, cheapskates. I've heard of people who make hundreds of dollars in tips alone in a single night. I'm not surprised with the tipping etiquette here.

Phone Contracts and TV

These both have serious problems. I've already covered phones earlier in my blog and I'm sad to say it is all accurate. They're ridiculous. I have to pay $45 for a contract ($50 including tax!) that is no better than a 15 pound (yeah there is no pound key on North American keyboards, stupid I know)contract in the UK. It doesn't even include a phone. Stupid, but you have to live with it.

I've barely watched any TV here, mainly because I don't have one yet. I'm sure I will write about how shocking it is in the future. I tried watching some at a friends, but it is about 60% adverts, so I didn't bother. I'll stick to streaming and downloading. You hear all these politicians etc. moaning about people downloading. Well maybe if you removed 90% of your advertising on TV channels here, people would actually watch TV. 

Oh, and there is no such thing as a one off payment for TV here in Canada. You either pay monthly for cable or you don't have TV. Again, ridiculous. 

That's it for now, I can probably write another one of these soon :)

Home Sweet Home

Finally all the house hunting has paid off! Today we signed a 6 month lease on an apartment in Brentwood, Burnaby. Not too far from Downtown, maybe a 15 minute Skytrain ride away.

It is near a fairly big mall, so there are lots of stores nearby, which is useful as a lot of areas outside of Downtown can sort of be in the middle of nowhere.

It's also on the same Skytrain line as my friend :) So if I ever want to pop to hers, I can, and vice versa. It's probably only a 15-20 minute ride on the Skytrain.

The apartment itself is a decent size. One of the main problems we had when viewing places was people here seem to think you don't need a living room. There were lots of really nice places, but they only had bedrooms, a

kitchen and a bathroom. Anyway, this place has a big living room, 2 decent size bedrooms,a kitchen , a balcony and a bathroom. The rent was reasonable too and the area is really quiet.

One problem is the whole place is completely unfurnished (except the kitchen) and furnishing an apartment will be expensive to say the least. I'm hopefully going to keep an eye out for a bargain on Craigslist and furnish the place gradually, although I can't skimp out on things like a mattress.

Im so happy to moving out of the hostel. We should be out of here on Thursday if all goes to plan. Finally I can get a good nights sleep, have a proper shower and unpack my suitcase!

Hostel Life

Having been in the hostel for over 2 weeks, I feel I am in a good place to talk about hostel life, the pros and cons (Warning: There will be more cons)

So here goes:

Pros

 

 

1. Cheaper than a hotel - This is pretty much the main reason anybody lives in a hostel, and it is the only reason I remain here. Hotels in Vancouver cost a fortune. I nearly discovered this after the hostel was fully booked for one night without me in it. Thankfully I had a friend who let me crash on their floor. A person I know, though, wasn't so lucky, and spent a night in a hotel. The cheapest hotel cost him $260 for one night!

2. Meet new people - It is true you meet new people in hostels. If you are the kind of person who is comfortable sitting alone at a bar speaking to anybody that sits next to you, this place is fantastic. For me, not so much. Sure, I've met one or two people here, so I can't complain, but for the most part, I am not comfortable approaching people I don't know and striking up conversations.


3. Middle of Downtown - The hostel is right in the middle of Downtown. We only have to walk outside and we are in the middle of everywhere. Once we move out, we will most likely be on the outskirts and have to take public transport to everywhere we need to be, which will get a little annoying eventually.

Cons

1. Living out of a bag - I can't stand living in such a disorganised fashion. Clothes are all over the place as there is nowhere to put them, other than on the floor or back in your bag. You can't remember if you have worn things or not.

2. Shared bedrooms - Sharing bedrooms can be cool at times. It forces you to meet new people. I've lived with 2 Irish people, a Japanese person, an Aussie and 2 British people. Will I keep in touch with them once they have left though? Probably not. The cons outway the pros here. Living with people who get wasted every single night and crawl into bed at 3am, turningsthe lights on and waking everyone up, gets tiresome fast! Oh, and don't get me started on snorers either. They should all be shot.

3. Shared bathrooms - These are just horrible places to go. Grotty showers, broken toilets and generally a disgusting place to be. The only place you feel dirtier after having a shower than before.

4. Way more expensive than your own place - Hostels are cheap compared to hotels, but a fortune compared to a home. It costs over $1000 a month to stay in these squalid conditions, whereas homes can be $400-$750 or so. Then you also have to buy every meal in a restaurant/bar whilst being in a hostel, which also costs a lot long term.

5. Awful internet - The internet here is terrible. Almost unusable at peak times. I can't wait to be in a place with internet that works.

I can probably think of a few more if i thought about it, but that will do for now. All in all, I want to get out of here!

House Hunting Cont.

Oooookay, so it has been a while since I last wrote here about the beginning of my house hunting and a lot has changed since. It turns out looking for housing is NOT as easy I expected.

The hope of moving out of this hostel by June 1st has obviously vanished, as it is June 1st today and I don't have anywhere that is even being considered as a place to live right now.

I began the search just looking for rooms for myself in a shared house with Canadians or other locals. I thought it could be good to live with local people to learn the area. Then I began to think I would end up with people with 9-5 jobs who didn't really have the same interests as me, exploring.

So, I teamed up with another person on the same trip I have taken, Rich. We decided to either look for a house share with other people or just a 2 bedroom place. We checked a few places out, but every one of them had some sort of major issue with them.

The first place we went to was a basement that had ceilings that were 6"3 high at its tallest, and we had to permanently duck in some rooms. Naturally we didn't like that.

Then we had a day with 3 different house viewings, surely one would be okay, right? Wrong. The first one was a complete shithole. The neighbourhood was in a poor, run down area, and the building was the same. Some guy from somewhere in the middle east answered the door to show us around. The place was falling apart. The carpets were filthy, the room stank, doors were missing on cupboards and there was even mouse traps around. Nice, right?

The other 2 places were a big improvement, but one was tiny with no living area, pure white walls, expensive and just felt like a hotel. No way I could live there for a year.

The final one was again, an improvement. It was spacious, homely and affordable. However, the landlord wanted us to fill out forms with credit checks, landlord references etc. etc. We didn't have such information.

We viewed other places too, to no avail. One thing that I didn't expect was the complexity of renting here. In the UK, from my limited experience, you didn't need financial checks and references. If the landlord liked you, and you liked the house, you had the place. Year long leases also seem to be a requirement here, which is an issue as a) I can't guarantee I will even be here a year and b)Unless I get a job I can't even afford a year long commitment.  

Anyway, we have now teamed up with one more person, Jessica, also on the same working visa. We've began looking for 3-4 bedroom houses (4 in case Jessicas friend wants to move in)

Now we're aiming for a June 15th move in date, or earlier. God help me if we don't find one by then.