Job Hunting

Last weekend marked the exact halfway point of this year. We are less than six months from graduating. Everyone is talking about where they are putting their preferences for next year – it’s the Queensland version of The Match.

Queensland Health, the state government agency that runs all the public hospitals, employs all the interns in the state. Anyone graduating from a medical school in Queensland who is an Australian citizen is guaranteed an internship spot in the state. They just have to work out how to distribute the spots throughout the state to those students. It’s a pretty sweet deal for them.

As an international student, I unfortunately am not guaranteed a spot. So, to up my chances of getting a job next year, I decided to apply all over the country. As I filed my last application – to Queensland – the hardest part of the game began: sit back and wait. All the states are announcing the match results at around the same time in late July.

I really don’t care where I end up next year, as long as I get a spot somewhere in the country. I could be staying in Queensland but somewhere up the coast. I could be down in New South Wales, living large in the big smoke. I could be in country Victoria, freezing my ass off in the winter. I could be in South Australia with its famous wineries. Or I could be in Western Australia, chilling out in the vibrant twin cities of Perth and Fremantle.

Ah, the possibilities, the sense of uncertainty. Soon enough, I will have to make a choice that will take me to the next phase of my life; or the choice will have already been made for me. I can’t wait; this is nail-bitingly exciting!