Got the Job. Didn't See That Coming.

Three hours.

That's how long it took. Twelve o'clock, I joined the e-meet 2 mins late. No experience, no credentials, just a clean T-shirt and the nerve to see what'll happen.

By three, my phone rang.

They offered me the job.

Not despite what I didn't have, but because of something they didn't expect.

Situational awareness, they said. Better answers than those who'd been doing this for years.

No second interview. No more hoops. Just the formalities. The pre-drinks. Then an induction at their Sydney office, and after that, your boy's in the system.

To be rostered.

They'll pair me with someone seasoned, a buddy, they call it. I'll learn the patients, the rhythms, the unwritten rules of support work.

Get acquainted.

Figure out what "etc., etc., etc." actually means when you're standing in someone's home and they're counting on you.

Casual basis. Pick up shifts when I want.

Fast. This whole thing moved impossibly fast.

And yes, I'm excited. Nervous. Nothing opened so soon. Will I do good? Time will tell. You'll know.