Interviews are scary

I'm currently in a dodgy hotel somewhere in Randwick... I think something may have died in here at some stage.

Why? Over a year ago I applied to be a Legal Special Service Officer in the Army Reserve. After various information days, medical tests, essays, psych tests and coffee chats, I've finally reached Officer Selection Board time. If I pass this, I get on the merit list.

I think one failure of Defence recruitment advertising is the impression that they are desperate for people and its easy to get in. Both are incorrect. The process is comprehensive and time consuming. The number of places are limited - there weren't enough Legal Officers spots in Navy and the Air Force wasn't even taking Legal Reserve Officers this financial year.

This interview has been one of those things which nags at the back of your mind and makes you just a little bit nervous. In my last year of university pretty much every week had a graduate interview or presentation or something else that would make me nervous. Lately, things have been pretty cruisy. No interviews, no scary presentations or speeches to make, work is interesting & challenging but not in that knot-in-your-stomach kind of way. As a result, I've gotten pretty soft. Maybe that's not a bad thing. But it does mean you miss out on that exhaustion and relief of being able to relax after a stressful situation. Given this OSB starts at 730 in the morning and my bus back to Canberra leave at 8pm, I think I'll be making up for some lost time...