NEW WHEELS

I have had the same car since I bought my first car in 2011 and after many trips back and forth between Bunbury and Perth and a few (ok MORE than a few) bumps along the way I decided (well mum and dad convinced me) that it was time for a new car. After months of research, shopping, test driving, negotiating and crying, I finally got my new car...a silver(ish) Volkswagen Jetta.

The whole experience has rendered me a stronger person, its not easy trying to buy a car by yourself as a woman. Every time I walked into a car yard, they would swarm thinking I had no idea what I was doing (which was the case) and using jokes like, “this one will match with all your outfits,” ummm....do I look like  a tool to you? Do you seriously think that is my biggest concern? (it was a HUGE concern of mine)

So I thought it would be a good idea to share with you a few tips and tricks I learnt along the way.

BEFORE

a.    Know what you want

I knew all along that I wanted a VW and that I wanted a sedan (no more hatchbacks) and finally        that I preferred white or black (didn’t quite achieve that part) but at least I went with a good idea of what I wanted, so when I almost bought an Audi because they were on special brand new, or when the salesman tried to sell me a Subaru, I was ok to say no with the bigger picture in mind.

b.    Budget

Anyone who knows me, knows how highly I value budgeting. Do NOT begin your search until you know exactly how much you want to spend and whether or not it will be financed. Once you know how much you want to spend, give yourself a leeway of $1K - $2K. 

If you choose to finance it, try to keep the finance to a minimum and pay the excess in cash. As I had the cash to buy the car outright, but didn’t want to spend it as it is already accounted for, I used my savings as leverage to get part finance and paid cash for the remainder.

c.     Research

Do some research before you venture out; I did my research via three avenues, Facebook – asking people their opinions on certain cars, finding out what cars they drove, what issues they had with it etc. and http://www.australiasbestcars.com.au/WINNERS-2013 and finally http://www.redbook.com.au/– a site that tells you the value of cars, so you know what you should be paying for it. All rendered very useful sources.

DURING

a.    Independent Checks

Before you buy the car have it checked independently. Any seller will tell you that the car is in "perfect shape", "drives like a dream", "has only had one female driver", lol, whatever! A seller who is sure of the car will allow you to have it independently checked, if they say “no,” don’t buy the car, there is definitely something wrong with it that they don’t want you to know about.

I used these guys - http://www.autospections.com.au/ - they came and checked the car and sent me a full report. They also checked that there wasn’t any finance owing on the car and that there were no encumbrances against the car (if you are going with a finance company they will actually do that for you FOC) The whole check cost me $225.00 each time and was done on two cars that I was considering buying.

b.    Insurance

My sister was in an accident where a driver hit her from behind. The driver was simply distracted because she was texting *face palm* There are some crazy people out there on the roads...insure your car before you drive it out of the dealership. I know we often think, it’s only a short drive, it will be fine, and you are right, it might be just fine, but is it worth the risk?

If you have the car on finance, the finance company won’t actually settle until they see a Certificate from the insurance company, and rightly so...it’s NOT worth the risk!

AFTER

a.    Road trip

Within days of getting my car we headed off on a road trip down south, this allowed us to see how the car drove at higher speeds and what speed it could get to comfortably, it also meant we could test out the sound system (90s RnB classics) and its fuel economy being a Diesel car!

  

All in all, I have to say that I am enjoying the new car immensely and the experience of finding one, though relatively trying, was greatly rewarding. I am very indecisive and stubborn, but if I got there, then you sure can too!

Enjoy! Xx

The Graduate

So it’s finally done! You completed the degree, you wore the cap and gown and you’ve collected the piece of paper, so what now?

Last week I graduated from university and after all the excitement was over it actually hit me...imagine if I didn’t have a job to go to after all this work. After these 3 years, the time and energy spent on getting only HDs left me with no time to actually try to get into the workforce.

The workforce isn’t as lucrative as it has been in the past and with companies laying people off left, right and center, its no surprise that no one is hiring and people are struggling to actually put their paper into practice.

I was lucky enough to do my degree by correspondence, so I was working fulltime in my desired role and progressed into my next career role by the time I graduated, but its not easy and unless you have pro time management skills, I would not suggest it!

So here are my tips and tricks for avoiding that awkward 18 months after graduation trying to find a job;

1.     Work Experience

I did 3 months unpaid work experience (3 days a week) for my dream hotel in their Event Planning, Sales and Marketing department. It’s not easy to combine working, studying and unpaid work, but it’s worth it!

The skills you will learn during you work experience will hold you in good stead when you finally enter the workforce. Employees also like to see that you are dedicated enough to succeeding in your career – enough to work unpaid for a period of time.

2.     Job Search

Start searching for jobs in your first year of university. It allows you to see what it is that employees want from you and gives you time to acquire those skills.

3.     Have an end goal in mind

I know exactly where I want to be – career wise – by the time I am 28.

It is so important that you know where you want to go, my fiancée always tells me, “begin with the end in mind” If you know where you want to be, you can then map a path towards it.

4.     Practice Interviews

Sounds lame I know, but you may have all the skills to succeed in the role, but your first impression is what your potential employee takes away with them. If you keep missing out on jobs, maybe you don’t interview well and its time to start practicing.

Like any other skill, interviewing requires practice and practice makes perfect!

5.     Take every opportunity

I used to avoid applying for jobs that I did not feel I had the relevant skills to fulfill, but in time I have learnt that people always ask for more then they actually require, so its worth giving it a shot.

Richard Branson said, “If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!” As long as you know how to research or have a mentor who can help you out, don’t let an opportunity pass you by simply because you feel you can't fulfill the requirements.

These are my tips,  I’m sure other readers have their own, so please do not hesitate to share them in the comments below. Good luck, there are exciting times ahead!

Xx Yvonne