Brisbane Job - Planetarium - Support Officer

[rowena]

Hey guys...

Just saw this job on the Brisbane City Council website... and thought someone into Astronomy may be interested in this!... I would of went for it if it wasnt a pay cut! lol

Poisition is for Planetarium Support Officer - Technical
Job No.:
548267
Division:
City Business
Salary:
AUD 51,066 - 55,101
Work type:
Permanent Full time

Link is below...

http://employment.brisbane.qld.gov.au/jobDetails.asp?sJobIDs=548267&lBrandID=&lCategoryID=&lLocationID=&lWorkTypeID=&stp=AW&sLanguage=en

[Baddad]

Hey Rowena, :)

I'm tempted but its a pay cut and more hours.

Wonder if they'd hold it over for a few years?

I satisfy the necessary criteria. 'speshaly da gud riting skils.:confused::nerd:
They probably wont let me use emoticoms:D:mad2:
Thancs 4 that.

Cheers Marty

[Jen]

:thumbsup: That would be a cool job ;)

[Gargoyle_Steve]

For me that's actually a pay rise, somewhat less hours, and even though it involves some weekends / shiftwork it's still probably "better" hours than those I currently work.

Very interesting .......

[dpastern]

For me, that's a pay rise as well. And given that I'm probably going to give the current job the boot, I'd be intersted. Sadly, being at Mt Cootha, and me not having a car, no go...

Dave

[Gargoyle_Steve]

Well the deadline for submitting an application has passed - wondering how many IIS'ers actually applied for this job?

So far the count is ...... 1. Me!

:thumbsup:

Anyone else?

[Dennis]

Hey Steve

Good luck mate - you've got all the attributes that I imagine this position requires. I’ll come and heckle you on your first day at the planetarium!

Cheers

Dennis

[Baddad]

Hey Dennis, :)

Let's forward a letter of recommendation about Steve to the Planetarium.

He then stands a better chance to get the job. Then its a sure thing and we can both go to heckle him. Hee hee.:lol:

Cheers Marty

[Gargoyle_Steve]

Thanks Dennis I really appreciate your good wishes, and if I should be lucky enough to do any good you, and Marty, and anyone else who desires, would be welcome to do as much heckling as you want.
;)

[Jen]

Good luck Steve :thumbsup:

[BerrieK]

Steve,

best wishes and hopes of good fortune for you to get the job.


Kerrie :)

[Gargoyle_Steve]

Thanks for the kind words ladies, it's very decent of you both.

I received this email on Friday:

"Dear Steve, Once again, thank you for your recent application for the position of Planetarium Support Officer - Technical with Brisbane City Council.
Just to let you know that the shortlisting process is currently underway and we hope to notify you of an outcome next week.
Please accept our apologies for this delay.
Regards .... "


I'm not out of the running yet - so I'm choosing to see this as a positive thing.
:thumbsup:



So did no one else on IIS apply for this job? I was sure there would have been at least a few of us put our hats into the ring.

[dpastern]

Good luck Steve! Oh how I wished I had a car...I'm so over my current job and this one would have been awesome.

Dave

[Bishop2K]

I did. Interview Monday.

--
Scott.

[matt]

Well done, Scott...:thumbsup: What's your background?

Welcome to IceInSpace, by the way:hi:

[Bishop2K]

Currently I'm the Technical Manager at UQconnect (The University of Queensland's ISP) and have worked there at ITS since I was an undergrad. I got my Comp Sci degree in 2000 and liked it so much that I hung around - a great place to work.

Astronomy-wise, I'm about to finish my Masters in Astrophysics at USQ and IAU E25 is my observatory at Rochedale. I also run the O'mara scope at USQ Mt Kent which at the moment is a 12" SCT on a Paramount ME with a STL-1301E bolted to it. We offer robotic (as well as remote) observing to schools in the US and Canada.

It looks like a good position, but admittedly it is a monster pay cut. Money isn't everything though. :)

[matt]

Impressive.

All the best with the application.

[Gargoyle_Steve]

Congratulations on gaining an interview Scott, I hope you do very well at the interview!

My own application hasn't been as successful as yours, but I'm very glad that you posted to this thread. I was curious to see what level of education / experience it took to gain an interview for this position, and your background is impressive. I'd hire you, and I sincerely hope that they do too.

Good luck mate!

Steve

[Dennis]

Volans (Peter) works, (or used to work?) at the Brisbane Planetarium – I wonder if this is a second position or has Peter moved on?

Cheers

Dennis

[Bishop2K]

Thanks for the kind words.

It is a second position, and I've been informed of who is on the interview panel. It appears your 'Peter' may well still work there.

Unfortunately due to some interesting developments in my current position late yesterday and also in council, I might have a very hard decision to make if the interview goes well. :(

[dpastern]

Bipshop2k - do you work for BCC?

Dave

[Bishop2K]

No, UQ... But I am currently working on a few projects that involve the BCC, for example I was responsible for putting wireless on the CityCats.

One of these projects may have just massively broadened in scope, which might have to be considered if I was to have a look in at this position.

[dpastern]

Ah...good luck with the role!

Dave

[Bishop2K]

Well I'm confident I'll do well in the interview, but I'm sure the competition will be fierce.

[Bishop2K]

As an update, I was pretty happy with how it all went, but it was my first time inside the Planetarium itself and it's surprisingly difficult to orient yourself quickly in there. The projected 'night sky' requires a bit of imagination to visualize it against what the sky really looks like - light polluted or otherwise.

Has anyone else found this? It left me grasping at one point which isn't a good look in an interview for a Planetarium presenter position!

[PeterM]

Hi Scott,
Many I know including myself have exactly the same problem inside the dome. Your eyes are quickly taking in more than a normal sky and you are under a bit of pressure, so it is easy to get dis-oriented for a while. I wouldn't worry too much, that is something that will come very quickly working in the dome and I would hope that is taken into account. Surely what should be most important is - Can you do the job required, Can you talk to a wide ranging audience and Do you fit with the team already there. I think you will fill those criteria well.
(No - I didn't apply for the position)
Good luck
PeterM.

[Dennis]

…..although Peter, your infectious enthusiasm, passion for the hobby, two SN discoveries and classical good looks would undoubtedly put place you on pole position!;):lol::whistle:

Cheers

Dennis

[PeterM]

Hey Dennis,
I'm off topic now - sorry folks, but Classical Good Looks - that is really, really funny.. classical as in Moore, Hubble, Messier, probably not (or maybe?) .....hmmm a better description might come from from Little Britains Lou describing Andy .... "how can I describe him... he's not conventionally attractive". And now you want to place me on a pole - well that was sort of done years ago when my jocks swung in the breeze on the Astrofest flagpole (1994?) now who can remember that I wonder?
Back on topic, I wish Scott very well. I am very surprised (Gargoyle) Steve didn't get an interview as from what I know about him he too would have been a good choice. Steve, I hope you didn't write Gargoyle in your CV - might have scared the the kids (joke)....
PeterM.

[astroron]

I found that the same when I was interviewed about 5 years ago I couldn't even recognize Sirius:sadeyes:
And yes I felt lousy:doh:

[Bishop2K]

It's hard to demonstrate your knowledge of the sky when you have to fall back on using the pointers and Crux to find South :P

[AstroJunk]

Its a third position - Peter is alive and well and so is the other Peter. Good luck Scott, the lucky victor will be assisting me set up the AAQ meetings every month!

I assume that one of the interview questions was "Are you willing to change your name to Peter" - that way it well save Mark a lot of effort in remebering names.

[Gargoyle_Steve]

Peter I really appreciate your comments - I guess it goes without saying that I thought I would have been a good choice for that position too :lol: .. and no, well actually Yes I did mention the word Gargoyle, but only because it was in the name of my old computer business.

Still, as much as my enthusiasm and passion and various "outreach" activities should have been strong positives for me, there is no way that my technical background could compete with Scott's for relevance to this position.

So now I'm looking backwards to look forwards - perhaps for a start I need to go back to studying and gain some new qualifications in more relevant fields, most of my current qualifications are in the Telecommunications / Electronic fields. Then I can see what happens next.

The path to the Dream Job may be longer and more diverse than I had hoped!
;)

[Bishop2K]

On reflection, it was one of the more unusual interviews I've been part of, on either side of the desk.

I wasn't pushed on technical, you can't really demonstrate presentation style without a brief and preparation time and they didn't have much time to profile me face to face.

Unless I missed the point entirely, I think it was a 'get to know the applicant' type of deal. Maybe you can just get a feel for someone for that kind of job after letting them in the door based on their resume.

Anyway, I've said more than enough in an open forum about this, so I'll go back to lurking...

[firstlight]

I also got an interview on Monday, which I think went well. However that was before I saw this thread, I would think that Scott has the inside running on the technical side as well as astronomy. I can only hope that Scott decides that the "other" job is more fulfilling and declines if he gets the gernsey (subtle hint ;)).

[Bishop2K]

Well I didn't get it. Mark rang me late today to let me know.

All the best to the rest of the applicants.

[AstroJunk]

Sorry to hear Scott, thanks for sharing.

If you are up for some travel, there are often technical jobs with the AAO I get notified of - I'll look you up if you like:thumbsup:

[Jen]

Awww bugger oh well never give up :thumbsup:

[Bishop2K]

Hahaha, yuh. No biggie, I couldn't really see the Minister of Finance approving anyway. Would have been an interesting career change though.

I've now got another very good reason to finally get up there to see the show... after I submit this damned thesis that is. It will be interesting to see who gets the role, go Tony go!

[firstlight]

Thanks for the encouragement Scott, but I also got a call from Mark this afternoon... He said that he couldn't say who got it, but it wasn't me. I tried not to get my hopes up, but this is my dream job... astronomy day and night.

I'm a bit disappointed :sadeyes:

[PeterM]

Scott and Tony I am sorry to hear that. You are both high achievers in your areas with your contributions to amateur astronomy, this is just a hiccup along the way. Whoever gets it will no doubt be well deserving. they will know they had some very strong competition.
PeterM.

[Bishop2K]

Anyone know who actually got this position?

[firstlight]

I've had no word. Been a bit busy with other things happening around the place. I might try and send a PM to Volans, although he hasen't been active on the forum of late.

[firstlight]

Hi Scott and others,

I just had word that the position has been filled by a bloke named Peter Firth. Given that he has been a casual employee at the Planetarium since 2005, it seems to be the logical choice to fill the position. In most cases where someone is in an acting or casual position when a job is advertised they have the inside running, at least my experience with the Council. Add to this Mark is going on leave for 5 weeks, the successful candidate will need to "hit the ground running"... or hit the ground :eyepop:.
Cheers
Tony

[Bishop2K]

Uh-huh. And currently doing a PhD at UQ I believe.

Well all the best to him, and to the Planetarium.

--
Scott
MPC E25

[AstroJunk]

Nice Chap Peter - I didn't realise it was his job they were advertising for. A fine choice.

Qld Govt rules are rubbish - if you have a perfectly good incumbent then you should be able to give them the job without wasting every one elses time:mad2: (although, I have to add that I have no idea that this was the case here - just a general rant!)

[firstlight]

It was not exactly his previous job that was put up. This is another full time job that involves the computer side which was not the responsibility of the presenter/support officers. I'm not sure of the complete facts, but there was a support officer who has since left, whose domain was the hardware side of things... the Zeiss, computers, displays etc. They were basically combining two positions in one (beats waiting for the BCC IT dept to come out and work on computer problems).

While the person working at the site has the best chance, and if the job is essentially the same it is quarantined, but if there is significant change it is regarded as a new job and open to all comers. Who knows, someone from outside might have been working at another planetarium with just these skills, wouldn't he be best suited? It has to thrown open, and it gave me a chance to apply and get an interview at least.

Sorry for the novel.