The weather for today: cloud.
No, not "cloudy," but "cloud," as in "the community in which I live is completely engulfed in a giant, wet cloud."
As I was strolling with my dog today through said cloud, thinking about my rather mundane daily activities (the most exciting of which seem to be the daily stroll in various types of cold weather and deciding how many of layers of clothing to wear before going out), I realized just how important it was that I find some kind of employment right now. Lately, we've been going through a bit of a financial strain. Before you start nodding your head in empathy and muttering about the economy, let me explain the source of our financial woes: we live in Europe and have blown almost all of our expendable income on travel and keeping up a BMW that is barely running. Not feeling quite so empathetic anymore, are you?
I'll admit, our financial troubles are entirely our own fault. I will also admit that we have no intentions of cancelling any of our travel plans. If this means a few weeks of eating nothing but rice and canned beans, as it did for most of December 2008, we are willing to make that sacrifice. Sure, this goes against pretty much everything Suze Orman would advise, but my husband and I are willing to take our chances. As part of my contribution to this rather lavish lifestyle, I have been dutifully applying for any job I can find, and those of you who have ever been stationed at an overseas military post know this is no easy task.
First, there's the Beaurocracy In Charge of It All. This means that instead of walking up to an establishment and asking for a job application, you must go to the Right Office in the Right Building and ask the Right Person for the application. This is harder than it sounds, due to the fact that this particular Beaurocracy is fond of acronyms. So, if you see a sign outside of a building that reads "Human Resources," it is unreasonable to assume that inside of the same building you will find the term "Human Resources" anywhere else. What you will find are numerous doors with mysterious acronyms such as "CPAC," "NAF," and the like. At this point, you will simply pick one of the office doors, open it, and when the person behind the desk looks up at you with a mixture of perplexity and complete lack of interest, say, "hi, I am looking for information on job openings. Am I in the right place?" Usually it will turn out that, no, you are not in the right place. Not even close. You will then learn the acronym you need to look for to get he information you desire. With furrowed brow and growing resentment towards Beaurocracy, not to mention acronyms, you proceed to another floor in another wing of the building and enter the Right Office. When you get there, the Right Person tells you that all the job openings are posted online. The color is beginning to drain from your face. You ask, with a rather clenched smile, how one goes about applying for a job, i.e., do you need a special application? Without a word, the Right Person hands you an application packet for you to fill out and return, with the website printed on the front, should you find a job you want to apply for. You then go back home to your computer, where all the information you needed was located in the first place.
I have to cut this post short for now - I've got soup cooking on the stove - but stay tuned for the exciting account of the Website, the Employment Application, and the Job Interview. Cheers!
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