Tick Tock, Tick Tock
Or however you spell it ... one of the annoying things about spreading your life across several time zones is the fact that sometimes you end up living somewhere in the middle of them. It's 2:30 a.m. and I'm still up and wide-awake and blogging and commenting away. Well, and also watching "Andy Richter Controls the Universe" as well, which is really a sad commentary on my life these days.
I had the opening faceoff regarding my visa today, and it was not promising. I have no job, and no current prospects of finding one in Germany ....
In fact, on the job front, today's rejection went along the lines of "You have everything we are looking for, but we are really seeking someone more junior." Which means one of two things:
1) We want world-class talent, but we are only willing to pay the equivalent of an intern; or
2) You are too old.
Both are viable reasons to the average German employer, although both strike me as a blatant waste of human talent. In either case, the employers in question will get exactly what they are asking for ... Cheap, young labor that might cost them more than if they were focused on substance rather than style.
No problem, I have a few euros in the bank, which is what I told the Beamter at the Visa discussion. This might not earn me a renewal of my German visa, but the income and taxes I have generated over the past several years is not lost on other countries. The UK, for example, is quite receptive to granting me a two year visa to explore oppportunities there. As for the US, I can always go there.
I feel for the Partnerin, for all of this means that if I really want to pursue a continuing career, anywhere but Germany seems to be where I will find it. That means I will have already made a hard choice, but it means too that she will also have to make a choice.
I had the opening faceoff regarding my visa today, and it was not promising. I have no job, and no current prospects of finding one in Germany ....
In fact, on the job front, today's rejection went along the lines of "You have everything we are looking for, but we are really seeking someone more junior." Which means one of two things:
1) We want world-class talent, but we are only willing to pay the equivalent of an intern; or
2) You are too old.
Both are viable reasons to the average German employer, although both strike me as a blatant waste of human talent. In either case, the employers in question will get exactly what they are asking for ... Cheap, young labor that might cost them more than if they were focused on substance rather than style.
No problem, I have a few euros in the bank, which is what I told the Beamter at the Visa discussion. This might not earn me a renewal of my German visa, but the income and taxes I have generated over the past several years is not lost on other countries. The UK, for example, is quite receptive to granting me a two year visa to explore oppportunities there. As for the US, I can always go there.
I feel for the Partnerin, for all of this means that if I really want to pursue a continuing career, anywhere but Germany seems to be where I will find it. That means I will have already made a hard choice, but it means too that she will also have to make a choice.
posted by Mike B at 6/22/2006 01:34:00 AM
2 Comments:
Jet lag is bad but what really sucks is that someone with your skills and experience is not even being given a chance when there are so many incompetent idiots running the show. It's so sad that this is also affecting your personal life and that one of you may have to make a life-changing decision in the pretty near future.
My friend is 56 years old. She was "laid off" her job in Berlin and has been unsuccessful finding anything new. As she has said, "No one wants and old woman with all sorts of edication and skills and experience."
Post a Comment
<< Home