It has been a long time since I was seriously looking for a job. In fact, the last time I was really looking hard for a job was back in 2002. I am now learning that my timing really STINKS! Back in 2002, I had just graduated from UW/Oshkosh with my degree in Management Information Systems (MIS). The problem with that timing was that most of the employers in the area were still laying off all the IT people they had hired for the Y2K situation. SIDE NOTE: (Yes, all you young kids reading this, there really was an issue with the year 2000. It may not have been as big a problem as the doom sayers were predicting, but there had been a lot of programmers hired to fix the problem, and they were being let go, or re assigned.). Man, I was a YOUNG KID back then, but in the eyes of hiring managers I was an over the hill programmer with no experience. Thank goodness my local school district was open to allowing me to volunteer, and that led to a wonderful 17 years at Winneconne Schools. Now here I am at the tail end of a global pandemic.
One big thing I have learned is that a resume is not used here. Instead they use a Curriculum Vitae or CV. On the surface they are the same. Both tell a story of your career. The difference comes in two main areas. A resume only talks about your work history. Here a CV includes personal information. Things that would NEVER be asked about in the US. Age, Marital Status, Children, Hobbies, etc. all seem to be parts of a CV. The second difference is length. On the few occasions I needed a resume in the US I never let it get over one page in length. My current CV has a page and a half just on my career at Winneconne. I have not done this, yet, but I probably should; and that is create multiple CVs. Have a really long one for Senior level positions, and a short one for entry level type positions. Even so, I cannot bring myself to put personal information in the CV. Many even include a picture as part of the CV. I am mainly applying to American based companies, because I figure the lack of a true CV will not be as glaring a weakness.
Another thing that I am behind with are letters of Recommendation. The custom here is to provide letters of recommendation when you apply. Again, this is not like anything I experienced in the US. There were a couple of people at Winneconne that I could depend on for a recommendation, but I would never have thought to ask them for a copy of one. I think that may be one reason I can’t get an interview. Hopefully I will find out soon, as I have reached out to some people I used to work with and they promised to write letters for me!
I am still not even sure if I can legally work, though. I mean I can legally work, but I am not sure how easy it will be to hire me. The type of Residency Permit I have is for 5 years, renewable every year, and then it can be extended once or twice. However, at the federal level it is tied into Julie’s permit. If you remember, from much earlier posts I talked about how her company had to get approval from the government showing they could not find a person from Switzerland or the EU that had her skill set. When I check the regulations, I easily see there are different rules for EU and non EU citizens. As a non EU citizen, the regulations look, to me, like a company will have to go through the same hoops Julie’s went through for her. When I look at the Family Reunification Visas. (Which is technically what mine is.). I cannot find any mention of being able to work. Oh well, all I can do is keep trying.
In a little bit Julie and I will be heading downtown. We found where there is a store that sells American food stuff. Julie is dying for some French’s yellow mustard! The mild mustard we normally buy is really good, but it is still stronger than she really likes, and it has a much thicker viscosity. I think it may be my first time on a train in over six weeks. This COVID lockdown stuff is for the birds. Monday – Friday we literally go no where except the grocery store.
This week, I finally started jogging again. I took off the month of December, and somehow that turned in to a four month hiatus. I was still exercising. I was riding a minimum of 30 Kilometers every day in the basement. Most days I would ride between 40 and 50 K. I was having a hard time getting motivated to run with the temperatures around freezing. Anyway, I have set my new fitness goal for this year. Last year it was to make it up the 1/2 K hill that I live on without having to walk. If I run the other direction I come to a hill that is 2 K from bottom to top. My goal this year is to jog up the whole length without walking. Trust me when I say it will be slow. :). The video is a time lapse going up the hill this morning.
According to my Garmin watch, the hill only rises about 110 meters over the 2k. That doesn’t sound like much, but it kicks my butt every time. So just ONCE this year, I want to master that hill. 🙂
I hope you have a great weekend. Talk to you soon.