a fun bit of trivia.

Okay.  It's not really fun.  It's a tidbit on why I probably will not get a job overseas.

I was in an interview a few weeks back for a front desk position at the Graf dental clinic.  I did not want this job.  They did not want to hire me.  But I thought, hey, interview practice, and a chance to network.  The sergeant conducting said interview looked at me like I was nuts.  He didn't know what to do with me or what questions to ask as I was clearly overqualified.  Then he said this:

"Well, if an applicant is Leave Without Pay, they're going to get the job anyway."

I talked to John about this.  It's true.

What this means is, if someone has come to the Grafenwoehr/Vilseck/or even Hohenfels community and they have worked for the government before in a GS position (GS is how they grade their jobs to know how much to pay someone) and had to leave that position through no fault of their own (ie, PCS), they are Leave Without Pay.  They are still in the GS system with no job to do - most likely because their spouse moved and they moved with their spouse.

What it means to me is:

I am competing with a hefty number of spouses here in Germany as a there a lot of spouses and NO ONE can work off post.

I am probably the most qualified person for the jobs I am applying for (admin jobs).

I am applying for admin jobs because the chiropractor position was filled without being posted by a doc they offered it to from Ft. Carson (see: also already in the system).

So, I get interviews because my resume lands to the top of the pile with all my rock star qualities,

But there are spouses here that have been spouses longer than I have.  Therefore they have had the opportunity to work a GS position previously and have a "Leave Without Pay" status as there is less competition at stateside posts since spouses can work off post, no problem.

They will get hired before me.  Every time.

It makes me want to punch the government in the face.  But only because it's the icing on the cake for all of the other things I am mad at the government for (inept, greedy congress; vaccination laws side stepping parental consent (in CA); and the attempt to "overhaul" the military retirement system while keeping and adding perks for politicians among the top three).  Now it's extremely difficult to get a job because I married later in life, got a very specific education and live overseas.  (and the one year I was a military spouse stateside were fraught with government hiring freezes.)

On the plus side:

I am investigating possibilities to practice and offer services to dependents overseas.  Not sure if it can be done.  I am waiting on people to ask other people and look around for things.  I'm 99.5% sure no one has asked to start a chiropractic business before, so I'm not sure what to expect, or even when to expect an answer.  But it didn't hurt to ask.  And raise possibilities.

I was offered a chance to apply for a contractor job.  That is, a job that hired through a government contractor, and NOT the GS system.  I figure it's worth a shot.

That's what I'm hanging my hopes on at the moment.  Or maybe that the interview I am going on tomorrow will have NO other GS applicants.

One can hope.

In the midst of all this, my hormones are screaming at me that it's time to have babies.  You should be in my head.  (not literally.  or even figuratively.  it gets loud and confusing.)
I will convince myself of the logistics of waiting a few more months.  And then I will see a baby.  Or a picture of a baby.  Or a picture of a friend's baby.  Or a picture of a baby bootie.  Or a picture of a baby's booty!  And it's all I can do to not take drastic measures.

I have not yet taken drastic measures.  John has been made aware of the turmoil, however.  He sort of looks at me sideways sometimes as if anticipating something.

And then I remind myself of all the reasons why it's okay to not be pregnant right now.  And I calm down for 10 minutes.

Tops.

Anyway, that's the job update.