So, I haven't written in a while. Sort of intentionally. I really wanted a job, you see, and felt like in writing about wanting a job, and especially in writing about the specific jobs I was wanting, I was jinxing my luck.
You, like my mother, may be thinking that's utterly ridiculous, but I happen to think it isn't. Remember that internship I was all excited about several months ago? Yeah, never heard back from THOSE guys. (I emailed twice!)
And when they didn't respond, and no other job opportunities responded to all the energy I was willing out into the universe, then I went ahead and did the very last thing I wanted to do: I applied to grad school. It made sense and all. The American University in Cairo has a Forced Migration and Refugee Studies program, and one of the tip-top Arabic language programs EVER. Plus, Cairo is more or less the epicenter of counter human trafficking work in the Middle East. And the university offers several sweet fellowships, one for which I was particularly qualified. So, I applied to the university and for its fellowship, and was sure I'd at least get admitted to the university.
But then this annoying thing happened, and then that really important thing DIDN'T happen, and then I was off to Cairo for ten days where I visited the AUC campus, which an hour-long bus ride out of downtown Cairo, past dusty scenery and OVER-THE-TOP GAUDY but still unfinished villas to the new AUC campus that is....well, hideous. UGH. Grad school in Cairo sounds sweet until you realize it's actually school in New Cairo and that New Cairo isn't Cairo at all, it's Dubai! Only Dubai has many miles of gorgeous beach and New Cairo doesn't even have the Nile. So, really, all it is is one massive, terribly-planned, overpriced, resource-wasting, traffic-ridden development out in NOWHERE. And! It costs $4 EACH WAY by bus, which means either you spend $40/wk on transportation, or you live in UGLYVILLE, NOWHERE and then you're still forced to pay buku bucks whenever you want to go to Cairo, which for me would be: every chance I got.
(Also on my trip, I met with some really cool embassy folk who gave me great information regarding counter human trafficking in Egypt. I also met with the CHT programme director for the IOM [!], but there are no positions currently available. Bummer.)
I came home saaaaaaad. No job, no prospects, still no AUC acceptance (I dropped off some final transcripts while I was out there, but was till waiting on one lousy (not really) recommendation letter) and after 10 days of travel, was not ready to be back home, where I'd been doing nothing for four months already, with who knew how many more months of NOTHING ahead.
But then, at some point just past two weeks, I got an email. From AUC. An ACCEPTANCE EMAIL! I was accepted! But had only a week to get to AUC and--more importantly--get funding for it, so I couldn't even say yes.
And it was right about then that a most fitting job opportunity waltzed its way into my life. So, I wrote a, to quote a former professor on the matter, "kick-ass" cover letter and got an interview and, just today, got an offer. On a job. A JOB OFFER. For a real, full-time job with benefits and vacation days (33!! Can you believe it?? This is why people convert to expatriatism.) and a plane ticket home for my annual leave. A free plane ticket! To the US!!
Guys, jobs are cool.
So, let's see.
1 Blogged about IOM internship--nothing.
2 Didn't blog about AUC--got accepted
3 Didn't blog about any other aspect of my job hunt or opportunities--got a SWEET. JOB.
Ridiculous?
I think not.
Stay tuned!
You, like my mother, may be thinking that's utterly ridiculous, but I happen to think it isn't. Remember that internship I was all excited about several months ago? Yeah, never heard back from THOSE guys. (I emailed twice!)
And when they didn't respond, and no other job opportunities responded to all the energy I was willing out into the universe, then I went ahead and did the very last thing I wanted to do: I applied to grad school. It made sense and all. The American University in Cairo has a Forced Migration and Refugee Studies program, and one of the tip-top Arabic language programs EVER. Plus, Cairo is more or less the epicenter of counter human trafficking work in the Middle East. And the university offers several sweet fellowships, one for which I was particularly qualified. So, I applied to the university and for its fellowship, and was sure I'd at least get admitted to the university.
But then this annoying thing happened, and then that really important thing DIDN'T happen, and then I was off to Cairo for ten days where I visited the AUC campus, which an hour-long bus ride out of downtown Cairo, past dusty scenery and OVER-THE-TOP GAUDY but still unfinished villas to the new AUC campus that is....well, hideous. UGH. Grad school in Cairo sounds sweet until you realize it's actually school in New Cairo and that New Cairo isn't Cairo at all, it's Dubai! Only Dubai has many miles of gorgeous beach and New Cairo doesn't even have the Nile. So, really, all it is is one massive, terribly-planned, overpriced, resource-wasting, traffic-ridden development out in NOWHERE. And! It costs $4 EACH WAY by bus, which means either you spend $40/wk on transportation, or you live in UGLYVILLE, NOWHERE and then you're still forced to pay buku bucks whenever you want to go to Cairo, which for me would be: every chance I got.
(Also on my trip, I met with some really cool embassy folk who gave me great information regarding counter human trafficking in Egypt. I also met with the CHT programme director for the IOM [!], but there are no positions currently available. Bummer.)
I came home saaaaaaad. No job, no prospects, still no AUC acceptance (I dropped off some final transcripts while I was out there, but was till waiting on one lousy (not really) recommendation letter) and after 10 days of travel, was not ready to be back home, where I'd been doing nothing for four months already, with who knew how many more months of NOTHING ahead.
But then, at some point just past two weeks, I got an email. From AUC. An ACCEPTANCE EMAIL! I was accepted! But had only a week to get to AUC and--more importantly--get funding for it, so I couldn't even say yes.
And it was right about then that a most fitting job opportunity waltzed its way into my life. So, I wrote a, to quote a former professor on the matter, "kick-ass" cover letter and got an interview and, just today, got an offer. On a job. A JOB OFFER. For a real, full-time job with benefits and vacation days (33!! Can you believe it?? This is why people convert to expatriatism.) and a plane ticket home for my annual leave. A free plane ticket! To the US!!
Guys, jobs are cool.
So, let's see.
1 Blogged about IOM internship--nothing.
2 Didn't blog about AUC--got accepted
3 Didn't blog about any other aspect of my job hunt or opportunities--got a SWEET. JOB.
Ridiculous?
I think not.
Stay tuned!
Congrats! That is awesome. Such a great feeling of accomplishment to get that first, meaningful, bona fide job that provides the status of embarking on your career path.
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping that you have more ups than downs in the initial bumpy first few weeks!
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete