It has been 5 weeks since we set foot on the land of eternal cold. It has been 5 weeks of job search as well. Today I had an employment coaching session with a great local guy Josh who gave me some tips about my CV. Apparently, CVs should change according to the job. You can't apply for a managerial position if you have only teaching experience. Tip1 - modify it according to the skills required for the job. Well, I have to rework it again. What an irony: I used to teach my students how to write a CV, it seems like it is my turn to relearn some of my skills. Anyway, I talked to Josh who seems to be a nice guy. We talked a lot about where I come from and how different things are. I mentioned that it is interesting that when one goes to a 'developed' country, the assumption is that those who enter the country will kneel down and kiss the land. I can't blame anyone for thinking that way since the majority of immigrants was under-privileged in their own country and people are simply happy to escape. Well, seeing highly educated, fluent in English immigrants is not a common phenomenon. I sometimes wonder myself how some people here get a job, you need to know how to express your ideas, to say the least.
Anyway, today's meeting was interesting. We went to Tim Horton's, famous Canadian coffee shop and continued talking about Canada. I must have seemed pretty frustrated about our current situation cos when he asked me if I liked it in Calgary I said 'not really'. Well, unemployed, no friends, no family, no one to turn to if in need (except for 911, I guess), no one to talk to since everyone is busy with their own lives. Who the hell cares about these immigrants who come from God knows where...Can't blame anyone and I can't expect anything different anyway. This is the life I saw in the US and, no matter how incompatible it maybe with my cultural background, I decided to embrace this new life. I had a choice at least, I should grateful to my fate for that. Many people do not have such a choice.
Yesterday I had my first interview and I am waiting for an answer. We'll see. I will be happy to get something but I am not too hopeful. The location seemed quite far away from the LRT line, somewhere in SE, although the bus service seems to be pretty regular and timely. The interviewers were quite nice and impressed but you never know. If I don't get the job I will try not to be too upset about it - there will be other opportunities, I am sure. Plus, things are not that bad after all if I got my first interview after 5 weeks of being here. It was actually quite interesting to walk into the building and see all these different people from different countries, colors and backgrounds coming to CIES for their English classes. It reminded me of a British TV show of the 1960s when an English teacher, Mr.Brown starts teaching a class of students from different countries. It is a hilarious TV shows, not very PC but I'd prefer Ms. Courtney saying "FOREIGNERS!" with frustration to seeing plaster smiles on people's faces thinking "BLOODY FOREIGNERS, what the hell are you doing here?" Well, anyway, that place must be a fun place to work at.
Anyway, today's meeting was interesting. We went to Tim Horton's, famous Canadian coffee shop and continued talking about Canada. I must have seemed pretty frustrated about our current situation cos when he asked me if I liked it in Calgary I said 'not really'. Well, unemployed, no friends, no family, no one to turn to if in need (except for 911, I guess), no one to talk to since everyone is busy with their own lives. Who the hell cares about these immigrants who come from God knows where...Can't blame anyone and I can't expect anything different anyway. This is the life I saw in the US and, no matter how incompatible it maybe with my cultural background, I decided to embrace this new life. I had a choice at least, I should grateful to my fate for that. Many people do not have such a choice.
Yesterday I had my first interview and I am waiting for an answer. We'll see. I will be happy to get something but I am not too hopeful. The location seemed quite far away from the LRT line, somewhere in SE, although the bus service seems to be pretty regular and timely. The interviewers were quite nice and impressed but you never know. If I don't get the job I will try not to be too upset about it - there will be other opportunities, I am sure. Plus, things are not that bad after all if I got my first interview after 5 weeks of being here. It was actually quite interesting to walk into the building and see all these different people from different countries, colors and backgrounds coming to CIES for their English classes. It reminded me of a British TV show of the 1960s when an English teacher, Mr.Brown starts teaching a class of students from different countries. It is a hilarious TV shows, not very PC but I'd prefer Ms. Courtney saying "FOREIGNERS!" with frustration to seeing plaster smiles on people's faces thinking "BLOODY FOREIGNERS, what the hell are you doing here?" Well, anyway, that place must be a fun place to work at.
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