There is something that I have wanted to write about for a while - how the same things have different names depending on whether you come from a 'developed' world or 'underdeveloped' world.
What we call nepotism back home is called NETWORKING here. One can rarely get a job here unless one knows someone else who works for a company. I just don't understand WHY westerners roll their eyes and sign every time they hear of nepotism. I lost count of all the jobs I applied for and the jobs that I got were all through nepotism, oh, sorry, networking. I attended all possible training sessions on writing and rewriting my resume and cover letters, networking (although most of the people at all those events were unemployed immigrants like myself, so don't really get how a blind can help the blind), cold calling companies and asking why my resume wasn't chosen. At one of the sessions, the presenter (who is also an HR specialist) said that half of the time the company doesn't even look at your resume. The best way to get a job is through making a phone call and introducing yourself to the hiring manager (well, I wonder how I can get the hiring manager's name), then telling him about your intent to apply for a job. Or find someone who knows someone else in the company. Bingo! We call it nepotism, people. Networking to us is getting together, talking business, sip tea or coffee, smile and say bye at the end of the day. Ahhhhh, hypocritical westerners, the breeders of corruption and nepotism!
I like it that people here talk about corruption in OTHER countries, but NOT here. No, no, no, what are you talking about?! That c... word is not for developed countries, because all the fees here are legalized. A. is trying to get his driver's license. The first time he went for a knowledge test he failed it, fair enough, we paid 17$ each time for the test.
The road test was another expensive disaster. He paid 200$ for the test. 200$!
168$ (eye check, height, weight, picture taken) +40$ for a car rental. Gof bless America! I got my license for 50$! It was easy-peasy, lemon squeezy. God bless America million times. I have never been so pro-American in my life as I am now. The affordability of life, the value of what you get for your bucks, the quality of life in the US, oh my, I miss it so much now. What would this country do without the US?! It would probably turn into Belarus, producing wheat and potatoes and nothing else. Well, I guess people can survive on that too. Back to the topic.
A. has failed his test and will have to pay another 110$ for another road test. Holy cow! The fees are outrageous, 300$ is a weekly gross income of a part-time Walmart worker here! Back home I had a choice to pay a bribe or try to take a test myself for 25$. Fair enough, you don't want to try, pay the fees, yes, to a private pocket but I still had a choice. Eventually, the driver's license here will cost us what we would have paid in bribes back home if we chose to. Just love living here even more...
What we call nepotism back home is called NETWORKING here. One can rarely get a job here unless one knows someone else who works for a company. I just don't understand WHY westerners roll their eyes and sign every time they hear of nepotism. I lost count of all the jobs I applied for and the jobs that I got were all through nepotism, oh, sorry, networking. I attended all possible training sessions on writing and rewriting my resume and cover letters, networking (although most of the people at all those events were unemployed immigrants like myself, so don't really get how a blind can help the blind), cold calling companies and asking why my resume wasn't chosen. At one of the sessions, the presenter (who is also an HR specialist) said that half of the time the company doesn't even look at your resume. The best way to get a job is through making a phone call and introducing yourself to the hiring manager (well, I wonder how I can get the hiring manager's name), then telling him about your intent to apply for a job. Or find someone who knows someone else in the company. Bingo! We call it nepotism, people. Networking to us is getting together, talking business, sip tea or coffee, smile and say bye at the end of the day. Ahhhhh, hypocritical westerners, the breeders of corruption and nepotism!
I like it that people here talk about corruption in OTHER countries, but NOT here. No, no, no, what are you talking about?! That c... word is not for developed countries, because all the fees here are legalized. A. is trying to get his driver's license. The first time he went for a knowledge test he failed it, fair enough, we paid 17$ each time for the test.
The road test was another expensive disaster. He paid 200$ for the test. 200$!
168$ (eye check, height, weight, picture taken) +40$ for a car rental. Gof bless America! I got my license for 50$! It was easy-peasy, lemon squeezy. God bless America million times. I have never been so pro-American in my life as I am now. The affordability of life, the value of what you get for your bucks, the quality of life in the US, oh my, I miss it so much now. What would this country do without the US?! It would probably turn into Belarus, producing wheat and potatoes and nothing else. Well, I guess people can survive on that too. Back to the topic.
A. has failed his test and will have to pay another 110$ for another road test. Holy cow! The fees are outrageous, 300$ is a weekly gross income of a part-time Walmart worker here! Back home I had a choice to pay a bribe or try to take a test myself for 25$. Fair enough, you don't want to try, pay the fees, yes, to a private pocket but I still had a choice. Eventually, the driver's license here will cost us what we would have paid in bribes back home if we chose to. Just love living here even more...
