Warning: This blog will now be used as a personal space, documenting the job hunt in Washington, DC in the fields of human rights advocacy and international conflict resolution. Instead of letting my frustrations out on roommates, long distance boyfriend, or the cats, I will simply blog about it, and hope that through a lighthearted look at the job hunt, I will find some semblance of peace.

Now that you've been warned, I have to vent.

There have been three particularly ludicrous events in my current job hunt, which began in full force in August 2010 and will continue indefinitely.

1. "Would you consider going to Kyrgyzstan?"
Not many people are privileged to be asked this question. My response, of course, yes! Why not? That sounds delightful. Then...silence...6 e mails and 4 phone calls later and I am no closer to going to Kyrgyzstan then I ever imagined myself to be a month and 6 days ago.

Perhaps it was my eagerness, my willingness to go to a country I know nothing of on the off chance of being provided air fare and housing. Perhaps it was the disorganization of one international NGO which actually had no positions in Kyrgyzstan. Either way, the month that has passed since I received an e mail asking that very odd and, at the time, hopeful question, implies that there is no position in Kyrgyzstan, paid or unpaid.

In retrospect, I should never have been interested in going to Kyrgyzstan.

2. "You are overqualified."
That's right. My $80,000US of debt and over education, as well as dedication to continued employment throughout said education is actually hurting my ability to find a full time position. This one particularly stings as the organization and position were ideal, with at least a glimmer of promotion in the future. C'est la vie.

In retrospect, I should never have been so interested and knowledgeable about the organization's mission.

3. "I'm sorry, this is embarrassing, I assumed she looked at your resume to see if you spoke Spanish"
No, you have the wrong First Name. I understand. It's confusing when you get so many applications, and the phone number is listed right there, and you want to call all of the people who have the same name in the hopes that you will reach the correct one. (This is the most recent absurdity and the motivation for this blog post.) It's not just that I went to an interview, leaving work, but also that I'm traveling on a bum leg, with one foot in a boot to keep the ligaments in my ankle from tearing any more than they already are. A pathetic figure, hobbling across campus, catching busses at the wrong stops and being scolded by patient bus drivers.

Two in retrospects: I should not have applied for a position that would have required a language proficiency that I don't have. And I should not be applying at disorganized organizations.

What is perhaps most frustrating about the job hunt, is the constant reminders of what I could be doing. I could have returned to Egypt months ago, and now be in the midst of one of the most exciting and potentially ground breaking times of middle east history (and that's saying something). I could be in Liberia, working with old friends on local projects, facilitating human rights advocacy workshops, like the old days. I could be advocating for gay Ugandans, Sudanese refugees, Ivorian displaced peoples. Instead, I sit at my semi-comfortable positions (3, I have 3 jobs), and wonder what the future holds, trying, vainly it seems, to apply wherever there is a glimmer. I'd quit, but...well...how does one quit trying to have a productive future?

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension, it is the presence of justice."