Two days ago I started my "job". I call it a "job" because-well, it is hard to explain so let me just tell you what happened.
Joan started working at this company that for now, I'll call AirStream. AirStream hires flight attendants for this airline company etc. He started Monday and I went in on Tuesday. The hours are 9:30-7:00. We did get 2 hours for lunch, which is a bit to long if you ask me. Anyway, the first day went well. I wore the appropriate attire for a working woman and I did what they asked.
First, I had to choose where to send the flight attendants that passed the course. Here is how it works, they have three options of where they want to live. For example, one woman chose Girona, Valencia and Dublin. It was my job to see what places were taking new candidates and place them there. Unfortunately for her, none of her preferences were available so I had to send her to Stockholm Sweden. When I actually thought about what I was doing, It was almost funny because I was deciding their life for the next 6 months to a year. You see, the airline they work for comes back to the same base everynight, wherever they are placed. So, if their base is Stockholm, that is where they start their shift and where they will be dropped off at the end of the day. So, I did that as well as paperwork.
Yesterday was more intense, I organized all the files of the past training courses, this means I had to look at everyones file and this included their resumes. Almost all of these people spoke more than two languages. For this job they need to have Intermediate to Professional English but most of them spoke fluent Spanish or French. One girl in particular who really made me sick, spoke German Spanish English French Portuguese Basic Catalan and Basic Italian, fluently. She is 24. Now, I realize that people brought up in Europe are prone to knowing more languages...but come on! Another girl that works in the office is Romanian and also speaks French Spanish Portuguese English and learned Catalan in 8 months. I am struggling with Catalan. It takes practice and I don't practice as much as I should I suppose.
Anyway, so yesterday went well for me, I worked on IDs and we had to call people in Sweden, Portugal and many other places around the world, using Skype. It is amazing talking to someone across the world. We sent faxes, typed documents sent e-mails to candidates to tell them all the documents they needed to work in their base and I looked at over 300 resumes for this airline. We had an hour break so Joan and I left at 6. Everything was great and our boss is very nice but we're having some issues. She wants to hire me but me being International, she needs to talk with her lawyers and see if we can get my work visa soon. Right now I can't legally be in the office so today I had to stay home. She is expecting an inspection to make sure the company is real. Since AirStream is only a year old and I am their first American/International employee, an inspector is coming to make sure it is a real company and if I am there without my work visa, she could get into a lot of trouble. So, I have to wait here at home until he comes.
The boss told Joan yesterday that she really likes me and think I would be great asset to the company. She is thinking about me for training and recruiting. Recruiting is something Joan and I both would love to do but we're not sure that she will place us in the same place. Recruiting requires traveling to Germany, France, Poland, Portugal, Madrid, Valencia etc and doing interviews. I would love to do that more than anything else, it is up to her to decide.
Joan and I will be on a 2 month "interview" so to speak. For 2 months we will work in all the areas and whatever we like best and they feel we are best at, they will put us there. Right now, Joan is great at IDs and I am doing well in the paperwork aspect. Neither area is what we want but there is an unbelievable amount of work to be done. This airline wants AirStream to hire 7,000 people by this year and there are only 7 people at AirStream now.
Enough about that job. I am home and am so bored. We have a t.v. but not digital so no English channels. We haven't brought the dvd player yet so I have to download movies. The flat is great but makes noises and last night was our first night here so I am still adjusting to the place and the place is adjusting to me. We bought paint so Joan said that was my job today.
He left me such a nice note before he left this morning, one line that I liked particularly was this;
"I love you so much and I hope you'll work on the flat today.....and in the blink of an eye I'll be home to give you besos."
It is already 9:45 and the only thing I have done is watch 3 episodes of Scrubs that Joan already had downloaded. I could stay all day on the couch looking out at the city and the sea.
Heather, in response to your blog, I don't want you to kill yourself over saving money to get here. I will keep checking flights and if you could come for Spring Break, that would be amazing. I will do what I can while you do what you can. I'll work on the guest room today and get it in the shape it needs to be.
All for now, I may write more often now that I have more free time.
Current sounds: Seagulls outside and the clank clank clanking of the heater.
All my Love,
C.M.
Joan started working at this company that for now, I'll call AirStream. AirStream hires flight attendants for this airline company etc. He started Monday and I went in on Tuesday. The hours are 9:30-7:00. We did get 2 hours for lunch, which is a bit to long if you ask me. Anyway, the first day went well. I wore the appropriate attire for a working woman and I did what they asked.
First, I had to choose where to send the flight attendants that passed the course. Here is how it works, they have three options of where they want to live. For example, one woman chose Girona, Valencia and Dublin. It was my job to see what places were taking new candidates and place them there. Unfortunately for her, none of her preferences were available so I had to send her to Stockholm Sweden. When I actually thought about what I was doing, It was almost funny because I was deciding their life for the next 6 months to a year. You see, the airline they work for comes back to the same base everynight, wherever they are placed. So, if their base is Stockholm, that is where they start their shift and where they will be dropped off at the end of the day. So, I did that as well as paperwork.
Yesterday was more intense, I organized all the files of the past training courses, this means I had to look at everyones file and this included their resumes. Almost all of these people spoke more than two languages. For this job they need to have Intermediate to Professional English but most of them spoke fluent Spanish or French. One girl in particular who really made me sick, spoke German Spanish English French Portuguese Basic Catalan and Basic Italian, fluently. She is 24. Now, I realize that people brought up in Europe are prone to knowing more languages...but come on! Another girl that works in the office is Romanian and also speaks French Spanish Portuguese English and learned Catalan in 8 months. I am struggling with Catalan. It takes practice and I don't practice as much as I should I suppose.
Anyway, so yesterday went well for me, I worked on IDs and we had to call people in Sweden, Portugal and many other places around the world, using Skype. It is amazing talking to someone across the world. We sent faxes, typed documents sent e-mails to candidates to tell them all the documents they needed to work in their base and I looked at over 300 resumes for this airline. We had an hour break so Joan and I left at 6. Everything was great and our boss is very nice but we're having some issues. She wants to hire me but me being International, she needs to talk with her lawyers and see if we can get my work visa soon. Right now I can't legally be in the office so today I had to stay home. She is expecting an inspection to make sure the company is real. Since AirStream is only a year old and I am their first American/International employee, an inspector is coming to make sure it is a real company and if I am there without my work visa, she could get into a lot of trouble. So, I have to wait here at home until he comes.
The boss told Joan yesterday that she really likes me and think I would be great asset to the company. She is thinking about me for training and recruiting. Recruiting is something Joan and I both would love to do but we're not sure that she will place us in the same place. Recruiting requires traveling to Germany, France, Poland, Portugal, Madrid, Valencia etc and doing interviews. I would love to do that more than anything else, it is up to her to decide.
Joan and I will be on a 2 month "interview" so to speak. For 2 months we will work in all the areas and whatever we like best and they feel we are best at, they will put us there. Right now, Joan is great at IDs and I am doing well in the paperwork aspect. Neither area is what we want but there is an unbelievable amount of work to be done. This airline wants AirStream to hire 7,000 people by this year and there are only 7 people at AirStream now.
Enough about that job. I am home and am so bored. We have a t.v. but not digital so no English channels. We haven't brought the dvd player yet so I have to download movies. The flat is great but makes noises and last night was our first night here so I am still adjusting to the place and the place is adjusting to me. We bought paint so Joan said that was my job today.
He left me such a nice note before he left this morning, one line that I liked particularly was this;
"I love you so much and I hope you'll work on the flat today.....and in the blink of an eye I'll be home to give you besos."
It is already 9:45 and the only thing I have done is watch 3 episodes of Scrubs that Joan already had downloaded. I could stay all day on the couch looking out at the city and the sea.
Heather, in response to your blog, I don't want you to kill yourself over saving money to get here. I will keep checking flights and if you could come for Spring Break, that would be amazing. I will do what I can while you do what you can. I'll work on the guest room today and get it in the shape it needs to be.
All for now, I may write more often now that I have more free time.
Current sounds: Seagulls outside and the clank clank clanking of the heater.
All my Love,
C.M.
