Posts Tagged ‘application’

For this is our last official holiday before the big move, we decided to relax most of the time and just take little baby steps regarding our actual move. One thing we definetely wanted to get done over here is applying for the Social Security number. We actually thought about doing it in Germany, but you have to do it at the consulate in Frankfurt. For me this wouldn’t have been a huge problem, because I work in Frankfurt. But Flo would have had to take a whole day off from work to do it. And: If you apply for the Social Security number in Germany it takes them up to eight weeks to send it to you.

So we decided to take the chance of being in the US now and applied for the SSN on Tuesday. We got up early, because we had no appointment and arrived at the Social Security Administration Office at 9 am when they opened. We only had to wait about ten minutes to get called up by an officer. She actually scared us first, because she looked like a tough officer, but turned out to be really nice. We only had to hand her our passports, Greencards and the filled out application forms and she began typing.

Flo went first and was kind of shocked when she announced that he had to answer all questions of the upcoming interview clear and truthfully. Interview? We actually didn’t know about an interview at all. But don’t get too scared right now: It is kind of basic questions and not that bad. I actually understood the woman very good and Flo guessed some of the questions and sticked answering “no”.

After our interviews the officer handed us two letters saying that we applied for the SSN on Tuesday and told us that it would take Flo’s number two weeks to arrive and mine a bit longer.

So, in a few days we both will be proud owners of our very first Social Security numbers. This is a baby step in the whole process, but feels pretty big and good!

So, it’s finally time for me to tell you about our Greencard interview at the american consulate in Frankfurt. This day is not a day that I love to remember, but I can’t forget it neither! Okay, you know how the day started, so right now we are at the point where Flo and I were again sitting in the waiting area of the consulate. At the time we were waiting, there were three people doing the interviews. I prayed that we won’t get to take to the woman that looked the meanest. But guess what: It was her, who called our number!

Before the interview we had read that you can ask for a translator, but we chose not to, because our english is good. So, we went up to the window and handed over all the forms we had to. The woman started to ask Flo some basic infos and than came to the question that changed all: When did you marry? Flo was very excited at that day and by accident told her a wrong date. I corrected it and with that pissed off that woman seriously! She nearly yelled at me that I did not have to say a word at all, because I was only his wife and that I would get serious problems, if I would again! As you may imagine that didn’t calm down Flo a bit and the interview went on very bumpy! The woman asked some more questions about our wedding, looked at our marriage certifacte and than said that we had to hand in wedding pictures after the interview. She told us that she didn’t exactly believe that we were married for real and that she had to check on that fact!

Than she asked Flo about the money he would bring to the US. He told her (it is a high figure for our age I guess and much more than you need to bring for the application) and the woman seriously had the nerves to laugh and ask us (sorry, ask Flo), if he thought that he could live from that money for real! Before Flo could answer that question, she gave us a very mean look, asked us if we had any more questions and than told us to go, because we were done!

Imagine you standing there like shaking with horror, because this interview could decide about your future and knowing nothing! She didn’t tell us, if we still had a chance to get the Greencard or what would happen to our passports!

As you may see in the post below we do have our Greencards! It actually took our passports about 4 weeks to arrive home – but still this day till now was our worst in this whole Greencard process!

I told you before: This is not how the usual interview goes, so please don’t be scared! But: Prepare yourself for that interview the best you can and take this thing very serious! Because the staff of the american consulate obviously does!

We want to move to the US at the end of 2010 or the beginning of 2011 and right now I have the urge to start sending applications. For the last year I constantly have been looking for jobs that would be good to apply to and tried to check out the regularity of new matching jobs for me to open up. When I saw two good job ads last week I finally thought: Now is the time to start! And I started my job hunt in America.

I actually made a tiny step towards it in January. The job I found back then was kind of a perfect match for me and I would have taken the chance to move for it any minute. But the big problem was: German applications are not in any way similar to the ones required on the online application forms in the US. Even with the help of our american friend Scott, I wasn’t able to fill out the application form correctly and didn’t get to send it. Perhaps back then it was fate that holded me back from applying, because about a week later I got my current job, which I am very thankful for. But now I really mean it. I want the jobs I applied for.

But let’s go a step back first and let me tell you about the fun time we had while filling out the application forms yesterday. I already was used to only being allowed to apply via the online form. In Germany you normally do apply per E-Mail or send in an letter application – at least to the companies I applied to in the last years. I already had an english version of my resume so I was able to upload it without any problems. But what gave me little problems where the contact informations on my supervisors that I needed to give. I immediatley thought about my editor-in-chief, which would be anything but amused to get an english speaking call from an american employer. Again the giggles were on my side when I had to answer the following questions: Would you do a drug test on request? Are you hispanic or latino? Are you a war veteran? Do you want to give information on your gender? To a german person these questions sound so strange. In Germany you have to send in a picture with an application, which kind of leaves no question on the gender topic. And have I ever been asked, if I were a war veteran in my life? No!

The end of the story is that i completed my applications and now hope to hear from these companies, for those jobs are great! I kind of worry to talk to a potential employer on the phone and I guess this fear will stay for at least another year. But the good thing is: I may not have to worry about bad application pictures anymore and will not waste expensive stamps and application dossiers in the future. But if this will get me a job? Cross your fingers for me!