November 5, 2005.
So there you go, you have your university degrees, your HR Masters from Aston, you’re 25 years old and the world is out there for you to make a difference in HR…
I had stayed in England for 6,5 years and just like that, I buy a one way ticket to Athens..
The economy is doing great, only a year after the Olympic games and the impact of the big bubble has not yet arrived…
Getting my first job was easy…
HR operations for Hewlett-Packard only for a month as they need to replace a pregnant employee, do you want it? My friend from Manpower says on the other end of the line.
Sure, it will be great…
The one month proved it would be 6 months, promoted to HR Generalist, the salary was 1,500 euros/month and the job was right out of a textbook…
Employee training, staff development, salary adjustments, being a confidant for fellow employees, assisting managers, ensuring employment regulations and laws are in place…Grievance procedures a lot!!!
Then it was my time to devote to the newborn I had myself and then another one came along!
The first signs of the economic crisis (2010) had just started to appear in the job hunt, however it was new years eve 2010 where I had a job offer from Iron Mountain; for those not familiar with the company its document archiving, quite simple in Greece, but in the UK and the US it’s the company that for example stores all your passport and other data once you enter their boarders.
They had just been acquired and there was no HR department in place. Exciting opportunity as I had to let employees know what an HR department does, how it works, while at the same time using tools from HQ in Europe to get management to understand and implement rules, policies and regulations…
After a year with IM and after all systems and processes were in place I walked to the country GM and told him that with only 50 employees am paid to do nothing most of the days. It was a successful post, but I had go back to a more hands on employment..
2012 signs of distress in seeking employment were far more obvious..
My husband, an MIT and Columbia graduate with a successful 20+ year in management consulting in the US and Greece was certain that we need to take our family outside of Greece, for a “better future”!
So, his new job was reporting to the UK and his projects with First Data were in Switzerland, Milan, London, and mostly in UAE…
But that was not good enough, we had to physically leave…
Being a US citizen himself, the obvious “way out” was our “way in” the US.
We are now in 2015 where it took my husband less than a month to find his new employer in the US.
Spent one year in Athens with our two children so that the husband could focus on his new routine, and re-adjust to the “American way of business”
In a way, I was a single mum for that year, but in Greece, a Mediterranean country where your support function is your family, your friends, your children’s teachers and school and you are full of help and compassion.
July 27, 2016 was the big day. It’s that “one way” ticket towards the unknown, the “new”, the unexplored…
Arriving in the US and a honeymoon period of a couple of months where you see new people that seem friendly and a daily routine where you almost don’t need to get out of the house as most of the daily interaction you had to in Greece you could do it online..
Schools started early September… New set of rules, new regulations, which is not related to this story but not an easy task.. So lets move to the employment part…
Seeking Employment in the US, even with all your paperwork in place (I have a green card myself) one would think would be easy..
Started with applying to countless of profile-related jobs via Linked In. When I say countless, I mean more than 100 job applications. You mix, you edit you expand, you try your best to make a better profile…
Attending all the Greek & Cypriot- American events, gala’s seminars, be sociable!!!
Meeting a whole new set of people with different stories, different backgrounds
The countless applications brought me 3 interviews one of which girls will adore… HR for Tiffany & Co. Yes, that’s right ladies… But, they went ahead with another candidate… There’s nothing worse than being shortlisted as “second” after 3 interviews….
My one year so far has been difficult. Makes you re evaluate life. Makes you think is it worth “following” your husband for a better economic situation, for a bigger house, all alone?
Mediterranean countries suffer but life is simpler, more authentic, a more collective society whereas here and maybe in other countries like the US, an individualistic society with all the pro’s and con’s
In the meantime communication with your loved ones is starting to face; the time difference, the fact that you are no longer a part of anyone’s routine besides a face-time call or a message on name-days and birthdays.. a facebook post, something funny, some bits of the news back home… that’s it.
There’s a new reality one needs to face. You need to make new friends. Then honeymoon period is over and you see people here are different… conversations are limited to work, taxes and real estate prices. Nothing deeper…
After 2 years and 2 months being away from family and friends, I can advise, if I may, the following:
Personal and professional success as well as work life balance comes when you are where your heart is. Life is a short journey so I believe one should pick a city, a country they feel comftorable with, and try their best. The rest will come.