On Monday I started my new job. One thing I am very excited about is the idea that they spend time to train you before throwing you to the wolves; I get 6 months of training before heading in field. The first three weeks are the same for all the the foreign service specialist. Our class includes over 80 people in a variety of specialties including a number of Doctors.
During these three weeks the most exciting and anxious part is researching and receiving our first assignments. There are 7 facilities managers and 7 places we might end up. Those places are Malawi, Burundi, Cote D'Ivoire, South Africa, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands. We have been asked to do research on each post and then rank in order of preference with a brief explanation of why we ranked each post the way we did.
In my opinion we have an amazing list, and I wonder how many people have more than 50% of their first post options in really great countries. I would guess not too many. It would seem obvious that my ranking would be a no brainer, but it is proving to be a not so simple choice. As we learn about schools, housing, pay, job, rest and relaxation trips and much more we are seeing some places trickle up and down the list. Our list changes by the day, the hour and the minute.
An interesting this about bidding on posts is that everyone in our group has very different preferences. Some people hate the cold, others want/need better schools or want to work with another FM while they gain experience, so no one will rank the list exactly the same. Ultimately when we submit our list for consideration our preferences are only a factor in where we eventually go, so it really will be a surprise.
The surprise comes on flag day in another week. It is a fun and festive event where Janet, the kids and a couple of friends will come over along with everyone else's families and friend. The hope is that no one walks away with tears in their eyes. Even if we say we are worldwide available, that doesn't me there aren't places we don't want to go.
We are really excited about this job and everything that goes with it. As we get going there are moments we think, what have we gotten ourselves into, but overall we are thrilled for the opportunities ahead. The people we've met so far are amazing and so excited for our family to have some more great experiences.
