I do well with deadlines, project management, editorial calendars and strategic plans. It's a good thing, because I've got a big one looming and I need your help to beat it.
I have agreed that if B doesn't find a position in his field by July, we'll move to Australia.
I know, right!?
When we decided to marry, we had to choose which county to settle in. The US won out for many reasons.
B was confident his education and professional experience would transfer easily and he would have no problem landing on something as soon as he has a Green Card in hand.
I was a little more cautious considering the difference between our two healthcare systems. After all, in the US system of for-profit healthcare, little is invested in prevention, wellness and health promotion. However, I believed a Master's Degree in Health Promotion + seven successful years in the field and Bachelor of Science in nursing and more than ten years practicing as an RN made him a highly desirable hire for one of the few health promotion positions.
We were both wrong.
Two years of applications, interviews, writing sample grant proposals and sample project/campaign outlines haven't yielded fruit.
So, I'm ready to test the "who you know" premise and find out who I know. And ask if the people I know can facilitate introductions or help B uncover opportunities that aren't common knowledge. Basically, who do the people I know know.
B likes to frame our possible relocation to Australia as following in the tradition of our forefathers ... leaving England for a land of opportunity. His family immigrated to Australia, while mine crossed the pond to seek their fortune in the U.S. And, he argues, between the two counties, Australia is the land of greater opportunity. I would love to prove him wrong.
This is me, asking you for help.
Sorry to hear B is having such a difficult time finding a Health Promotion job. I heard you were in the Portland area and jobs in healthcare/nursing are extremely tough in the Portland area right now. I've been here since Aug 2005 and back then jobs were easier to come by, so I did not have a very hard time finding a RN position in a hospital. However, I can tell you even back then, I applied to jobs in other areas of the country and they were literally knocking on my door, trying to give me bonuses, pay relocation expenses, etc and I only had 1 year of experience at that time. That was not the case here in Portland. Yes, I got an offer for every job I interviewed for, but they were not offering any incentives. Today, with the economy, SOOO many nursing schools in the area (both for RN and master's level), and Portland being as desirable as it is to live in, the healthcare market here is way over-saturated. Sorry I don't have good advice. All I can think of is if you want to stay in the US, maybe consider moving outside of the Portland area?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the insight. I've been told PDX has a glut of highly educated and under employed people for the reasons you point out.
ReplyDelete