I Am Not In Control of This Process
After I got the job, J and I spent hours pouring over the Internet looking for information about this process or the area we are heading to. There wasn't a lot out there to be found. What little there was was outdated and not really applicable to me. I wanted to start this blog to help document the process of going over and obviously our life once we actually got there. The biggest things I've learned so far in dealing with the military:
1. I am not in control of this process.
2. I can not start the next step of the process until the previous step in COMPLETELY done.
3. I am not in control of this process.
4. My HR rep is not as worried about things getting done in a timely manner as I am.
5. I am not in control of this process.
The first taste of that was that the offer didn't come the next day as promised. I woke up nervous and excited and there was nothing in my email. Nothing all day. Then I was sure that they had, in fact, called the wrong person. The job I had interviewed for was actually a part time position that they offered me on the phone but we needed more than just part time to move across the globe. By the time the weekend was over, I had convinced myself that the offer was simply the part time one and I had misheard when he said "Full Time". Several days later, a lovely email appeared in my inbox and I finally let myself believe that this was going to happen to us. ( A small note about the time difference. Germany is 7 hours ahead of us, so I usually have any emails or voice mails from Germany by the time I wake up, I have a small window to reply to them before all the personnel leave for the day, and then the correspondence ship has sailed for the day).
Since that day I have filled out about 500 pounds of paperwork, both electronically and by hand, gotten fingerprints done, completed lab work, submitted a background investigation and child care investigation, obtained medical records, passports for the boys, pet records, certification records, and countless other things I've tried to block out of my memory. I have a file about 3 inches thick with all the correspondence back and fourth with my lovely HR folks in Germany. For almost everything, I've had to go onto Post at Redstone- something that is not easy. I don't have post access, so every time I need to get on, someone has to "sponsor" me and put me into the system. Germany doesn't have access to that system so they have to track down someone local, try and get them to put me in the system and then let me know when to be there. Countless times I've shown up and haven't actually been put into the system, thus can't get onto the post that day. Sigh. It's been a learning experience for sure, the acronyms alone have felt like learning a foreign language. As far as I know I still need to do two different physical exams, obtain the paperwork for a mysterious red government passport, get travel and moving booked, and complete the remaining medical paperwork for the kids and dog. Whew!
The good news is that I'm not the first one to do this process, others have paved the way and can offer me advice and tips. I have a new found respect for military families who do this every few years- I'm not sure how you tolerate it, I'm assuming the wine consumption is astronomical. All in all, I make sure I touch base with my HR guys every week and do what I can to complete things in a timely manner. And repeat my mantra of " I am not in control of this process". And wine, obviously.
The first taste of that was that the offer didn't come the next day as promised. I woke up nervous and excited and there was nothing in my email. Nothing all day. Then I was sure that they had, in fact, called the wrong person. The job I had interviewed for was actually a part time position that they offered me on the phone but we needed more than just part time to move across the globe. By the time the weekend was over, I had convinced myself that the offer was simply the part time one and I had misheard when he said "Full Time". Several days later, a lovely email appeared in my inbox and I finally let myself believe that this was going to happen to us. ( A small note about the time difference. Germany is 7 hours ahead of us, so I usually have any emails or voice mails from Germany by the time I wake up, I have a small window to reply to them before all the personnel leave for the day, and then the correspondence ship has sailed for the day).
Since that day I have filled out about 500 pounds of paperwork, both electronically and by hand, gotten fingerprints done, completed lab work, submitted a background investigation and child care investigation, obtained medical records, passports for the boys, pet records, certification records, and countless other things I've tried to block out of my memory. I have a file about 3 inches thick with all the correspondence back and fourth with my lovely HR folks in Germany. For almost everything, I've had to go onto Post at Redstone- something that is not easy. I don't have post access, so every time I need to get on, someone has to "sponsor" me and put me into the system. Germany doesn't have access to that system so they have to track down someone local, try and get them to put me in the system and then let me know when to be there. Countless times I've shown up and haven't actually been put into the system, thus can't get onto the post that day. Sigh. It's been a learning experience for sure, the acronyms alone have felt like learning a foreign language. As far as I know I still need to do two different physical exams, obtain the paperwork for a mysterious red government passport, get travel and moving booked, and complete the remaining medical paperwork for the kids and dog. Whew!
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| Official red government passport |
The good news is that I'm not the first one to do this process, others have paved the way and can offer me advice and tips. I have a new found respect for military families who do this every few years- I'm not sure how you tolerate it, I'm assuming the wine consumption is astronomical. All in all, I make sure I touch base with my HR guys every week and do what I can to complete things in a timely manner. And repeat my mantra of " I am not in control of this process". And wine, obviously.
Remember for your photos required for German documents and identification you are not allowed to smile, you will have to find a booth and retake them...
ReplyDeleteYes! Luckily our passport pictures are appropriately morose and the boys were surly for theirs too. I'm still gloating over not having to take the German driving test!
ReplyDelete