"You'll receive your visa in 7 days by Chronopost". Those were the last words that the embassy employee said last Wednesday after my final interview at the consulate in Paris. These words were a relief to me. I thought: "That's it, the wait is over. After more than a year of being processed, my visa has finally been accepted and I will be able to hold it in 7 days." I was thinking that I would be able to make my plane which was already booked for the next Friday, 9 days after the interview.
Now is exactly 7 days later. I am at home. I am doing nothing. I am waiting for this visa. I am waiting for the master key that will enable me to be with Mike again. I am waiting by the window, looking at every car passing by, hoping that one of them is going to stop and hand me my precious visa. Waiting is a real torture. The Chronopost envelop has to arrive before 1pm and it is already almost 11am. Every minute passing by is one less chance to receive it today. And if I don't get it today? What do I have left? Tomorrow. Tomorrow will be 8 days after my interview but since Tuesday was a holiday (nov. 11), it would make sense that the process be delayed by 1 day.
Ok, I guess that tomorrow will again be a "waiting day".
Showing posts with label green card. Show all posts
Showing posts with label green card. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Waiting for Miss Green
I wanted to write a post about how hard it is to just wait. I don't think that I am a particularly impatient person but sometimes waiting can be some sort of a torture.
Mike and I got married last July in France. We came back to the United States in August and sent an application for a spouse visa in September after gathering together all the necessary documents. Unfortunately, we forgot to add the check (!) to the package so we learned that we had to resend the whole package one more time, which we did a month later in October. At the time, we were told on the phone that the process usually takes 3 to 4 months to come through and I was happy thinking that I would be a legal resident by January or February. Little did we know that because of an increase in the fee (which we were not aware of), the number of applications doubled during the summer months and delayed the process. We didn't think much of it at first and continued to wait. Meanwhile, I had to go back to France in November because I cannot stay more than three months in the United States with a visitor's visa. So, I went back to France, I worked in a store for the Holidays and I came back to the United States mid-January. The immigration officers kept me for a while after I landed in Boston because I didn't have a return ticket. At the time, I was thinking that my green card would be ready by April and that I would take my return ticket once I knew exactly when I can pick up my visa at the American embassy in Paris. Unfortunately (and I should have known that), you are not allowed to come to the USA without a return ticket if you are a visitor. Luckily, Mike was at the airport and bought me a ticket to go back in April. This little event traumatized me a little because I felt like the officers were accusing me of sneaking into the country. One of them told me : "I am two inches to deporting you back to France." I am probably too sensitive but I had just traveled for 10 or 12 hours, I was very tired from the jet lag and this officer scared the hell out of me.
Anyway, I felt better after a couple days. Mike and I started looking for a house because we were still living with his parents at the time. Given the good economic conjuncture for buying real estate (with the prices dropping) and Mike's good salary, we decided to look into buying instead of renting. It was a fun period that kept me busy. I kept looking for houses on the Internet and Mike and I would go to open houses in the week end. After a couple of weeks, we found our dream house in Wakefield. We went to an open house on a snowy day and we put an offer right away. We passed papers in March and became homeowners - rather Mike became a homeowner as they refused to put my name on the deed and the loan probably because of the residency issue. In April, we had still not heard from the visa office. All we knew was that the check had been cashed in January. Mike decided to contact his Congressman, Edward Markey and his aid, Maggie McClory helped us by contacting the visa office for us and sending a letter to have my case expedited. She also managed to tell us our application number.
April came and I had to go back to France. I decided to go for just a week because I didn't want to be apart from Mike for a long time any more. I was very happy to see my family. I told them everything about the house and the town of Wakefield. After a week, I came back. This time, I didn't make the same mistake again: I had a return ticket for July. Nevertheless, the officers were even harder on me. The first immigration officer asked me what I was going to do in the USA. I told him that I was here to visit (because I have a visitor visa). He asked me who I was going to visit. At first, I just said: "some friends" because I know that "husband" is the trigger word that brings me directly to the special office downstairs for further interrogation. But then he asked me if I was married and I always swore to myself that I would never lie to immigration officers because I want to do things the right way. I am convinced that if I do things the right way, everything is going to go fine for my Green Card. That's the reason why I never overstayed any visa, I never worked while being in the USA. I have always done things the right way. So I told him that I was married to an American citizen and that I was coming here on a visitor's visa to be with my husband while my spouse visa was being processed. And of course, as I was expecting, he sent me to the special office downstairs for further investigation. Downstairs, the officer asked me all kinds of questions about me and Mike, where we met, where I went to school, what I studied... He asked me if I had a job in France and I said "no". I told him that I had a return ticket, that I never overstayed any visa and I was just here to be with my husband. He spent a long time behind his computer typing things and it made me really nervous. Then, he told me to go get my bags which I did. He opened them and checked all the items I had. While in France, I went to the store with my mom to buy some little things for the house like place mats and bowls. I also brought some stuffed animals and things that belonged to me. When he saw those, the officer told me that as a visitor, I am only supposed to bring things like clothes and toiletries and that the items I brought make things look like I was going to stay in the USA and not come back. At the end, all my things were scattered on the floor. He told me to put them back into the suitcases and went back to the computer. The people there were all looking at me and I felt a little humiliated. I closed my suitcases and went back to sit on the bench. I waited a long time and eventually, the officer came back and gave me my passport. He told me that it was okay for this time but that I have to be very careful because it might not be as "easy" next time! He told me that if I continue to do this, I will have spent more time in the USA than in "my foreign country" and that it is not normal. I wanted to tell him that all I wanted was to be with my husband, with the love of my life and that I wasn't trying to do anything illegal. Is it wrong to want to be with the person you love more than anything in the world? Is it wrong to try to start building a life with the person you love? Is it wrong to bring personal items to the place I want (and am entitled) to live? In his mind, there was a risk that I was going to immigrate illegally to the USA. But what would be the point for me? As the spouse of an American citizen, I have the right to come live with my husband (or rather my husband has the right to have me live with him) so why would I try to compromise that by immigrating illegally? Is being an illegal alien such a desirable life? Having to hide from authorities all the time, not being able to find a real job, not being able to be part of a community: is that desirable? I know that some people come to America illegally because they are desperate: they live in a poor country, have no job and see no future for themselves. In that case, for them, coming to the USA and living as an illegal alien beats the alternative. This is extremely sad and I feel grateful for not being in that position by my situation is totally different. I am not immigrating to the "USA", i am immigrating to "my husband's country" and it is very different. I really like the USA and I like living here but I would have never come live here if it wasn't for Mike. I am not coming here to have a better job. I went to one of the best universities in France and I know that I could have found a very good job in Europe. If anything, my job opportunities here are thinner because while my school, Sciences-Po, has a very good reputation in France, it is hardly known here. I wanted to tell all that to the immigration officer but I didn't dare. I thanked him and walked away, eager to fall in Mike's comforting arms.
It is now mid-June. We still haven't heard from the visa place. They were supposed to have sent us a letter to confirm that they received our application in January but we never received anything. Congressman Markey asked them to resend the letter in April but we still didn't receive anything. Mike called again on Monday to make sure that they had the right address and they are supposed to resend it another time. According to their website, they are supposed to be done processing the applications from July 31st, 2007 and it hasn't moved since March (it already said July 31st). We sent our application in October but it was opened only in January so I don't know which one counts. I am going back to France on July 6th with Mike. We are going to spend 3 weeks there together and then I don't think that I am going to come back on a visitor's visa. I think that I am going to stay there until I finally have the card. It is getting too expensive to go back and forth. It is already hard enough to pay a mortgage and everything that goes with it with just one salary. I don't really know what to think anymore as far as the how long it is going to take. Mike thinks that once they pass those summer months, it should get faster. I am trying to stay positive and be optimistic but it is not always easy. I always thought that I could start applying to schools by now and that I could start working in September. Now, I don't think that it is possible any more.
I feel really frustrated because all I am doing now is waiting. I am waiting and I don't even know for how long. I feel like I cannot start my life because I don't have this magic pass. That's what the immigration officer tried to tell me by pointing out all of the things I brought with me: I do not have the right to feel at home here yet. I feel like I am not welcome here, I feel like I am a suspect and I have to keep a low profile until they clear me. All I want to is living a normal life with my love: when am I going to be allowed to do that?
Mike and I got married last July in France. We came back to the United States in August and sent an application for a spouse visa in September after gathering together all the necessary documents. Unfortunately, we forgot to add the check (!) to the package so we learned that we had to resend the whole package one more time, which we did a month later in October. At the time, we were told on the phone that the process usually takes 3 to 4 months to come through and I was happy thinking that I would be a legal resident by January or February. Little did we know that because of an increase in the fee (which we were not aware of), the number of applications doubled during the summer months and delayed the process. We didn't think much of it at first and continued to wait. Meanwhile, I had to go back to France in November because I cannot stay more than three months in the United States with a visitor's visa. So, I went back to France, I worked in a store for the Holidays and I came back to the United States mid-January. The immigration officers kept me for a while after I landed in Boston because I didn't have a return ticket. At the time, I was thinking that my green card would be ready by April and that I would take my return ticket once I knew exactly when I can pick up my visa at the American embassy in Paris. Unfortunately (and I should have known that), you are not allowed to come to the USA without a return ticket if you are a visitor. Luckily, Mike was at the airport and bought me a ticket to go back in April. This little event traumatized me a little because I felt like the officers were accusing me of sneaking into the country. One of them told me : "I am two inches to deporting you back to France." I am probably too sensitive but I had just traveled for 10 or 12 hours, I was very tired from the jet lag and this officer scared the hell out of me.
Anyway, I felt better after a couple days. Mike and I started looking for a house because we were still living with his parents at the time. Given the good economic conjuncture for buying real estate (with the prices dropping) and Mike's good salary, we decided to look into buying instead of renting. It was a fun period that kept me busy. I kept looking for houses on the Internet and Mike and I would go to open houses in the week end. After a couple of weeks, we found our dream house in Wakefield. We went to an open house on a snowy day and we put an offer right away. We passed papers in March and became homeowners - rather Mike became a homeowner as they refused to put my name on the deed and the loan probably because of the residency issue. In April, we had still not heard from the visa office. All we knew was that the check had been cashed in January. Mike decided to contact his Congressman, Edward Markey and his aid, Maggie McClory helped us by contacting the visa office for us and sending a letter to have my case expedited. She also managed to tell us our application number.
April came and I had to go back to France. I decided to go for just a week because I didn't want to be apart from Mike for a long time any more. I was very happy to see my family. I told them everything about the house and the town of Wakefield. After a week, I came back. This time, I didn't make the same mistake again: I had a return ticket for July. Nevertheless, the officers were even harder on me. The first immigration officer asked me what I was going to do in the USA. I told him that I was here to visit (because I have a visitor visa). He asked me who I was going to visit. At first, I just said: "some friends" because I know that "husband" is the trigger word that brings me directly to the special office downstairs for further interrogation. But then he asked me if I was married and I always swore to myself that I would never lie to immigration officers because I want to do things the right way. I am convinced that if I do things the right way, everything is going to go fine for my Green Card. That's the reason why I never overstayed any visa, I never worked while being in the USA. I have always done things the right way. So I told him that I was married to an American citizen and that I was coming here on a visitor's visa to be with my husband while my spouse visa was being processed. And of course, as I was expecting, he sent me to the special office downstairs for further investigation. Downstairs, the officer asked me all kinds of questions about me and Mike, where we met, where I went to school, what I studied... He asked me if I had a job in France and I said "no". I told him that I had a return ticket, that I never overstayed any visa and I was just here to be with my husband. He spent a long time behind his computer typing things and it made me really nervous. Then, he told me to go get my bags which I did. He opened them and checked all the items I had. While in France, I went to the store with my mom to buy some little things for the house like place mats and bowls. I also brought some stuffed animals and things that belonged to me. When he saw those, the officer told me that as a visitor, I am only supposed to bring things like clothes and toiletries and that the items I brought make things look like I was going to stay in the USA and not come back. At the end, all my things were scattered on the floor. He told me to put them back into the suitcases and went back to the computer. The people there were all looking at me and I felt a little humiliated. I closed my suitcases and went back to sit on the bench. I waited a long time and eventually, the officer came back and gave me my passport. He told me that it was okay for this time but that I have to be very careful because it might not be as "easy" next time! He told me that if I continue to do this, I will have spent more time in the USA than in "my foreign country" and that it is not normal. I wanted to tell him that all I wanted was to be with my husband, with the love of my life and that I wasn't trying to do anything illegal. Is it wrong to want to be with the person you love more than anything in the world? Is it wrong to try to start building a life with the person you love? Is it wrong to bring personal items to the place I want (and am entitled) to live? In his mind, there was a risk that I was going to immigrate illegally to the USA. But what would be the point for me? As the spouse of an American citizen, I have the right to come live with my husband (or rather my husband has the right to have me live with him) so why would I try to compromise that by immigrating illegally? Is being an illegal alien such a desirable life? Having to hide from authorities all the time, not being able to find a real job, not being able to be part of a community: is that desirable? I know that some people come to America illegally because they are desperate: they live in a poor country, have no job and see no future for themselves. In that case, for them, coming to the USA and living as an illegal alien beats the alternative. This is extremely sad and I feel grateful for not being in that position by my situation is totally different. I am not immigrating to the "USA", i am immigrating to "my husband's country" and it is very different. I really like the USA and I like living here but I would have never come live here if it wasn't for Mike. I am not coming here to have a better job. I went to one of the best universities in France and I know that I could have found a very good job in Europe. If anything, my job opportunities here are thinner because while my school, Sciences-Po, has a very good reputation in France, it is hardly known here. I wanted to tell all that to the immigration officer but I didn't dare. I thanked him and walked away, eager to fall in Mike's comforting arms.
It is now mid-June. We still haven't heard from the visa place. They were supposed to have sent us a letter to confirm that they received our application in January but we never received anything. Congressman Markey asked them to resend the letter in April but we still didn't receive anything. Mike called again on Monday to make sure that they had the right address and they are supposed to resend it another time. According to their website, they are supposed to be done processing the applications from July 31st, 2007 and it hasn't moved since March (it already said July 31st). We sent our application in October but it was opened only in January so I don't know which one counts. I am going back to France on July 6th with Mike. We are going to spend 3 weeks there together and then I don't think that I am going to come back on a visitor's visa. I think that I am going to stay there until I finally have the card. It is getting too expensive to go back and forth. It is already hard enough to pay a mortgage and everything that goes with it with just one salary. I don't really know what to think anymore as far as the how long it is going to take. Mike thinks that once they pass those summer months, it should get faster. I am trying to stay positive and be optimistic but it is not always easy. I always thought that I could start applying to schools by now and that I could start working in September. Now, I don't think that it is possible any more.
I feel really frustrated because all I am doing now is waiting. I am waiting and I don't even know for how long. I feel like I cannot start my life because I don't have this magic pass. That's what the immigration officer tried to tell me by pointing out all of the things I brought with me: I do not have the right to feel at home here yet. I feel like I am not welcome here, I feel like I am a suspect and I have to keep a low profile until they clear me. All I want to is living a normal life with my love: when am I going to be allowed to do that?
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
First post
So I decided to start my blog today: April 30, 2008.
I could have definitely found a better sentence to start with, something more original, but the white page kinda scared me so I preferred to jot down a first sentence quickly.
I guess that I should introduce myself in this first post. Here is what I wrote about me on my Facebook profile:
I could have definitely found a better sentence to start with, something more original, but the white page kinda scared me so I preferred to jot down a first sentence quickly.
I guess that I should introduce myself in this first post. Here is what I wrote about me on my Facebook profile:
"I am a French citizen waiting for her spouse visa to become a Massachusetts resident. I fell in love with my soul mate 3 1/2 years ago and now we are married and homeowners! I love you Mike ♥
I think of myself as a pretty easy going person even if I can get upset for silly reasons sometimes (but it usually doesn't last long at all).
I like simple things. It doesn't matter what you are doing as long as you are with people you love. I love my family and my friends and even though I can't see them as much as I would like too, it makes the moments we are together that much more special. My goal in life is to be happy, do what I like and make people around me happy.
I am romantic, shy, anxious, insecure and sensitive (sometimes a little oversensitive but I am working on it). I am a perfectionist but I like to start things and have to be better at finishing them. I am liberal, curious, creative and considerate and I value tolerance, modesty, open-mindedness and respect.
Once I get this (longed-for) visa, I am planning on trying to find a teaching position. I would like to teach French, ideally in high school."
I think of myself as a pretty easy going person even if I can get upset for silly reasons sometimes (but it usually doesn't last long at all).
I like simple things. It doesn't matter what you are doing as long as you are with people you love. I love my family and my friends and even though I can't see them as much as I would like too, it makes the moments we are together that much more special. My goal in life is to be happy, do what I like and make people around me happy.
I am romantic, shy, anxious, insecure and sensitive (sometimes a little oversensitive but I am working on it). I am a perfectionist but I like to start things and have to be better at finishing them. I am liberal, curious, creative and considerate and I value tolerance, modesty, open-mindedness and respect.
Once I get this (longed-for) visa, I am planning on trying to find a teaching position. I would like to teach French, ideally in high school."
This description doesn't say everything about me but I think that it is a good start.
Right now, I am at my desk, in my office, in my house, in Wakefield, in Massachusetts, in the United States of America, on Earth.
I decided to start a blog because I would like to talk about my life, my experiences and my thoughts. A lot has changed in my life recently: I got married 9 months ago, I moved to a new country, I applied for my green card last October (and I am hoping to get it this summer), Mike and I bought a house and I am starting to look for jobs and for the kind of career I would like to pursue. I humbly think that it might be of interest for some people even though I must admit that I created this blog primarily for me. I think that it can help me know myself better and gain some confidence.
I feel like I am just starting to be a grown-up. This feeling is really recent. Even after I got married, I felt more like a child (or maybe a teenager) than an adult. It was probably due to the fact that I lived either with my parents or my in-laws. But Mike and I have been living in our new house for more than a month now and I think that it changed my state of mind. I feel more responsible and I am less scared of calling people on the phone - Ok, I didn't say that I wasn't scared at all anymore - but I handle it much more easily.
I am also feeling more confident about my professional future. I think that I know what I want to be and this gives me a lot of self-assurance. As I said earlier, I would like to be a teacher. I attended three classes yesterday and I talked to several teachers at the Melrose High School and I feel really confident that it is what I want to do. After wondering for years what I wanted to do for a job, I think that I finally know and it makes me feel really good. Ever since I got my diploma from Sciences-Po, I have been considering teaching but I wasn't positive that it was what I really wanted to do. And this ambivalence, this uncertainty made me feel really uncomfortable. I started doubting that I would ever find a job. I think that, to be honest, those doubts originated from a letter I received from the administration of Sciences-Poin 2005, a couple of weeks before starting my Masters. I still have this letter in my email box and I copied it (sorry it is in French):
Right now, I am at my desk, in my office, in my house, in Wakefield, in Massachusetts, in the United States of America, on Earth.
I decided to start a blog because I would like to talk about my life, my experiences and my thoughts. A lot has changed in my life recently: I got married 9 months ago, I moved to a new country, I applied for my green card last October (and I am hoping to get it this summer), Mike and I bought a house and I am starting to look for jobs and for the kind of career I would like to pursue. I humbly think that it might be of interest for some people even though I must admit that I created this blog primarily for me. I think that it can help me know myself better and gain some confidence.
I feel like I am just starting to be a grown-up. This feeling is really recent. Even after I got married, I felt more like a child (or maybe a teenager) than an adult. It was probably due to the fact that I lived either with my parents or my in-laws. But Mike and I have been living in our new house for more than a month now and I think that it changed my state of mind. I feel more responsible and I am less scared of calling people on the phone - Ok, I didn't say that I wasn't scared at all anymore - but I handle it much more easily.
I am also feeling more confident about my professional future. I think that I know what I want to be and this gives me a lot of self-assurance. As I said earlier, I would like to be a teacher. I attended three classes yesterday and I talked to several teachers at the Melrose High School and I feel really confident that it is what I want to do. After wondering for years what I wanted to do for a job, I think that I finally know and it makes me feel really good. Ever since I got my diploma from Sciences-Po, I have been considering teaching but I wasn't positive that it was what I really wanted to do. And this ambivalence, this uncertainty made me feel really uncomfortable. I started doubting that I would ever find a job. I think that, to be honest, those doubts originated from a letter I received from the administration of Sciences-Poin 2005, a couple of weeks before starting my Masters. I still have this letter in my email box and I copied it (sorry it is in French):
Les champs couverts par le master Carrières internationales sont passionnants et attirent de nombreux élèves, français comme étrangers. Cette lettre a pour objectif de vous tenir informé(e) du caractère très compétitif et volatil des marchés du travail auxquels vous pouvez prétendre à la sortie du master de Sciences Po.
1) Pré-requis
Grâce à l’expérience des dernières années, nous savons que, avant d’entrer dans ce master et pour préparer au mieux votre entrée sur le marché du travail, il est préférable de :
- maîtriser au moins trois langues vivantes : français + anglais et une autre – que vous suivrez au moins en niveau 4 dès votre entrée en master ;
- disposer au préalable d’un domaine de compétence, c’est-à-dire avoir déjà eu une expérience professionnelle significative dans le secteur privé (en marketing, en finance, en ressources humaines, en communication…) et/ou disposer d’un parcours académique plus technique (école d’ingénieur, école de commerce, université de droit…). En effet, les entreprises, organisations internationales, ONG et associations sont à la recherche de jeunes diplômés compétents déjà formés et, si possible, possédant une solide base technique.
2) Un exemple de débouché
Le cas des organisations internationales :
- Vous pouvez être recruté(e) en tant que consultant(e) parce que vous avez une bonne connaissance de terrain acquise grâce à une double formation (par exemple ingénieur/Sciences Po) ou si, après votre master, vous faites l’équivalent d’un PhD – dans ce cas, attention, le master Carrières internationales ne permet pas d’inscription en thèse à Sciences Po.
- Vous pouvez travailler dans une organisation internationale en tant que fonctionnaire international(e), selon les modes de recrutement de chaque organisation (dossier, concours, annonce…) si vous êtes ressortissant(e) d’un pays sous – ou pas du tout – représenté en son sein. Attention, les organisations internationales étant en effet soucieuses d’atteindre un équilibre de représentation parmi leurs fonctionnaires, la nationalité devient un critère de recrutement discriminant pour les jeunes professionnels. C’est la raison pour laquelle ce master compte et attire autant d’étudiants étrangers, et qu’il peut se révéler une impasse pour des ressortissants de pays normalement ou sur-représentés. Sont visés ici – mais pas seulement – les étudiants de nationalité française, qui sont fortement encouragés à consulter les sites Internet des organisations internationales et à se renseigner sur les processus de recrutement (sur le site de l’Unesco, par exemple, vous avez un état des lieux de la « répartition géographique », c’est-à-dire de la représentation de chaque pays).
- Vous pouvez travailler au sein de la représentation de votre pays d’origine auprès d’une organisation internationale. Attention si vous êtes ressortissant(e) français(e) : si vous êtes intéressé(e) par une carrière diplomatique, le master Affaires publiques est plus approprié pour vous former dans la mesure où, face à la sur-représentation de la France dans plusieurs organisations internationales, les délégations nationales sont votre principale voie d’accès. Le master Affaires publiques vous préparera alors de manière très performante aux concours administratifs qu’il vous faudra passer. D’autre part, le master Carrières internationales attire aussi beaucoup d’étudiants étrangers parce que, en fonction de leur projet professionnel, sitôt leurs études terminées ils envisagent de rentrer dans leur pays d’origine afin de faire valoir la diversité et la qualité de leur formation et, ainsi, occuper des postes à responsabilité.
Aux étudiants issus des 1ers cycles de Sciences Po, aux étudiants qui proviennent des filièreslittéraires et similaires, etc. :
- Malgré votre forte motivation et la qualité de vos études, il vous faudra peut-être – pour être compétitifs sur le marché de l’emploi – chercher à suivre une formation complémentaire ou à obtenir des stages très variés, de longue durée et à responsabilité. Sans cela, beaucoup de recruteurs dans ces secteurs risqueraient de trouver votre profil moins dense que celui de diplômés disposant de plus d’expérience ou d’une compétence technique spécifique.
- Face à ce problème, voici deux solutions qui se fondent sur des visions à moyen et long termes :
1) Vous acceptez les règles du jeu de ces milieux professionnels, c’est-à-dire des stages successifs non rémunérés ou du volontariat dans des zones reculées (avec des indemnités tournant autour de 350 Euros par mois),vous faites vos preuves et acquérez les compétences techniques sur le tas, jusqu’à ce qu’on vous propose un CDD voire un CDI. Mais là encore, vous devez être conscient(e) que les postes qui vous seront proposés seront faiblement rémunérés – autour de 1.500 Euros par mois. Si vous n’avez pas choisi cette filière pour l’argent, interrogez-vous tout de même sur le coût de la vie dans la région où vous travaillerez.
2) Vous adoptez une approche différente et, dans un certain sens, plus pragmatique : vous partez des métiers pour atteindre l’institution et ses objectifs philanthropiques. L’UNESCO, le PNUD, l’AFD, Veolia Environnement, Médecins du Monde…, toutes ces institutions ont besoin de marqueteurs, de communicateurs, de juristes, d’administrateurs, d’auditeurs, de financiers ou encore de gestionnaires en ressources humaines. Vous suivez d’abord une formation dans ces domaines, puis, une fois diplômé(e) ou après quelques années d’expérience dans une entreprise – qui vous auront permis de maîtriser ces compétences techniques –, vous postulez auprès de ces institutions avec une réelle valeur ajoutée.
This letter basically said that choosing International Affairs as a major was a bad idea if your goal was to find a job after getting out of school, unless you were okay with spending several years during various internships (paid euro 350 per month)... I was probably very innocent at the time because now I recognize that everything in this letter is not wrong like I thought ; but I felt cheated when i received it because I had always been told that whatever you study in Sciences-Po, you'll get any job you want because it is such a great school. Ok, I know, I WAS pretty naive but that's what they told us at the time: "Wow, you're going to Sciences, you have Dominique Strauss Khan as teacher, you are the elite, blah blah blah." Inspite of this letter, I decided to keep studying international affairs because it was what I wanted to study from the beginning. As soon as I entered Sciences-Po right after High School, I knew that it was what I wanted to study. I have always been interested in international current events, the relationships between countries and I really wanted to work for an International Organization. I ended up keeping this major because no other one appealed to me. I didn't want to study marketing, communication or business. I already knew at the time that I wanted to live in the United States after graduating and I didn't see the point in studying French Law or French public administration. So, I studied International affairs with a concentration in Conflicts and Security. I don't regret it because I learned a lot of interesting things during those two years. The classes were great, the students and the faculty were more international than in other Masters and in the end, I am happy that I did it. But for the months that followed my graduation, I didn't know what I was going to do for the rest of my life and it scared me a lot. During all my school years, I was like on a path already written for me. I knew where I was going: towards graduation, I knew what I had to do: study, do well on the tests... Life was pretty easy. Once I graduated, I felt like I was left alone, I had to decide where to go and what to do on my own and it frightened me a lot. In addition, the fact that I didn't have my green card yet and therefore couldn't work in the United States added to my frustration. I felt useless, I felt like I was burden for Mike. I feel much better today, although I still don't have my green card but I know that it is on its way. The USCIS opened my application in January. I was assigned a number and I am now waiting. The process usually takes 3 to 6 months but this year, because they increased the fee (which we were not aware of), the number of applications tripled right before the deadline. They had to open a whole new service to take care of the surplus. It now takes closer to 9 months to get the visa. I hope to get it this summer because I would really like to find a job for next September. If I can't work right away, I guess that I'll try to find a position in the middle of the year - although it would be much harder - or I would do substitute teaching in order to get some experience with students. I would like to be able to work soon too because I hate to see the burden of paying for every expense rely on Mike. The mortgage and utilities are big expenses and at the end of the month, we don't have much more to spend. Another salary would really make things easier! But even without considering the money, I really feel like I want to do something, to feel useful and feel like I am making a difference, even if it is a small one.
Ok, that was my first post and it ended up being pretty long. I doubt that all of my posts will be that long but I really really hope that I'll stick to writing my blog every so often so that I can share what I am living, my experiences and my thoughts with others that might be interested.
Thank you for reading my first blog.
1) Pré-requis
Grâce à l’expérience des dernières années, nous savons que, avant d’entrer dans ce master et pour préparer au mieux votre entrée sur le marché du travail, il est préférable de :
- maîtriser au moins trois langues vivantes : français + anglais et une autre – que vous suivrez au moins en niveau 4 dès votre entrée en master ;
- disposer au préalable d’un domaine de compétence, c’est-à-dire avoir déjà eu une expérience professionnelle significative dans le secteur privé (en marketing, en finance, en ressources humaines, en communication…) et/ou disposer d’un parcours académique plus technique (école d’ingénieur, école de commerce, université de droit…). En effet, les entreprises, organisations internationales, ONG et associations sont à la recherche de jeunes diplômés compétents déjà formés et, si possible, possédant une solide base technique.
2) Un exemple de débouché
Le cas des organisations internationales :
- Vous pouvez être recruté(e) en tant que consultant(e) parce que vous avez une bonne connaissance de terrain acquise grâce à une double formation (par exemple ingénieur/Sciences Po) ou si, après votre master, vous faites l’équivalent d’un PhD – dans ce cas, attention, le master Carrières internationales ne permet pas d’inscription en thèse à Sciences Po.
- Vous pouvez travailler dans une organisation internationale en tant que fonctionnaire international(e), selon les modes de recrutement de chaque organisation (dossier, concours, annonce…) si vous êtes ressortissant(e) d’un pays sous – ou pas du tout – représenté en son sein. Attention, les organisations internationales étant en effet soucieuses d’atteindre un équilibre de représentation parmi leurs fonctionnaires, la nationalité devient un critère de recrutement discriminant pour les jeunes professionnels. C’est la raison pour laquelle ce master compte et attire autant d’étudiants étrangers, et qu’il peut se révéler une impasse pour des ressortissants de pays normalement ou sur-représentés. Sont visés ici – mais pas seulement – les étudiants de nationalité française, qui sont fortement encouragés à consulter les sites Internet des organisations internationales et à se renseigner sur les processus de recrutement (sur le site de l’Unesco, par exemple, vous avez un état des lieux de la « répartition géographique », c’est-à-dire de la représentation de chaque pays).
- Vous pouvez travailler au sein de la représentation de votre pays d’origine auprès d’une organisation internationale. Attention si vous êtes ressortissant(e) français(e) : si vous êtes intéressé(e) par une carrière diplomatique, le master Affaires publiques est plus approprié pour vous former dans la mesure où, face à la sur-représentation de la France dans plusieurs organisations internationales, les délégations nationales sont votre principale voie d’accès. Le master Affaires publiques vous préparera alors de manière très performante aux concours administratifs qu’il vous faudra passer. D’autre part, le master Carrières internationales attire aussi beaucoup d’étudiants étrangers parce que, en fonction de leur projet professionnel, sitôt leurs études terminées ils envisagent de rentrer dans leur pays d’origine afin de faire valoir la diversité et la qualité de leur formation et, ainsi, occuper des postes à responsabilité.
Aux étudiants issus des 1ers cycles de Sciences Po, aux étudiants qui proviennent des filièreslittéraires et similaires, etc. :
- Malgré votre forte motivation et la qualité de vos études, il vous faudra peut-être – pour être compétitifs sur le marché de l’emploi – chercher à suivre une formation complémentaire ou à obtenir des stages très variés, de longue durée et à responsabilité. Sans cela, beaucoup de recruteurs dans ces secteurs risqueraient de trouver votre profil moins dense que celui de diplômés disposant de plus d’expérience ou d’une compétence technique spécifique.
- Face à ce problème, voici deux solutions qui se fondent sur des visions à moyen et long termes :
1) Vous acceptez les règles du jeu de ces milieux professionnels, c’est-à-dire des stages successifs non rémunérés ou du volontariat dans des zones reculées (avec des indemnités tournant autour de 350 Euros par mois),vous faites vos preuves et acquérez les compétences techniques sur le tas, jusqu’à ce qu’on vous propose un CDD voire un CDI. Mais là encore, vous devez être conscient(e) que les postes qui vous seront proposés seront faiblement rémunérés – autour de 1.500 Euros par mois. Si vous n’avez pas choisi cette filière pour l’argent, interrogez-vous tout de même sur le coût de la vie dans la région où vous travaillerez.
2) Vous adoptez une approche différente et, dans un certain sens, plus pragmatique : vous partez des métiers pour atteindre l’institution et ses objectifs philanthropiques. L’UNESCO, le PNUD, l’AFD, Veolia Environnement, Médecins du Monde…, toutes ces institutions ont besoin de marqueteurs, de communicateurs, de juristes, d’administrateurs, d’auditeurs, de financiers ou encore de gestionnaires en ressources humaines. Vous suivez d’abord une formation dans ces domaines, puis, une fois diplômé(e) ou après quelques années d’expérience dans une entreprise – qui vous auront permis de maîtriser ces compétences techniques –, vous postulez auprès de ces institutions avec une réelle valeur ajoutée.
This letter basically said that choosing International Affairs as a major was a bad idea if your goal was to find a job after getting out of school, unless you were okay with spending several years during various internships (paid euro 350 per month)... I was probably very innocent at the time because now I recognize that everything in this letter is not wrong like I thought ; but I felt cheated when i received it because I had always been told that whatever you study in Sciences-Po, you'll get any job you want because it is such a great school. Ok, I know, I WAS pretty naive but that's what they told us at the time: "Wow, you're going to Sciences, you have Dominique Strauss Khan as teacher, you are the elite, blah blah blah." Inspite of this letter, I decided to keep studying international affairs because it was what I wanted to study from the beginning. As soon as I entered Sciences-Po right after High School, I knew that it was what I wanted to study. I have always been interested in international current events, the relationships between countries and I really wanted to work for an International Organization. I ended up keeping this major because no other one appealed to me. I didn't want to study marketing, communication or business. I already knew at the time that I wanted to live in the United States after graduating and I didn't see the point in studying French Law or French public administration. So, I studied International affairs with a concentration in Conflicts and Security. I don't regret it because I learned a lot of interesting things during those two years. The classes were great, the students and the faculty were more international than in other Masters and in the end, I am happy that I did it. But for the months that followed my graduation, I didn't know what I was going to do for the rest of my life and it scared me a lot. During all my school years, I was like on a path already written for me. I knew where I was going: towards graduation, I knew what I had to do: study, do well on the tests... Life was pretty easy. Once I graduated, I felt like I was left alone, I had to decide where to go and what to do on my own and it frightened me a lot. In addition, the fact that I didn't have my green card yet and therefore couldn't work in the United States added to my frustration. I felt useless, I felt like I was burden for Mike. I feel much better today, although I still don't have my green card but I know that it is on its way. The USCIS opened my application in January. I was assigned a number and I am now waiting. The process usually takes 3 to 6 months but this year, because they increased the fee (which we were not aware of), the number of applications tripled right before the deadline. They had to open a whole new service to take care of the surplus. It now takes closer to 9 months to get the visa. I hope to get it this summer because I would really like to find a job for next September. If I can't work right away, I guess that I'll try to find a position in the middle of the year - although it would be much harder - or I would do substitute teaching in order to get some experience with students. I would like to be able to work soon too because I hate to see the burden of paying for every expense rely on Mike. The mortgage and utilities are big expenses and at the end of the month, we don't have much more to spend. Another salary would really make things easier! But even without considering the money, I really feel like I want to do something, to feel useful and feel like I am making a difference, even if it is a small one.
Ok, that was my first post and it ended up being pretty long. I doubt that all of my posts will be that long but I really really hope that I'll stick to writing my blog every so often so that I can share what I am living, my experiences and my thoughts with others that might be interested.
Thank you for reading my first blog.
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