Bewerbung

So I've pulled together and sent off 4 Bewerbungen - job applications - and sent them off. With lots of help from Stefan, who is currently home hobbling about. He threw his back out on Sunday morning lifting the laptop onto the desk (go figure) and had to get injections from his Dr. on Monday. He was told not to go to this seminar where he'd have to sit for 9hrs/day and told instead to stay home. So, home he is, and busy helping me with applications, interspersing the days with shouts of pain as he attempts to tie his shoes, or some other such thing. Thankfully he's doing MUCH better, but still has some needed healing.

Meanwhile, applications are done. Not without much ado, though! A few things are different here:
1) Paper applications, still commonly requested.

2) You have to state your date of birth. - illegal question for employers to ask in the US during the hiring process

3) You have to state your marital/family status. - also an illegal question in the US

4) You have to include a wallet-sized picture of yourself. - do I have to say it???

5) I kid you not they wanted a copy of my high school diploma - ha ha, somewhere in some box probably in my parent's garage?!?? Does any American know where their high school diploma is?? Oh, that just made me laugh!

6) So then of course you can reason they want a copy of my college degree - which is fun because it says 2006 on it (last bill paid off), the transcript says 2000 or 2001 was when the last class was taken (depends on how you read it), and my alumni affiliation status is with 2000. Nevermind that no diploma of mine has a Zeugnis on it - a number grade for my whole degree program. Kind of like GPA, but that's meaningless here. Oh FUN FUN FUN!
Yesterday we copied, signed, stuffed and mailed the applications. Not cheap. Also not cheap was the 42 euro photo session (I was charged for 2 sittings since I blinked during the first set - how is that fair???) and 8.50 charge for 4 pictures to be printed. SO annoying! But given the time crunch we had no time to argue, bwah! I had no idea which was better/more professional, color or black/white, so I did 2 of both. Color pictures went to the 2 Ausbildung places and the 2 black/white prints went to the main HR offices of 2 firms.

I applied to an Ausbildung program which, at this point, I must say I'm really not excited about anymore. The concept is a good one for 17yr olds not planning to go to university, but I think I'm going to be seriously bored if I have to do this program! So the lady in charge of collecting the applications called me this morning and left a voicemail giving me the third degree over not including copies of my educational Zeugnis'. I called back and explained that I don't get Zeugnis' in America and the only thing I have is a paper saying the program was completed or a transcript which lists in detail ALL classes and LETTER (not number) grades. She said this was really not helpful and I needed a Zeugnis. Oh brother, I told her I would give her what I had, but in America we don't receive anything other than diplomas or transcripts. Sigh.
For the record, Stefan called her later to confirm I heard her right, and he got the same talking-to-a-brick-wall conversation. Thanks Miss Helpful! Goodness, do you have any idea how easy it would be for me to forge those documents, especially since they're foreign, and especially since they only ask for copies and not certified originals?!?! I'm honestly flabbergasted with how seriously they take such unsecure documents. Overall I'm not too worried since I'm not excited about that employment option anymore. However, one can always say no, but one can't always go and apply after the deadline....hm. Better to keep all options on the table as long as possible.