Love and the Job Hunt - Lauren Mayros
When you first come to Vienna, on a short or extended stay, you will usually visit any number of celebrated sights around the city. Atrip to Stephansdom, the Hofburg, the Opera House, Schönbrunn Palace, or Hotel Sacher for some classic Sacher Torte, will quickly acclimate you to the culture and beauties Vienna has to offer. In September of this year, I had arrived in Vienna for an extended stay. My boyfriend had recently accepted a job in Vienna, and together, we decided that the Capital of Austria would be a phenomenal city for us to start our life after graduate school. We could not wait for our own apartment, no roommates to share the bathroom with, no more late night studying, and no more exams! So in addition to writing my dissertation, I spent my summer searching for jobs in Vienna. I came close a few times to finding employment, but always came up against the wall that most new graduates face: a lack of work experience, or in my case, a lack of a work permit.
I certainly did not want to become a cliché. Here I was, a highly educated and independent woman, moving to Vienna, well I guess to be honest, for the love of my life. However, I did not believe I was giving anything up when it came to my own career path. I now had two degrees in International Relations, and as it was my dream to work for an International Organization, I believed, and still do, that Vienna presented me with just as many, or more job opportunities, than anywhere else. So on September 6, I flew into Vienna International Airport, with my very supportive and loving partner, and a dream to succeed in this foreign city. I was determined to find a job, and I took on the attitude that I have always tried to adhere to…where there is a will, there is a way.
And as it were, on my first evening in Vienna, I did not visit any famous palace, or take a carriage ride around the city, or even indulge in any Sacher Torte. Actually, my first foray into the Inner Stadt was to the Hotel Intercontinental, to attend the first general meeting of the Women’s Career Network. On one of my many internet searches to learn more about Vienna and the job market, I came across the website for the WCN. As I started reading about the organization, I realized the many opportunities the WCN presented. Not only would I meet other professional women, learn valuable networking and leadership skills, but perhaps I could also make some new friends. The funny thing was, the particular search in which I found the WCN, happened to be around 6:00 p.m. on September 6! I read that the first general meeting of the year would take place in one hour! Even though I was tired from the trip on the plane, and very much wanted to see some of the city, I thought that rest and sightseeing would just have to wait. So off I went, into an unfamiliar city, armed only with a map and a desire to take advantage of such a great organization in Vienna.
After taking the long way to get there, and getting lost once or twice, I finally arrived at the Intercontinental. I just hoped that the WCN turned out to be as valuable as I was hoping it would be. And I wasn’t disappointed. I was happily greeted by many diverse, professional, and interesting women. Many had come to Vienna for exactly the same reason as I did. And all were encouraging and helpful when answering my numerous questions. I left that first meeting feeling even more motivated than before I arrived. I saw first hand that many other women had succeeded in doing exactly what it was that I wanted to accomplish – finding employment in Vienna! I would love to end saying that, three months later, my job hunt is over and I have found a job. But alas, my pursuit continues. Of course, I realize the job search can be a long and exhaustive process, and in the meantime, I am trying to stay motivated and active (for there is really no excuse to be bored in Vienna!). But soon, I hope I can turn this love story into a success story!
-- Lauren Mayros
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