Surviving Mexico

June 3, 2022 · 6:53 am

Job Hunting Ain’t What It Used To Be — Part 4

May dawned, and with it, more job hunting. I’d gotten desperate and clicked on some Facebook and Linkedin ads. I also sent some other links to my son, who has been job hunting along with me.

One recruitment site had me jump through all sorts of hoops. On the application, I was instructed to write “Apple Pie” to answer a question about attention to detail. Then I had to take a picture of my workstation and myself holding a sign. There was a short video component to be recorded via Zoom and some screenshots that needed to be jpg, not png. Then there was the interview. That was something else, let me tell you.

This lovely lady asked me some questions about my experience, my morning routine (which at the time did not involve any work tasks), how to prepare the meal I eat most often (chicken milanesa with rice, beans, tortillas, and salsa that my sister-in-law made), and what color I was (I picked yellow, green, and purple).

Although I felt good about the interview, I apparently did not answer something or other right because I received an email the next day to inform me they would not be “pushing on with my application.”

The same day, I had another interview with a realtor in Illinois. This was actually the second interview for the position. The first was with a woman who explained the job (tracking down real estate leads) and asked me a bit about myself. I do have office experience. I know a bit about buying and selling as I both bought and sold a house in the U.S. I’m also fluent in Spanish (and a native English speaker) and met the requirement of living in Mexico. However, the pay was abysmal, and I think the young lady was embarrassed when she told me that I would be earning $100 pesos an hour ($4.94 USD). Well, beggars can’t be choosers, and I went ahead with the second interview. That interview didn’t have as good of feel to it, and I wasn’t surprised to receive the rejection email.

I guess I don’t interview well. I’m an introvert, believe it or not. And these video interviews are extraordinarily challenging for me. Yes, I know I’ve been teaching online for the past couple of years, but when I’m teaching, I move to that flow state and am no longer bothered by being on screen. Of course, I must not have gotten to that state during those demo classes I failed last month because I was also REJECTED for that position.

Even though I don’t seem to be alone in this struggle to find online work, I’m not really into this misery loves company mindset. (Study Shows That 47% Of Frustrated Job Seekers Searching Outside Their Field)(Why everybody’s hiring but nobody’s getting hired) Once more, into the fray….

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A Woman’s Survival Guide to Living in Mexico series

Día del Padre In Central and South America

In Mexico, Father’s Day (Día del Padre) is observed on the third Sunday of June, just like the neighbor to the north, the U.S. Other countries don’t move the date around and celebrate it on June 17th, no matter which day of the week it falls. Most countries in Central and South America follow the U.S.’s lead with the date, but there are some notable exceptions.

La República Dominicana coordinates Father’s Day with El Dia de San Joaquín, observed on the 26th of July. Brazil’s Father’s Day is later, observed on the second Sunday in August, but the choice of date is again related to St. Joachim. August 16th is the feast day for this venerable saint. According to Catholic tradition, Joaquín (or Joachim) was Mary’s father and, therefore, the grandfather of Jesús. He’s since been awarded patron saint status overseeing both fathers and grandfathers on their special day.

Bolivia and Honduras go with el día de San José on March 19, as does Spain. José, although not the biological father of el Niño Jesús according to biblical records, nonetheless did the right thing by María and raised her son as his own. Thus, choosing this day is a nod to those who man up and raise children they may not be related to.

Nicaragua celebrates Día del Padre on July 23rd with the auspicious title Día del Padre Nicaragüense. Uruguay celebrates a bit earlier in the month. There, Día del Padre is observed on the second Sunday in July, the beginning of winter break.

As I’ve mentioned before, in Mexico, Día del Padre is not a huge event like Mother’s Day. However, typically there is a school event that dads are invited to since school is still in session. This event tends to be a bit more hands-on than the presentations and bailes tradicionales (traditional dances) mom gets to enjoy. There are often races and impromptu fútbol (soccer) games.

And there we have it! Don’t forget to send a shout-out to your dad wherever he might be! SignedCards will send a handwritten sentiment to Dad for you! Check out the hundreds of card options at SignedCards.com.