Written test yet for another job

Yesterday I received a call stating that I have been shortlisted for the position of Surveyor in MAAO (a national NGO). I got happy to receive one phone call after applying for all those jobs for the last four months. I did not know what to read or prepare for. The position was for a surveyor; what kind of surveyor, I did not have the slightest clue. However, I knew that these NGO surveys are all being conducted through a mobile application called KoBo. I had downloaded a video about how it works a couple of days ago. I just watched that video twice and this morning went for the test almost empty handed.  

They told me that the test will be at 9:00 A.M, but we did not get started with the test until it was half past ten. I had to wait for an hour and a half till they started calling names of applicants and organizing them in different rooms. Much to my surprise today was the coldest day of this winter so far. So I was really cold, my hands were literally shaking while writing the answers. I have to admit I kind of ruined my hand writing, I could not write as beautiful as I had intended to. Fortunately the paper was not too lengthy so I did not have to write so many lines. It was short and I think in terms of answering the questions I did pretty well. We had to write in English all the answers, which some of the candidates did not seem happy about. If this job depends on the test from this morning, I am pretty sure I am going to get it. Because frankly I completely nailed it.

I was not surprised when I found out that they have divided the applicants in multiple days. Since there were 270 jobs for the same position, therefore obviously a lot of people must have applied to it. And a considerable percentage of applicants were called for the written test. In this manner tomorrow and probably the day after tomorrow they are going to conduct their written test. I have to wait for a couple of days or even weeks until they announce the results. What to do till that?

Solayman Qazi Zada

While standing in the line of applicants waiting for my name to be called I saw someone unexpectedly. It was Solyman Qazi zada, one of my classmates from school who I have not seen in the last seven years. After graduation we kind of drifted apart. I was really happy to see him there. After hugging each other and warm greetings we got to talking there. He told me all about his adventures after graduation from college. He told me that he got a job offer right after the college. He talked about how his relatives are all well educated people with connections in high offices, some of them even have their own businesses and companies. He said that he had worked in three Northern provinces of the country for the last three years in engineering as well as humanitarian projects. He was working on a government contracted project in Sar-e-Pol province when the previous administration collapsed. Ever since he has been home searching to find a new opportunity while staying at his parents’ the way I have. Apparently all their infrastructure projects have suspended because of Taliban but this Survey is merely for fun for him. He is looking to do some great works. He has even established his even construction company. He was oddly calm and happy. He did not seem sad or frustrated or even disappointed by the events of the last few months. Seemingly he was very optimist about the future of the country. He said that Taliban are not going to stick around for long and things are going back the way they were in the early 2000s, when hundreds of projects were pouring in Afghanistan. For a moment there I wished that what he was telling me was true. Sadly, that cannot be the case. Things have changed in the country irrevocably. This is the new normal and the previous normal is a thing of the past, which we may not experience again. Unfortunately we could not exchange numbers, the announcing guy called my name before his and I had to leave and rush to the class they were pointing me towards. I should have probably gotten his number, staying in touch with someone as resourceful as him may have its uses. I suppose I might see him in the next round of the selection process. My paper was beyond good and since he has already worked in the organization, he has a pretty well chance of getting in. 

School and Teaching English

After I finished my paper and submitted it, I headed straight back home. While on my way I saw the new building that my old school has relocated in. There were some cars and bikes outside, and some students entering and exiting the building. It occurred to me that I could request to teach there for a couple of months, for free. This would be a very good way for me to have some human contact and get to visit some new people. They would not have to pay me and I would not be asking them to anyways. The important thing is if they agreed I would get to teach my own class and apply my own way of learning English to the students. It seems an exhilarating idea for the moment. I am going to ask Mahbob Turan, my friend and senior from the same school, to talk with our Principle Abdul Rahim Timor. I could talk to him directly about it but perhaps it would be better if the request came from one of his current teachers.

Being Stuck Inside

I do not seem to be able to get a passport in any time soon, at least not in a couple of months, till the situation at the passport department cools off a little. Therefore, I gotta find something to do with all the time I have got in my hands. In the mean time I will be applying for every job I might come across inside and sometimes even outside of the country. I never imagined a year ago that I will be back at square one a year later. Back to where I had started. I am not going to give up though. I have to think about the big picture. (Honestly, I don’t even know what that means. I saw it in movies, seemingly it is something people say when they are in some sort of trouble. Beyond that I have got no idea what this expression means.)

“Success is not Final,
Failure is not Fatal,
It is the Courage to Continue that Counts.”

I have to stay positive at these times. Now things are much more delegate than they had ever been. If I give it up to disappointment, failure, hopelessness; I might not be able to leave the bed in the morning. It is not like I am waking up early these mornings either but without courage to continue I might not wake up at all. Plus I keep telling myself that I am not the only one affected by the situation. Today at the exam hall there were two hundred students, all seemed in my age, young, educated and desperate to find a damn job.

Raziq Marzoq

My friend and probably one of the fewest people I am in contact with nowadays, Raziq called me to talk about his application for the save the children. A couple of days ago I applied him for a position in the Save the Children regional office in our city. Sadly his brother in law who works there calls him to let him know that he is not being considered for the position and his application has been rejected. I was really surprised to hear that. I thought perhaps his brother in law might be able to help him out, at least to get shortlisted. However, they seem to have changed their policy about hiring people whose relatives already work in the organization. According to him, they are not going to accept any application from people with the slightest ties inside the organization. I am sure this is not going to affect my application, because my parents haven’t worked there for years now. Technically I have got no ties with them whatsoever.

Raziq said that probably next week they are going to announce shortlisted candidates for all the vacancy positions. I am really looking forward for getting shortlisted in the Save the Children. It is an amazing international humanitarian NGO. Most importantly they have incredible salary scales with lots of side benefits. For Raziq it might not be that important to get a job there, because he is already have a stable job as the head master of a private school. However, when it comes to my condition, things are pretty bleak. I have to get in, there is no other way. For me it is kind of a do or die situation. It would be awesome if I could get in. I could do all these stuff while working in my own hometown, like joining gym, reading more books, getting in touch with all my friends and perhaps even teaching for an hour or two.

Let’s see what the dawn of tomorrow brings with itself….

For a prosperous future for my messed up country.