doesn't that sound like a tally heading?
well I was all set to take the job yesterday, and then a talk with my parents confused me. basically I can just see they don't want me to go because my dad is sort of like mother hen, prefers we all jsut stay in Oklahoma. and he said some things, like, what if I didn't like it once I got there, or what if my roomie moved out a month after I left. which I feel were not very constructive or supportive to the actual reasoning of going in general. but i love them and understand them, and teh one important thing I'm clinging to is my dad said don't take the first offer.
SO I decdied to write an email to the guy paying me(subcontractor to locckheed) that I didn't feel his offer was a strong competitive salary. SO his answer will be my answer, either say thankyou maybe next time and goodbye, or increase the salary.
btw - I wont' be ever leaving base and will remain at the airport/base/apartment/classroom facility the entire time except when flying out to dubai on my way to other place during our holidays there. It really shoudl be quite safe..... so I believe...anyway...
I will say I'm glad for sending the email about the salary because I have information now where I can see my base salary offered was on the low end of the scale. heck yeah I deserve more than the low end, I have my masters in bilingual education, have 3 years overseas experience, will be starting up and developing a completely new program, expected to have my legal, family, property, and financial matters wrapped up with two weeks, and I'm asked to while my current school year job is in full swing. Not to mention the recent news of the bus exploding in Kabul Saturday and this Tuesday. all thiese things I mentione din my letter asking about the salary.
Now I'll jsut wait to see what he says back to me, and then call mom and dad, and then hopefully I can start boxing up my house. ughhh. but I'm excited over all.
although this blog may not have too many wonderful hot stories in kabul, but believe me, it CANT" be any worse than the non action here in okc. ...
the other great news is that my night job my be giving me a raise, so I'm still win win either way this thing goes. ha
4 comments:
Hey Dan,
Good move on the counter offer, I have also worked abroad, and I never take the first offer.
Like you said, you have several things going for you. You have some foreign experience in the field they are looking for. This is so important, because an employer has no way of knowing which employees can deal with the culture shock issues unless that employee has worked abroad in the past. There probably are not many teachers that are specifically trained the way you are, and have foreign work experience.
Your single. If an employer is looking for someone with experience, many times the potential employee is married, has kids, or both. This complicates things, and if the family comes along with the employee, then the employer often has to offer extra benefits like private schooling, extra plane trips home, and larger housing accommodations. All of this really adds a lot to the costs of the employee, so take this into account when negotiating a salary, and remind the recruiter that you have no “baggage.” Also, you can mobilize and relocate much faster than other people.
Contract. Most expatriate contracts are 3 years. So, don’t allow them to lock you into a lower end salary for the 3 years. One year at the mid to lower range may not be so bad, you could do an outstanding job, and renegotiate your salary after a year. I don’t know what they offered you, but I think $150K should be the low end of what you will consider. Actually, I think it is possible to get more. Negotiate over email as a last resort. Negotiating in person is ideal, because you can get a look at their non-verbal communication, kind of like poker. Remember many recruiters are type-A go getters, so being somewhat submissive will stroke their ego, but submit symbolically, but stick with your number.
House. Here is what I did with my house once. I let a real estate management company rent out my house and collect the rent and order the repairs. They charged 15% of the gross rent plus any repairs. However, they were able to charge the market rate for rent (more than I thought), and if a renter doesn’t pay, they can evict them faster and easier than you can while overseas, they also perform credit checks on renters. Also, plan on remodeling some day when you return. Renters are hard on property. You already know your current roommate is a slob, imagine how he will maintain the house while your gone! VERY IMPORTANT…I learned this lesson the hard way. Replace the rubber hoses that hook up to the washing machine as a preventative measure. If one of those burst while no one is home it can flood the house in a matter of hours and cost thousands in damage. You can get a really good set of rubber hoses with a stainless steel mesh outer sleeve for $25 or so, changing those hoses every 5 years or so is one of the best ways to spend money on your home. And, just say no to renters with pets, especially if your house has wooden sub-floors. Pet urine will often soak into the sub-floor wood leaving an odor, you may have to replace the wood to get rid of the smell, expensive! I have several pieces of rental property, and I don’t even allow outdoor pets, because most people allow them to come inside at some point. Sometimes, it may take me a few extra months to get a renter that does not have a pet, but I think it is cheaper in the end, because of fewer repairs.
on the comment...
Thanks for the shout out there. You should be fine, as long as you dont get shot by the blackwater guys. Congrats!
If you don't take the job, how much might you regret that decision later? Would your regret cause friction between you and your Dad?
You're being too hard on yourself wondering if you are running away. You have a lot of life left to live to decide how you want to live it.
Great advice about a shorter contract and Hiring a Real Estate Property Management Company just in case you have to evict a non paying or destructive tenant. If your current roommate doesn't have a security deposit make him put one up before you leave and sign a proper lease. You might be better off if he decides to move, then let your property management company deal with the releasing. Things like move in inspections and move out inspections before returning a security deposit.
It might be convenient, but don't let family handle the management of your house. You'll be able to afford Professional Property Management.
Yeah Dan, do the real estate management company thing. They can often get enough extra rent to offset their fees. They also have a regular group of repairmen that they work with, so it is possible that they get a better price on repairs than an individual.
I really don't see you taking this job as running away from anything. Actually, I see it as going away to explore yourself. It sounds like you don't have a lot of freedom to do that in OKC. It would be hard to have a real bf in OKC without also coming out to family and friends. It would be too stressful to hide it while you are deciding if that is the life you want. Moving away will allow you to be more open to experimentation, perhaps not in Afghanistan, but who knows where life will lead you. Besides, I am sure it has occurred to your family and friends that you may not be straight, anytime a guy reaches his thirties and goes years at a time without a gf, people wonder, perhaps not to your face, but they do wonder.
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