Phone interviews and other things...

I had a phone interview yesterday. My first one ever! It was interesting. I thought it would be tougher and I was honestly considering the methods suggested by my esteemed colleagues from the States:

Interviewer: “So, you know that the job requires utmost familiarity with the various business process re-engineering methodologies. Could you name your favourite three approaches with its respective pros/cons and your conclusion for a self selected example.”

Me: “Yes, with pleasure. I have always liked the BPR theory and I was thrilled when I could apply the various methodologies for the first time ....uh, hello, hello, ... Are you still there? Hello? No, I do not speak Spanish! Go out of the line, I have an important interview.”

Interviewer: “Yes, I hear you. Can you hear me? I am listening! Continue. I can hear you.

Me: ” I can barely hear you... Hello? Hello! Damn, this line is dead, hello,hello....”

[I hang up]

Okay, that was the plot. But fortunately, I was not asked anything in this regard. They indeed thought, I would be well qualified. However, they asked the other more obvious questions:

• Why am I in Uganda?
• What do I do here?
• Why do I want to go back to Frankfurt to the bank?
• How would I contribute to the business area's success?
• And why do I want to work for that particular group?

And the worst question was the last one. I had to be partly insincere. I was told to be it. I told my HR officer, what I wanted to do and she said I had to be more open and flexible. So, I found some good arguments, why I wanted exactly that job. They actually sounded pretty reasonable – for me. However, my interview partner asked the right questions and concluded hundred percent correct that I would be better in other areas, which happened to be exactly the ones that I once listed as my favourite positions. So, I really liked him and I will – if I happen to get another job or if they conclude not to take me – tell him how right he was.

My CV has so far been pretty straight forward. Although I keep on saying that being in Uganda in my current job was something advantageous – it is not. It fits. But whatever will come next will be somehow crucial. I will decide what I will do the next decades now. I definitely have to finish my Ph.D. soon, in order to have a back up solution.

I told a good friend of mine recently, that I somehow envy them. They all stayed or returned to my home town. They have this stability in life that I am somehow longing for. Right now, I feel being in equilibrium with me and my environment.

Speaking of equilibrium: I learnt yesterday that this amazingly funny girl from Canada will leave this country soon. Well, I hope she follows her friend's example and returns. Or, that she really found her Mr. Big in South Africa. She would indeed deserve it. So, another one will be gone soon.

And in a few weeks, I will have to give my farewell speech. Or maybe not: Saturday, I will go rafting on the Nile with this new company ;-)

But will I miss a country, in which a private radio station is closed for broadcasting critical or shall I say publicly controversial opinions which is not fully in line with the government's opinion? I hold back with a comment on this for a while...

I was actually again very surprised, when I came back from another South Park evening on Tuesday and I saw those groups of soldiers in camouflage uniforms and on Wednesday, when I saw this big gun mounted on Hummer¹. I mean, they even stopped me with my bicycle this time. I could not “cruise” up and down on Upper Kololo Drive that time. It used to be the best place to have a look at the functions on the Airstrip.

1A car, which I would not mind driving at all – just to compensate other physical deficiencies ;-)