Doomed to stay in Germany.

[admylin]

Dh has just phoned from UK where he just had a very tough interview, reckons he won't get the job and says it's better in Berlin. I feel like I am never going to get away from here now. The kids will be devastated too if he doesn't get it.
I can survive here, the language is a pain as I can't seem to get over a certain level, I'm stuck, can't study and hard to get a job...maoan moan I know but this interview was like a light at the end of a tunnel and now I have to re-think.

Most of the "bad" intereviews I have had have been ones where I DID get the job. Don't give up hope just yet.

And there will be other jobs.

Fingers crossed for you.

That's what I was thinking after he phoned. His last interview wasn't that great and he got the job, the one before that he was sure she would offer him the job too and she didn't.
The interviewer asked silly questions though, like why do you want to come to work in England and the job is only permenant if you keep publishing (science) so in 2 years if you don't publish where will you go...that's a bit of an off putting question/remark or not? Also after that said, so you would move with your whole family for 2 years ? Oh god, I'm never going to get out of here.

Oh admylin, sorry you're feeling down. Here's you wanting to get out of B and me looking forward to coming back.

To be fair, I don't think those are silly questions - it is an undertaking to move countries for a job that might only last 2 years. The interviewer needs to be sure your dh knows what he's letting himself in for if he's offered the job.

Fingers crossed for you.

I know, it is a risk for us to pack up and probably have to get rid of most of our things because we wouldn't be able to afford to move everything. Still, now it's made me think, and dh will be thinking the same thing so if he doesn't get this job he might not apply for so many in England because of the risk. That is why I just have this feeling of "doomed to stay in Germany". Life would be so much easier in England for me and the kids, it wouldn't make much difference to dh, all he sees is the inside of his laboratory which ever country he is in and that is what he said at the interview too. When asked why he wanted to work in England, he said I don't care which country I work in, all I am interested in is the good lab, getting published and getting results I could be in USA, MAlaysia or Germany it's all the same to me.
Does that sound like a good interview answer?!

Hmm do you know what Admylin? I think he DOESN'T want to go back to the UK.

Fingers crossed for you that he does get offered the job.

SSSandy, you are right, moving to the UK isn't so important to him as I said - he could be any where as he is in his lab most of the time anyway. He does know that life would be easier for me and the kids in England though.
After reading those denstist threads and finding out how much council tax is - I think we are better off in Berlin as it is.

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Hi Pruni, the TOEFL student is very advanced so I only have to help when she pronounces words wrongly - she isn't very confident either! I think she will pass the test though.
Mad scientists are hard work aren't they. Nature is dh's dream, he hasn't published there yet but he is working with a group of scientists now who ONLY publish in Nature so his hopes are high!

As answers to interview questions go, it doesn't actually sound too bad to me. His emphasis on the importance of lab time and publication seems like the kind of thing that might appeal.
Fingers crossed for you!

He also told them he didn't have any hobbies and his wife had the home and kids "under control" 100%. And I was planning to change that if we moved! I'd never get 50/50 but maybe 70/30%!

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He is Indian with German nationality. Yes, I know the hUmboldt University is quite a good place to work as a scientist. Only trouble is, they rarely give permenant jobs so we are always on 2 or 1 year contracts. The job in England would be permenant if he published, so although he will always get a renewed contract here in Berlin it isn't 100% sure but then again it isn't 100% sure he will publish in England so I guess the risk is always going to be there.
I understand the never switching off you mentioned, my dh sometimes has a great idea in the middle of the night and he has to get up and work on it so he doesn't forget it, usually wakes me up too as I am a light sleeper.

But won't this position end anyway admylin? If he's employed at the Humboldt for 5 years, they're obliged to give him a permanent job (which is why they are very careful not to let it add up to 5 consecutive years)

That's a good question, have to get him to find out about that. Did they not change the rules after the strikes recently? He wants to go for a professor job eventually so it depends if he gets in with the right people which he is quite good at and in Germany having the right connections is still your best bet for getting a job.

Bet they didn't change it because once you're permanent research/teaching staff at university, you're a Beamte. That means you cannot be fired even if you do next to nothing. It's very difficult to get a permanent position in academia here these days.

A permanent position would be nice because we could settle. I can't bring myself to make the home anything more than functional, no cosy bits or plants or big decorating sessions. I know we will have to pack up again and paint the place white to hand it over etc.. dream on.