Internship is going well so far, but the living situation isn't great so I'm just hanging on. I explained to my boss that they're not paying me nor are they providing a living stipend, and as such I don't know if I'll be able to stay the whole 7 weeks due to cost and might leave a week or two early. I like and want the experience, but with no pay and a bad living situation it might not be worth it. I'm here for 8+ hours per day then spending the rest of my time in the motel doing my other job, thesis work, or job searching. Free time is an illusion and it sucks. My career advisor advised applying to European jobs a year out and domestic 6 months out so I've started that whole process. Applied to a few Novo Nordisk jobs in Denmark yesterday and a Bayer job in the Netherlands last week. Bayer already said no and I'm very underqualified for one of the NN jobs, but the other they might actually be interested. Odds are low but I don't think it'll be an immediate rejection. But international job applications are difficult especially without the language skills. I'm down for most of northern, central, western, and southern Europe. I'd love to have legit time off policies and healthcare and gun control laws so hopefully it works out. Still a long-term goal to get citizenship over there and not look back. So it's just going to be a grind applying until someone decides to take a chance. Haven't started thesis research yet but it's going to be something with outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) among veteran populations. Meeting with my advisors in June to discuss a legit question as well as further information on data access and a few other things. So I need to do background research to find out what specifically I want to look at with OPAT. It's been a busy few weeks and it's only going to get worse before it gets better. But I'll be done with the internship in 3-5 weeks and then I'll be back in a real apartment with a workspace and a kitchen and nicer amenities. I'll be able to focus and do better quality work and hopefully feel less stressed.
As someone who has hired people overseas, I'll tell you it is a LOT easier to hire someone locally, than remote. If I - the hiring manager - go through the whole process (and time commitment) of looking over your resume, having an interview, then another interview, and then giving you an offer letter ... and you refuse, it's a HUGE waste of my time. And when you are not already "in country", there are about a bajillion things that can stop you from accepting my job offer. Then I've wasted all that time and energy, and have to do it all over again. If you want a job in Europe GO THERE. Seriously. Just go there on a tourist visa with a Eurail Pass, wander a bit around different youth hostels until you find a city you like, then start looking for work. The easiest thing to do is get your ESL certification. https://www.tefl.org/ No matter where you go, you can pick up classes teaching people English. This is an EXCELLENT way to make a little income, have a flexible schedule, meet locals, and brush up on your local language skills. AND, while doing this, you are learning the local culture, hanging out with locals, and can start networking and looking for work. Because if a hiring manager finds out you are here already, working, and connecting with the local community, you are a WAY more interesting person to hire! They don't want to helicopter in some dopey American kid that has never been anywhere, and is going to have a meltdown the first time they can't find a McDonalds. They want to know you are willing to take chances, do what needs to be done to make ends meet, and WANT to be in their city/country and appreciate their culture, etc. THAT is an easy hire. Even if I need to get you a work visa, you are FAR more interesting than someone overseas who (probably) won't even come if I offer you the job, or will melt down in the first three months once they do arrive.
This advice is a bad fit for a public health professional with a masters degree in epidemiology from Emory. Do you find your counsel goes down more smoothly when you call the recipient "dopey?" A friend was recruited by an engineering firm in Brisbane. Had she been to Australia? No. Did they offer her the job before she'd even been there? Yes. Did she visit, on my advice, before accepting? Yes. Did she decide Brisbane was a shithole? Yes. My experience with other trained professionals is that their hiring does not follow the same arc as that which is led by HR. We recruit doctors very differently than how we recruit front desk.They don't want to helicopter in some dopey American kid that has never been anywhere, and is going to have a meltdown the first time they can't find a McDonalds.