Sometimes life has a small surprise in store, just as a taster to try to encourage a broken person to keep on struggling through for a bit longer. It is a cruel trick really, like a drug pusher who provides just enough "extra" to get and then keep a person on the hook. Today, while I was on my way to an appointment with a "job coach" at the unemployment office, I had one of these small surprises.
It came in the form of a friend.
Who I haven't seen for something like fifteen years.
I was standing in line at a café nearby the office as I had an hour to kill, and next to me was a guy I didn't really pay much attention to, until he spoke. He has a distinctive voice that I recognize, even though he is speaking Finnish, so I looked closer. I almost didn't recognise him - he has got so old!
He recognised me, as I haven't changed at all since we last met...
He was sitting with his girlfriend and asked me to join before they were leaving by train to go back home in the north of the country. He is about as close to a renaissance man as they come these days, as he is razor sharp, highly technically skilled in multiple areas, and also able to turn his hand to multiple sports - and he has a great personality. When he moved out of the city and we lost touch over time, it was a shame. We were able to get a quickfire catchup conversation in and I had the chance to get to know his girlfriend a little, who is absolutely lovely, and just as intelligent.
But all too soon, they had to go to their train.
And I was off to the unemployment service meeting.
This was actually a pleasant surprise too, because the person who is my "job coach" is really nice and nowhere near as terrible as I thought they might be and we had a great conversation about many things - even though they couldn't really help me. You see, they have different coaches depending on the type of applicant, and I had been given to her. The problem is, she is someone who finds work for vocational school type people, and those looking to get into vocational studies. She thinks that there was some kind of "mistake" by the person evaluating, because I should have been sent to someone who works with higher-level professional roles, as I went to university and have a lot of experience in Finland and out.
She is going to talk to her supervisor about it, but the problem is that if something does come up suitable (unlikely I believe), she won't get notified, which mean I won't even get pushed forward. Essentially, I will fall through the cracks because of the mistake. Still she was really nice and we talked about a lot of different things, including some conversation about employment.
Being unemployed (and needing work) sucks!
Especially because no matter what services I have talked with, the consensus is pretty much the same - I am going to have to do it myself. They seem to think it pretty unlikely that I will find a role in my field, so all have "suggested" to build my business instead of looking too hard for an employed role. It seems that my opinion is backed up, that given the current economy and the current political climate, "people like me" are really struggling to find work. What was interesting with the coach was she said it was rewarding to find work for those she tends to work with (foreigners) because they are willing to work at anything and grateful to get work. She used to work with Finns and most of them were looking for ways not to work.
A lot has to change to balance this world slightly.
But, I am not going to get stuck on there tonight and instead I am going to take the win of running into an old friend (we are now chatting as he is on the train) and having a good conversation with someone who is a civil servant who seems to care and is trying to do her best for her clients. That in itself restored a tiny bit of my faith in humanity.
I just have to stay well away from the news.
Taraz
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