Is it time?

Is it time to leave the US for overseas? I've always wanted to live overseas for a year or two but haven't really put in effort into researching the possibilities. My company is headquartered in Germany. When I lived in Houston the company I worked for was based out of India. These last few weeks I'm watching a lot of my friends and coworkers leave for overseas. Could I be next? I mean I'm not opposed. I'm not married I don't have any children and my parents are in pretty good health. At this point in my life I don't even have a significant other. I want out of my job and what a great start it would be in another country! I really need to think and pray on this!

My homeboy left this morning for Dubai. He quit working at my company last year because he said there was more to life than working 18hr days! So, he quit. He chilled, traveled and took a 4 month consulting job in Jamaica. He started to seriously look for a new job about 6 weeks ago and he lands at a company based out of Dubai! He's agreed to stay for a minimum of 18mos. I WILL BE GOING TO VISIT HIM NEXT YEAR! Dubai is on my bucket list! Two of my coworkers moved to Hong Kong. J left our firm because MS was paying him big bucks to go to Hong Kong. He only had to commit for one year! R is leaving Friday for Hong Kong and she stayed with the firm but just took another job! She's my favorite person at work plus she writes my reviews! I've watched her have so much anxiety over the last month about the move and if she's doing the right thing etc. She already lived in London ten years ago but came back when her father passed away! She said she's giving it one year. If she likes it she'll stay if she doesn't she's out and she may change her profession altogether and move back to the states and settle down in LA! My other homeboy A quit working last week. He was passed up for MD and said that made him re-evaluate his life. So, he quit last week and is moving to LA to do something on the business end of fitness(what better place to go). He has NO job,is subletting a place for 60 days and is going to figure out what he wants to do! He has a daughter who just finished her freshman yr at pretty prestigious college. He told me has her tuition covered for the next four years along with plenty of stacked paper. He said if he's not worried he can always go back to what he was doing. Plus he has excellent academic pedigree(US Naval Academy and Harvard Business School). Last but not least a blogger buddy named Arnetta is moving to Japan tomorrow to teach English for a year!

I wish I would've done this earlier in my life but I was too busy traveling and partying! I definitely have to think long and hard if this is something I want to pursue. Or is it that I want out of my job and I'm thinking of anything. I think the international experience would be so fly! What say you? If you had the chance would y'all move overseas?

A few reasons why we're at 16.5%

I was looking at the unemployment stats and it says that the unemployment rate is 9.7% BUT for blacks the unemployment rate is 16.5%!! It's historical that blacks have always had a higher rate of unemployment compared to the rest of America but this is just ridiculous. It's almost double. I know we're barely coming out of a recession but that number is unacceptable. I think I have a few reasons why a few of my people are unemployed.

My people when you get a call for an interview at a MAJOR investment bank please dress accordingly. I don't care if it's in the mailroom,cafeteria, administrative assistant or lawyer. PUT ON A DAMN SUIT! It doesn't have to be an Armani suit but wear a suit. Women if you decide to wear a skirt please make sure I can't see the dimples in your ass! That's what they make Spanx for. Comb your damn hair and tame down the weave. Leave the excess perfume at home and for the love of God cut your damn monster claws down and paint them a normal damn color. People don't want to see nails 4 inches long with nail art.

I know some people are not raised to know what is appropriate wear etc but I think you have no excuse when you're over 25 and I don't care what your family life was like. If you can text, tweet and look on the internet you can Google what's appropriate wear to an interview.

One of my close girlfriends is a Senior Manager at a biotech firm. Her area is all of NYC,Long Island and Northern Jersey. She has 6 reps under her and NOT one black. During the interview process she always interviews black because like my profession their aren't a lot of US. BUT she hasn't been able to hire a single black person because of straight foolishness. People coming completely unprepared for the interview, inappropriately dressed, not knowledgable on the subject matter and of course LATE! The last dude she interviewed was ONE HOUR late. So after the dude interviewed with the other members of her team. She called him in and asked him if he thought it was appropriate to come to an interview an hour late and dude was like I thought it was at this time and she said how when I sent you a confirmation email and you confirmed. She told him how she just couldn't hire him because he would be a reflection of her.

The few things I listed are some of the reason that black people are unemployed. These reasons are NOT the only reasons but they damn sure are some of them. Oh yes and please stop putting your kids at a disadvantage with names like Quay'Kanisha, J'Terria, Mu'Funkay and Quaku. I know we like to be different but make the middle name different!

I think as a whole we can do better. Not because Obama is President but because we should want to do better for ourselves. Yes, this is a recession, times are hard, companies aren't hiring like they used to BUT you need to fight for that position. Remember if a white person is giving 100% we need to give %125!

Mid Year Review on Goals

Below are the goals I posted back in January for myself! Guess what. I haven't completed NOT ONE OF THESE GOALS! It's a damn shame! I'm so disappointed in myself!
1.I mean damn I couldn't even keep my word to God! It's never too late so I will read the Bible(I'm just six months late in starting) But dammit I will read it! I can't let God down!

2. I did one volunteer program! I really suck! I'm doing some things at work and helping people who've been out of the job market for awhile. I will be reviewing their resumes and conducting mock interviews! Most of the people are former welfare recipients.

3.Hmm well can't lose weight Shell when you're too busy partying! Needless to say I haven't lost any weight but not gained either.

4.Tithe more. Can't tithe if you don't take your ass to church! I didn't go to church the entire month of June! I SUCK! But I did do bedside baptist and tithed one time! I went to church this past Sunday and tithed! I must go the remainder of July!

5.Toastmasters---yeah right! Only thing I've been toasting is my damn Vodka!

6.Decide if I'm going to business school! Yep, I want to go but am doing nothing to make it happen! I need to take Calculus since I haven't taken it in 5 years! You think I signed up for a summer class. Hell no, I'm too busy partying! I'm the worst! I WILL BE IN SCHOOL IN THE FALL TAKING ALL MY PRE-REQ'S!

7.Never bought my flat screen! That's out of pure laziness! And me saying I don't watch as much tv in the summer! I will buy one by the time College Basketball starts! Go Heels!

8.I haven't ran a single 5k! I still have time!

9.Blog three times a week! I have failed miserably at this!

This weekend was my last weekend going out they way I have! I have been completely out of control In the last 6 weeks I think I've spent $2500 on going out and eating out! That is damn ridiculous! I'm not wanting for money but that loot could be in my ING account or spending money for Barcelona! I'm very disappointed in my behavior thus far for the year! Out of 9 goals I've completed 1! Fricken ONE! I WILL DO BETTER!

MY ORIGINAL GOALS:
1.Read the Bible- I found a chart that shows you how to read the Good Book in a year! I've already slipped up but I had to play catch up. I can't play around with the man upstairs!

2.Volunteer- When I lived in DC I always tutored kids in reading and math. I coached track and field Special Olympics! Since moving to NYC I haven't participated in any of this..*sigh* I have my interview next week for BigBro BigSis, I also want to find a program where I check on elderly people once a week!

3.Lose 10 lbs- this isn't really necessary but I just feel like I need to drop these 10. I've put on 10 in the last year. Most of it is muscle but I feel like it's a little too heavy for me! All my weight goes to my booty. My stomach is flat as hell! LOL! I guess I shouldn't complain. Some chicks would die for ass!

4.Tithe more- I do tithe but it's not as much as I should be giving.

5.Take a career development class. I am terrified to speak in front of people! I need Toastmasters...lol!

6.Decide if I'm going to apply to Business School. Lawd this is HUGE! If I do this I'm going to the full time program and will quit my job! In my head I know I can do this. I have no bills but basics. Gas, electric, phone. But I will have to dip into my savings and I don't want to!

7.Buy a flat screen- LOL! I know this shouldn't be a goal but I hate spending money on electronics! I'm buying one next week!

8.Run at least 3 5K's. Possibly one 10k.

9. Blog at a minimum of three times a week!