How We Got Here

OK - so the question that Cindy and I have been asked the most frequently since we decided to move to the UAE is, "How did you hear about the job?"

Here's the full story.

During the fall of 2008, as I was getting close to graduation, Cindy and I decided that we were willing to move for me to take a job pretty much anywhere in the world - as long as I could teach in English. We've always wanted to live abroad and travel a little bit, and this seemed like a good time. We don't have any kids; our parents are in good health, so why not?

So we started looking at jobs in the US and the outposts of the former British Empire. I applied to schools in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, and Hong Kong. There were only about 60 jobs available worldwide for MIS professors, and there were about 300 or so Ph.D. graduates in MIS last year. When you add to that the reality that some people who are already working as professors are applying for those jobs, the odds don't look great. Then there was the financial crisis in late 2008, and most schools saw revenues and government funding decrease. As a result, many of the schools to which I applied chose not to fill their positions. So of my 50 applications, I got 6 preliminary interviews, and then nothing. Christmas break came and went and there wasn't much activity at schools with regard to hiring. Most people get offers in January or February, and things weren't looking good. At this point, I had to acknowledge that I needed a new strategy.

So I started in on a new round of applications - this time applying literally anywhere people spoke English. Cindy and I pulled lists of colleges from around the globe and as long as they had an English website, I applied. This approach only netted about 20 more schools - mostly in the Middle East. One Saturday afternoon in January, Cindy and I were sitting at Starbucks lamenting my poor job prospects. I was sending out some e-mails to follow up on my applications and after I sent a message out to the University of the United Arab Emirates (in Al Ain, UAE), I laughed and said, "If we move to the UAE, can I even get a decent cup of coffee there?" So I got on the Starbucks website to see if they even had Starbucks in the UAE. It turns out that they do - lots of 'em - and I noticed that one of them was even on a college campus. I said, "I've never heard of the American University of Sharjah, but if they have a Starbucks, they've got to be OK. Let's see if they've got a job."

They did. In the Business School. In MIS. I applied. Immediately.

I got a call from their Dean the next day. "We're interviewing North American candidates next weekend in San Francisco. Can you come out for an interview?" So I flew out and interviewed. The school called me back about two weeks later and offered me the position and I took it.

But there's more.

None of this would have happened if our friends Todd and Jess hadn't stayed with us in Lubbock about 3 years ago. Cindy and I used to make fun of Todd and Jess as "those people" who spend $5 on fancy coffee at Starbucks. Then, when they were staying at our house for about a week, they started bringing us drinks. About one a day. Apiece. White Chocolate Mochas and Caramel Macchiatos and Toffee Nut Lattes. Starter drugs.

Our descent was gradual. At first we only went when we had a gift card. Then, it was "only when we really needed coffee." You know the rest of the story. We ended up hooked. We're coffee snobs now. We're still not one-a-day people, but we're definitely helping Starbucks stock price.

And so if I'd never picked up my Starbucks habit, I would never have needed to know if there was good coffee in the UAE. And I never would have heard about the American University of Sharjah.

Here's a picture of me, Cindy, and our friend Todd - in Starbucks on campus - when he came to visit us two weeks ago. I hope you enjoyed the story.