NOVEMBER 2018: U.S. expat based in Augusta, Georgia (USA) since September 2018. Am looking for work in the U.S. or anywhere internationally, available immediately.

Just by way of backdrop, I've lived in the Middle East for much of the last 12 years and have traveled extensively (30 countries on six continents to date).

As a guest, I am clean / quiet / considerate, as I recognize that inviting a complete stranger into your home is a big undertaking. So I try to repay that by being as little trouble as possible, I feel that's the very least I can do in return for a host's kind hospitality!

Personality-wise, I am adventurous, fun, friendly, outgoing, upbeat, positive, have a kindhearted & generous nature, am a loyal friend, fun, flexible, laid-back, enjoy great conversation & making new friends :-) I love to laugh & have a good sense of humor, am sometimes a little quirky / nutty LOL

I personally don't smoke but generally don't mind smokers. I sometimes drink socially, but only occasionally. I enjoy kids as well as animals of all sorts, so no problem if my host has children or pets!

*PLEASE NOTE: It is important that my host has good wi-fi or DSL that I can connect to on my laptop to access the internet, as I do not have a SmartPhone. (I need internet access both to job-hunt as well as line up my next CS host). Also, when possible, I usually try to find a host that is centrally-located & near a train station since I do not have a car and am traveling with a large 32-KG suitcase plus a carry-on bag, which is a bit difficult to transport via bus.

PROFESSIONALLY: I'm currently looking for work in Norway or anywhere internationally, flexible as to role / sector. Available immediately. 12 years of Middle East work experience, including 7 years as a contractor in Iraq. Specialties include Project Management / Marketing & Communications / Public Relations / Research, Analysis, & Reporting.

Sectors I've worked in include Oil & Gas, Electricity, Defense, Military, Government, Security, Agriculture, and IT.

I also have experience with NGO / Non-Profit / International Development work (to include Capacity Development, Reconstruction, Community Stabilization, Youth Engagement, Job Creation, LN Training, Women Empowerment, Fundraising, etc.)

I love networking, so feel free to connect with me on any of the websites below:
*LinkedIn: www.Linkedin.com/in/JennaBisenius
*RallyPoint: www.rallypoint.com/join/spc-jenna-bisenius
*FaceBook: http://facebook.com/jenna.bisenius1973
*InterNations: I'm in the Oslo, Norway community under "Jenna Bisenius"
*OilPro: You can find me under "Jenna Bisenius" in Oslo, Norway

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've found that CouchSurfing is a wonderful way to make new friends -- I still stay in touch with nearly every single one of my hosts! I also enjoy CouchSurfing because it gives me the chance to learn about other cultures. Because I travel so much, I am not currently able to host anyone myself at the moment, but I have had the pleasure of staying with some lovely hosts through CouchSurfing and hope to be able to return the favor one day once I'm a little more settled.

Interests

Hobbies include: Reading, dining out, live music, sightseeing, road trips, walking, hiking, camping, horseback riding, snorkling, cooking classes, movies, spas, shopping.

Interests include: International travel, classic novels, modern non-fiction, fundraising, volunteering, charity events, animal rescue, professional networking, photography, electronic photo editing, graphic design & illustration, writing, desktop publishing, the use of the internet and social media as a networking and marketing tool, modern science & new technology.

My favorite foods are Asian (Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipino, etc.) as well as French, Italian, some Mexican, some German, and of course typical American / British / Western fare.

However, I'm not terribly keen on Middle Eastern or Mediterranean cuisine (Arabic / Lebanese / Turkish / Greek, etc.) nor am I much into Iranian / Indian / Pakistani food -- Sorry! Just not my thing :-)

I rarely drink coffee / tea and don't smoke shisha, so coffee shops & shisha places aren't really of interest to me. I also am not much into the whole "club scene," although having a few drinks in a small, cozy pub with friends or going to see some live music in a bar or cafe is always fun :-)

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC: Tom Waits, Morphine, Soul Coughing, Les Claypool, Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, Tracy Chapman, Amy Winehouse, Sade, Jeff Buckley, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Prima, Dianna Krall, the Beatles, Rolling Stones...too many to list, as I love music and many different genres at that!

MOVIES: Anything by the Cohen Brothers or Quentin Tarantino

BOOKS: Anything by Rudyard Kipling, Jack London

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Too many to list...Petra, Jerash, Um Qais, and Mt. Nebo in Jordan come to mind offhand, as do many little out-of-the-way places in Thailand, and of course both Sarajevo and Budapest back in 1997 -- All amazing places I want to go back to again!

I love traveling and have visited 29 countries on six continents to date. Cities I have lived in include London, Oslo, Cairo, Istanbul, Dubai, Sarajevo, and Atlanta.

Teach, Learn, Share

I enjoy meeting with people who are well-read and well-traveled, who have depth to their personality, as I enjoy good conversation and learning new things. I like people with a strong, well-defined character who know who they are and what they want out of life and who stand by what they believe in.

LIFE PHILOSOPHY:
- Treat others as you would wish to be treated.
- Manners, honesty, and integrity are non-negotiable.
- Pay it forward -- Ask me if you don't know what this means :-)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm a terrible cook but have excellent organization & cleaning skills, so I can give your place a good "spring cleaning" if you like :-)

I also am very good at helping people with their CV, cover letter and LinkedIn profile, as I am a strong writer with nearly 20 years of experience writing & editing and have been published in upwards of 40+ publications. I am also very good at social media and extremely computer literate.

I can also offer job-hunting tips and advice on international contracting if you are interested in working abroad, as I have 13 years of overseas work experience in numerous countries worldwide. Sectors I have worked in and can offer advice on include Oil & Gas, Electricity, Defense, Government, Military, Security, and Agriculture. I also am familiar with NGO / Non-Profit work and International Development work in both conflict and post-conflict environments as well as third-world / developing countries. Lastly, I have eight years of military experience in a U.S. Army Public Affairs unit.

I specialize in Marketing / Communications / Public Relations / Business Development, so I can offer advice and / or assistance in those arenas as well as social media.

In addition to all the above, I can offer a lot of travel advice & tips since I have extensive travel experience.

Below is a list of things I might be able to help you with:

● Job-Hunting Assistance (I can assist you in creating or rewriting your Cover Letter, CV / Resume, or LinkedIn profile)
● Assistance Marketing Yourself Using Social Media (LinkedIn, OilPro, InterNations, FaceBook, etc.).
● Business Correspondence (letters to clients, quarterly & annual reports, training manuals, company newsletters, etc.)
● Writing / Editing / Proofreading (term papers, college essays, research papers, dissertations, biographies, etc.)
● Creation of Marketing Materials (brochures, fact sheets, marketing emails, customer testimonials, technical white papers, press releases, articles for industry newspapers & magazines, wording for banners & signage, etc.)
● Microsoft Office Training (Word / Excel / PowerPoint / Outlook)
● Travel Advice & Tips on Working Overseas (I've lived / worked overseas for 13 years and have been to 29 countries)

Countries I’ve Visited

Afghanistan, Austria, Bahrain, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Hungary, Jamaica, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Serbia, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Iraq, Norway, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States