Hello world! First of all, I’d like to say:

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011, PEOPLE! HAVE A BLAST!!!!

What would people think once we mentioned this so-called economic-giant region: Europe? I will not surprise if I heard or read some answers like “prosperity”, “euro”, “developed countries”, etc. I won’t be surprise as well if some of you consider Europe as your dream place to live, to get a job, to work, to have a family, to raise your children there. No doubt, Europe have a very good image about prosperity and other greatness as exposed by media. So, mentioning Europe as your destined job field is not a strange thing, is it? Me, myself, consider Europe as one place where I can get my dream job and I’ll raise my future family there.

But, this morning, I read an article in New York Times. The article titled: “Europe’s Young Grow Agitated Over Future Prospects“. The point of the article is Southern Europe is not the right place to find a job. People might think that it caused by the crisis that hit Europe, but actually this lack of opportunity to get settled job in Southern Europe had been a problem ever since before the crisis hit this economic-giant-region.

The fact that many well-educated people become unemployed in those Southern Europe countries is not such a strange thing. It can be find everywhere in Southern Europe not only in Greece (the crisis-hit maker *sorry for making this nick name but this is what i saw personally*) but also in some well-known countries such as Italy, Portugal, and even Spain. More ironic, the rate of educated people percentage last year was the highest compared by previous years in Southern Europe but still, it did not guarantee them to get settle job.

In Spain, a national debate has been done over years to talk about “mileuristas” (a nickname for college graduates whose best job prospect may well pay just 1,000 euros or US$1,300 a month.) Can you imagine? A college graduates BEST job prospect only offer 1,000 euros, what about those who don’t get the best job prospect?? In the lowest level of the job prospect, those college graduates only get 600 euros (or equals about US$800). Don’t convert it to rupiah, people. You might think: “Hello! At least they still get 8,000,000 IDR per month. That’s a big amount of money!”. The living cost standard in Europe and Indonesia is totally different. Let’s picture it:

Suppose you, as a college graduates get the lowest level and only get 600 euros per month and you no longer live with your family. The cheapest rent you can get in Southern Europe is about 4 euros per square meter per month. You need at least 12 square meter so it’d be 48 euros per month for rent cost.

The electricity bill is about 50 euros per month and in winter you’ll need 30% more so it’d cost 65 euros per month in winter. Oh! And in addition, you will need to use your air conditioner in summer, so another 65 euros per month in summer.

The gas bill for water heater and a gas stove bills are about 40 euros per month. In addition, during winter you have to pay 35 euros more so it would be 75 euros per month along winter.

Telephone bills would cost 25 euros per month (25 euros is the abdomen, the usage of telephone would cost approximately 30 euros per month) and internet connection fees about 36 euros per month (I calculated the cheapest probability anyway) and mobile phone usage is about 28 euros per month. So for communication, it’d cost 119 euros per month.

Food expenditure would cost 175 euros per month (I don’t calculate how much would you spend in winter)

If you add the insurances fees, taxes and other fees, the total of them is about 107 euros.

So, based on the calculation above, exclude winter and summer, it’d cost 539 euros per month!!!!

The calculation has proved that 600 euros per month for a college graduates won’t be sufficient at all. Yes, it can cover the basic needs but they can’t save money. This thing I see as a very ironic thing happen in Europe and at the end I made a conclusion:

Perhaps, you just have to be a soccer player if you want to get paid in a large amount of euros (or dollars) if you live in Southern Europe!

So, people, do you still consider to look for a job in Europe?

Me, myself still consider it but I won’t look for a job in Southern Europe though :p