The application was a surprise from begin to finish, and, at the exact time, an extremely natural course of action. The Schengen rules don't enable you to travel for at least a year within the Area so if you truly fall in love with a nation and would like to stay longer than 12 months, you are going to want to apply for a residence permit with that particular nation. Please note however, that the permit is bound to the business that hires you and can't be used for work elsewhere.