Job Discussion Forums

[earthjen]

Hi,
I am:
-35-yr old Canadian female (I just got my Dutch citizenship through my mother, who was born there)
-BA in math/business
-3 years experience teaching ESL in South Korea
-worked for 4 years as an accountant and 4 years in marketing (in case would help with business ESL)

I have been teaching in Asia for 3 years, and I�m really sick of living here. Now that I�ve finally received my Dutch citizenship, I can legally move to Europe and teach. (I would also love Latin America but the money would be even harder to earn there, as I'm investigating...)

My problem is that I have $500 in loans/debt that I need to pay every month back in Canada.

Is there anywhere in Southern Europe that has a good enough ESL market where I could support myself AND send that kind of money back home? I say Southern Europe because I don�t want winters � nothing below freezing! (I�ve had enough of that in Canada and Korea!)

My plan is to go to Europe and enroll in a CELTA program. I�m guessing that the best plan would be to attend a CELTA in the city where I intend to settle/work, and therefore would be able to make more connections. Does anyone know of a CELTA city that has a fairly good job market for the foreseeable future?I want to make this my long-term career and become really established, eventually with my own ESL clients.

Ideally, I would be heading over to Europe shortly after Christmas and enrolling in a CELTA in mid-late January, and finish late February. Is that timing good for any particular place? Anywhere I�d have better luck in late winter?

If there is any particular city that this would be possible, to work and also send to Canada an extra $500/month...how long do you think it would take for me to build up that kind of income? I�d need to know how many months� expenses I�d need to come over there with.

If I can make extra money teaching business ESL, I�d be happy to do that. Is there any particular course (other than the add-on for the CELTA) that is well-accepted?

Thank you so much for your help.

[sparks]

[earthjen]

I wouldn't limit it to just teaching business classes...I'd be happy to teach anyone/any age...full-time children, part-time business ESL...anything. So you're saying it's not possible at all??? That's quite disheartening...

[sparks]

I wouldn't say that it's completely impossible, I mean, I like to think that anything is possible. I am just saying that from what I understand people scrape to make ends meet in the region. Of course, some have it better but it isn't something that you could just walk into, you need to build contacts and a good schedule, find schools/people who pay a bit better than others etc. I don't want to kill your dream, but it's better to count on needing more money than less and having an extra $500 laying around at the end of month teaching in Italy or Spain or somewhere doesn't seem like something that happens much. Anyone else?

[earthjen]

Ok, thanks for the info! I guess I'll wait and see if anyone has anything to add. Fingers crossed!

I may have to end up being more flexible about location...I mean, northern Europe is still preferable to Asia, in my opinion! After all, it's Europe, which has always been a dream of mine, and I can finally move there legally. I really just don't handle the cold/winters well...(and please, no cracks about me being Canadian! )

[Xie Lin]

[spiral78]

There are a few 'better' jobs out there, but the require more qualifications than you've got currently (experience in Asia + CELTA). They also require (almost always) local reputation, contacts, and language skills - and luck. Takes time (meaning a couple of years, usually, not months) to network onesself into such a niche.

Ditto on what the others have said about paying off debt back home. Europe isn't the job market to do this. Neither North or South.

[earthjen]

Thanks for the information, everyone. It's really quite depressing. I've been waiting for this citizenship for years, and now that I have it...how can I use it? Urgh. I really want out of Asia...and I want to settle in Southern Europe eventually...as in for the rest of my life, work/live/retire. I guess I'll have to figure something else out...

Thanks again.

[Teacher in Rome]

Southern Europe - no.

Northern Europe - maybe, but it gets cold in winter. I'm in central Italy, and have been snowed in for the second time this winter. Last year, local schools cancelled lessons for two entire weeks, and as you can imagine, that pays havoc with your earnings.

Your background in accounting might help you, but whether there's enough of a regular market for it to pay off an additional 400 euros a month (more or less) is another question. Why don't you contact language schools in Germany or NL to sound them out about possible demand?

[earthjen]

Thanks for the tip, Teacher in Rome! I'll do that

[Sashadroogie]

Embrace the winter once more! Feel the Motherland's warmth. Send back $1000 a month if needs be. Experience the joy that is the Workers' Paradise!

Or subsist in the southern sun. That's the stark choice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJeu-uR1vgk

[spiral78]

I lived and worked in the Netherlands for almost seven years. I think it's highly unlikely that the OP would be able to 1. find a job there and 2. find a job that pays enough to send home anything at all. The cost of living is high in Dutchland, I can tell you. I did all right there, but I have related postgrad quals, over a decade of experience, and contacts and a reputation there (and I was lucky).

[Sashadroogie]

Ah, but Spiral, didn't the capitalistic soullessness of it get you down? Didn't you long to dash headlong through the forests freely in a mail troika?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRlYr8bmtkY

[spiral78]

I ride tram #3 daily - called 'troika' here
Yours has a nicer soundtrack, though!

[Sashadroogie]

Ah, fraternal peoples, bound together in Slavic friendship forever and eternal peace! Apart from that naughtiness back in the spring of '68... hic!