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tojama
Joined: 19 Jul 2016
Posts: 2
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 Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 2:48 am Post subject: Hey Cafe. Couple of newbie questions. |
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Hi. Glad to be registered with this site. It looks like there's a lot of experienced people in the field I hopefully will have a future in. I have a lot to say, but I'll try to sum it up as short as possible.
About a year ago, a buddy at work told me about how he sold all his stuff to travel abroad. He visited countries in Europe and Asia. I liked the way he spoke about his experience. It sounded like a type of freedom I want to experience.
I got a passport and got a ticked to Korea. The ticket for me to leave was a couple of weeks after my lease would end and I figured Korea would be a good place to start because I have family there (my mom's Korean). From there, I would go wherever I wanted to. Maybe China, maybe Thailand. The closer I got to my leave date, the more nervous I became. I don't know about visa's, native languages and courtesies, currencies, etc.
Instead, I've decided to stay at my current job and continue my research. I kept my ticket and I'll be visiting Korea in September so I can get an idea of what traveling abroad will be like.
Long story short, I want to quit my job and sell my stuff to travel to different countries. Because I didn't want to spend all my money with no income, I was thinking about teaching English. Not sure if it'll be my cup of tea, but I have two Associate degrees (one of which is a technical degree), I train new hires at my workplace because I have what co-workers have described as "an enormous amount of patience," and I like to think I have decent grammar.
Just off the top of my head, the questions I have are:
1) I notice there are several teaching certifications out there. My buddy I mentioned earlier said that once you're already in the country, jobs are real easy to get. A quick interview over the phone and you're hired. The company then gets all the visa's and paperwork needed to work overseas. Is that true? If not, which teaching certificate would be the most versatile? I was thinking of possibly teaching in Korea, China, or Thailand.
2) I mentioned I have two Associate degrees. Would that be the equivalent to a Bachelor's?
3) I like to think I'm a good worker. I try hard at what's expected of me; however, I do have a criminal record. I was convicted of two DUI's when I was younger, but I've kept my nose clean for 6 years now. Will these dings hurt my ability to get hired for any job overseas? I've read that Canada won't even let people into their country if convicted of a DUI (except for Bush Jr. when was president).
4) What would be the best credit card to use overseas? I'm trying to avoid any international or cash advance fees. I read that Discover has some good cards, but I'm interested in rewards too.
5) One of the posts on this site mentioned that paperwork (transcripts, resumes, etc.) is important for getting hired. My buddy I mentioned earlier said he didn't need anything, but if required, I'm not sure how safe I feel keeping all that paperwork on me. Would keeping all that information on a thumb drive or as attachments in an email be a better idea?
I think I've said enough for for now. I don't want to scare anyone who has some knowledge in these areas to be scared off by long posts.
Thanks in advance for any tips or advice any of you have to give. I really want to give traveling for an indeterminate amount of time a try, but I don't want to end up broke and lost in another country. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 3:27 am Post subject: |
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| tojama wrote: |
1)I was thinking of possibly teaching in Korea, China, or Thailand.
2) I mentioned I have two Associate degrees. Would that be the equivalent to a Bachelor's? |
Unfortunately, a bona fide bachelor's degree is the required minimum for legal employment in the countries you're interested in. In fact, without a BA, you're limited to where in the world you can teach.
However, look into Korea TaLK to see if your AA qualifies you for this specific program. (Discussions about SK aren't allowed within these forums, so if you want to connect with teachers knowledgeable about the country, head to http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/.) |
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suphanburi
Joined: 20 Mar 2014
Posts: 916
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 9:44 am Post subject: Re: Hey Cafe. Couple of newbie questions. |
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| tojama wrote: |
1) I notice there are several teaching certifications out there. My buddy I mentioned earlier said that once you're already in the country, jobs are real easy to get. A quick interview over the phone and you're hired. The company then gets all the visa's and paperwork needed to work overseas. Is that true? If not, which teaching certificate would be the most versatile? I was thinking of possibly teaching in Korea, China, or Thailand.
2) I mentioned I have two Associate degrees. Would that be the equivalent to a Bachelor's?
3) I like to think I'm a good worker. I try hard at what's expected of me; however, I do have a criminal record. I was convicted of two DUI's when I was younger, but I've kept my nose clean for 6 years now. Will these dings hurt my ability to get hired for any job overseas? I've read that Canada won't even let people into their country if convicted of a DUI (except for Bush Jr. when was president).
4) What would be the best credit card to use overseas? I'm trying to avoid any international or cash advance fees. I read that Discover has some good cards, but I'm interested in rewards too.
5) One of the posts on this site mentioned that paperwork (transcripts, resumes, etc.) is important for getting hired. My buddy I mentioned earlier said he didn't need anything, but if required, I'm not sure how safe I feel keeping all that paperwork on me. Would keeping all that information on a thumb drive or as attachments in an email be a better idea?
I think I've said enough for for now. I don't want to scare anyone who has some knowledge in these areas to be scared off by long posts.
Thanks in advance for any tips or advice any of you have to give. I really want to give traveling for an indeterminate amount of time a try, but I don't want to end up broke and lost in another country. |
1) IF you have the qualifications then it is just about that easy IN ASIA provided you do not look Asian. Racial bias is alive and well over here.
2) No. When it comes to immigration services and visas there is no "equivalent to". Either you have the necessary paperwork or you do not.
For most of Asia now you NEED to have a bachelor's degree. If it doesn't say "bachelor of >>>>> then you don't get a visa. For Korea there is one exception and that is the TaLK program. Google it. You can get started with an associate but it won't last lone, doesn't pay as well and is not portable to other countries.
3) This one is a deal breaker in most countries. Right off the top you can rule out Korea, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Brunei, and Indonesia (all of which now require a clean police check to get a proper visa).
4) If you want it to work in Asia then VISA or MasterCard. JCB is an option in some countries. What is a Discover Card?
5) Again, it is an immigration and visa issue if you want legal work. They WANT to see the physical, original, hard copies of your documents.
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tojama
Joined: 19 Jul 2016
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 2:45 pm Post subject: |
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3) This one is a deal breaker in most countries. Right off the top you can rule out Korea, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Brunei, and Indonesia (all of which now require a clean police check to get a proper visa).
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I guess I'm not surprised. These blemishes kill a lot of job opportunities for me over here too.
Well, thanks for the quick replies. They're disappointing to hear, but at least now I know I made a better decision to keep my job instead of quitting and diving head first into the world of travel. I'm going to look into the Korea TaLK program just as an option, but I really wanted to be more versatile because I don't know where I was going to end up. Asia was just going to be the beginning. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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| tojama wrote: |
Now I know I made a better decision to keep my job instead of quitting and diving head first into the world of travel.
....
I really wanted to be more versatile because I don't know where I was going to end up. Asia was just going to be the beginning. |
If you're young, look into getting a job with the airline or travel industry.  |
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santi84
Joined: 14 Mar 2008
Posts: 1317
Location: under da sea
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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No BA and a criminal record is a huge problem you, unfortunately (and if you look Asian to boot, that's a third strike).
I am wondering if you could qualify for a Korean F4 visa (ancestry). You'll need to register in the Korea forum.
On a side note, without even the bare minimum qualifications, any job you will land will probably be misery in another city. Respectable employers will not be interested. Consider taking that AA to a BA, if you're serious.
Good luck |
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