Site Search:
 
Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today!
Teach English Abroad and Get Paid to see the World!
Job Discussion Forums Forum Index Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Seeking advice on my next step, career wise.
Goto page 1, 2  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> General Discussion
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
CTravel32



Joined: 01 Mar 2017
Posts: 85

PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 4:28 am    Post subject: Seeking advice on my next step, career wise. Reply with quote

Hello everyone.

I currently work in Colombia at a private school but I am getting that "itch" after three years of living here. I will make a few general points about my career but in no way do they fully represent my resume. Regardless, perhaps you guys recommend something according to my situation.

a. BA in Sociology
b. About 10 years of experience which can be broken down as follows:
c. 2 years of experience as an assistant Pre K teacher at a daycare that was run by my UNI.
d. Nearly 2 years of experience as a UNI teacher in China.
e. 1/2 year experience as a tutor/leading activities at an after school program outside of DC.
f. 2.5 years of experience as an assistant/associate teacher (associate teacher is like a co-lead, which I did the last year) at a naeyc accredited Prek in DC, using teaching strategies gold.
g. 2 years of experience at an IB school in Bogota. I taught 5th graders (Homeroom teacher) science, social studies and English and learned a lot about the IB via tons of workshops. I also gained experience teaching Cambridge PET where 39 out of my 40 kids passed the PET on their first attempt, many with merits. This was my first time teaching PET.
h. 1/2 a year as a homeroom teacher at an international school outside of Bogota (looking to get out of the city, I was a replacement for a teacher on pregnancy leave) but the payment was great even though she came back in 2017!
i. Currently I teach English at an international school and I teach middle school children and I am preparing them for the TOEFL. The pedagogy is...different, in some ways that is a good thing, in others ways...
j. I will finish this job in late June. I hope to find a position in early August.
k. I have been very lucky in Colombia with the salaries (+4.25 mil pesos) but I tire of Colombia in some ways and want to see a new culture.
l. An important thing that must be mentioned is that my wife would be with me and she is Colombian. So the country we go to would either have to have a need for Spanish or offer a spouse visa and have a low cost of living. She is very skilled in human resources and business (her major) and has great English skills.

m. Oh, I am not interested in going back to China.
n. I mostly want to look into Sub Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia or maybe some countries in SEA like Myanmar or Bhutan.

o. I have had several skype interviews with various schools in C. America, a few in SEA and even some email back and forth with some schools in Africa and a few in Myanmar but nothing concrete. I am also in contact with a few schools in Taiwan but I am not as interested in going there. It is a good back up plan I suppose.

What would your advice be considering my situation?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

CTravel32 wrote:
I currently work in Colombia at a private school but I am getting that "itch" after three years of living here. I will make a few general points about my career but in no way do they fully represent my resume. Regardless, perhaps you guys recommend something according to my situation.

a. BA in Sociology
b. About 10 years of experience
....
An important thing that must be mentioned is that my wife would be with me and she is Colombian. So the country we go to would either have to have a need for Spanish or offer a spouse visa and have a low cost of living. She is very skilled in human resources and business (her major) and has great English skills.

It would be helpful to know your nationality and whether you have a TEFL cert and/or k-12 teaching license/certification from your home country.

Based on just the info you provided, Vietnam might be a possibility; it has a diverse expat community and booming tourism industry. You'll have to visit the VN forum to ask about requirements for TEFL jobs. Your wife may or may not snag an HR job and probably has a better chance of tutoring Spanish language learners. That's research you'll need to do.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 1:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why have you ruled out China ? that is where the jobs are, and a place where there could be opportunities for your wife.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
CTravel32



Joined: 01 Mar 2017
Posts: 85

PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 3:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:

It would be helpful to know your nationality and whether you have a TEFL cert and/or k-12 teaching license/certification from your home country.

Based on just the info you provided, Vietnam might be a possibility; it has a diverse expat community and booming tourism industry. You'll have to visit the VN forum to ask about requirements for TEFL jobs. Your wife may or may not snag an HR job and probably has a better chance of tutoring Spanish language learners. That's research you'll need to do.


Thank you for the response.

My bad. I am from the USA.

No, I do not have a CELTA or TEFL cert and although I am interested, it is quite costly.

I have also been looking into the TeachNow program but it costs 6000 dollars and I have never even had more than 6000 USD to my name + BA debt so start up costs are a little bit intimidating, to say the least. I was accepted to the program and they told me once I am accepted, I can start at any time. If my wives hotel business goes well here, that would help a lot with the CELTA or Teach now, for sure.

In an interview I had with a private school from SEA, the head of the school mentioned that he is open to hiring someone like me (with aspirations to expand education even if EDU is currently lacking) and that if I were to be hired, they would spring for 50% of the teaching cert if I made it to a second year. Ya, a lot of ifs but he has done it in the past, so it seems like a dream job, a great place to really grow. I am hoping I am lucky enough to find a situation similar to that, if I am not hired for that specific job (crossing my fingers).

China -- been there done that. To be honest, I got tired of it after nearly two years. The pollution was too much for me and I grew tired of people always snapping pictures of me without asking and other assorted things like that, I found it to be rude but that is another story for another time. I loved my 10 weeks of travel throughout SEA however and southern China, like Kunming or Xiamen were pretty cool, different from the rest of China IMO. But in my two or three weeks in Vietnam, I actually liked the country a great deal, but that is a small sample size, people there struck me as more laid back than in China.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

CTravel32 wrote:
I am from the USA.

No, I do not have a CELTA or TEFL cert and although I am interested, it is quite costly.

I suggest you stay in Colombia for now and sock aside money for a CELTA or other legit cert course, which you can then take in either Colombia or your target country. Without a valid TEFL cert, you'll find it difficult to impossible to qualify and/or compete for jobs in the region(s) you're interested in. Ditto for int'l schools that want to see a k-12 teaching qualification and/or BA related to the subject being taught. And then there are those countries that require specific credentials for legal employment. That's the reality; any BA + experience isn't enough, especially if you may have to support a trailing spouse as well.

Others will jump on with ideas on possible countries or options for you and your wife.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 7:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
I am from the USA.

No, I do not have a CELTA or TEFL cert and although I am interested, it is quite costly.


I'm afraid the outlook in Central/Eastern Europe isn't rosy for someone in your situation.

An American with a Columbian wife and no related formal qualifications won't have much chance in Eastern Europe, regardless that you have some experience. While you are legally eligible for a work visa, very few schools would jump through the legal hoops to get a visa for you and even fewer for your wife (it would be quite difficult to get a visa for her, frankly).

The job market across the region is heading more and more in the direction of hiring highly-qualified locals. Outside of this, it is still a fairly highly desired region for newbies with CELTA and equivalent quals and UK nationals who don't need work visas (yet).

Another obstacle here is that jobs are very rarely found from abroad. To maximize your chances you would need to come over and take a CELTA or equivalent course and then be on hand to interview in person in September. So up-front costs can be significant, and there would be very little hope of getting a visa for your wife.

I'm sorry this news isn't very sunshiny, but it's realistic.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
CTravel32



Joined: 01 Mar 2017
Posts: 85

PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 12:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

spiral78 wrote:
Quote:
I am from the USA.

No, I do not have a CELTA or TEFL cert and although I am interested, it is quite costly.


I'm afraid the outlook in Central/Eastern Europe isn't rosy for someone in your situation.

An American with a Columbian wife and no related formal qualifications won't have much chance in Eastern Europe, regardless that you have some experience. While you are legally eligible for a work visa, very few schools would jump through the legal hoops to get a visa for you and even fewer for your wife (it would be quite difficult to get a visa for her, frankly).

The job market across the region is heading more and more in the direction of hiring highly-qualified locals. Outside of this, it is still a fairly highly desired region for newbies with CELTA and equivalent quals and UK nationals who don't need work visas (yet).

Another obstacle here is that jobs are very rarely found from abroad. To maximize your chances you would need to come over and take a CELTA or equivalent course and then be on hand to interview in person in September. So up-front costs can be significant, and there would be very little hope of getting a visa for your wife.

I'm sorry this news isn't very sunshiny, but it's realistic.


Well. Thanks.

I think I really lucked out over here in Colombia to be honest.

I will try hard to save for at least a CELTA in the next year as I think that could help a lot and the TeachNow can come much later. I think the experience could serve me well when going through both programs. I have heard the celta is hard, but maybe it will be a little less hard with the exp. I have picked up over the years, who knows.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Wayland



Joined: 08 Oct 2013
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 10:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You would do better studying online for your MA in TESOL than the CELTA. When it comes down to it, the CELTA is just a 4 week course. If you're making a career out of EFL, then you're gonna need your degree sooner or later.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Tudor



Joined: 21 Aug 2009
Posts: 339

PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 11:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wayland wrote:
You would do better studying online for your MA in TESOL than the CELTA. When it comes down to it, the CELTA is just a 4 week course. If you're making a career out of EFL, then you're gonna need your degree sooner or later.


If he can't afford to do a CELTA, how likely is it he'll be able to afford an MA?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MotherF



Joined: 07 Jun 2010
Posts: 1450
Location: 17�48'N 97�46'W

PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 2:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tudor wrote:
Wayland wrote:
You would do better studying online for your MA in TESOL than the CELTA. When it comes down to it, the CELTA is just a 4 week course. If you're making a career out of EFL, then you're gonna need your degree sooner or later.


If he can't afford to do a CELTA, how likely is it he'll be able to afford an MA?


If he really wanted an MA, he could move back to the US, and having lived below the poverty line he would likely qualify for financial aid and a TA ship at a state university. However, the market for IEP at US universities is likely struggling under the new president...

You might also think about the Peace Corp? They have a TEFL certificate program and he's expressed interest in Africa and Central Asia, both places the Peace Corp teaches in.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
spanglish



Joined: 21 May 2009
Posts: 742
Location: working on that

PostPosted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 1:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You're punching way above your weight in Colombia and I suspect your wife has played a minor role in that (visa, contacts, etc.). You'll really struggle to find something commensurate elsewhere.

Don't get a CELTA, total waste of time at this age and stage. I'd recommend you get certified as a regular teacher ASAP and continue to worm your way into the IB system.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
CTravel32



Joined: 01 Mar 2017
Posts: 85

PostPosted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 11:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

spanglish wrote:
I suspect your wife has played a minor role in that (visa, contacts, etc.).


No.

spanglish wrote:
continue to worm your way into the IB system.


?

Not sure what that means.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Fri Mar 24, 2017 7:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The ever-cynical Spangle is suggesting you make a career teaching in schools that offer the International Baccalaureate (IB). Like Benjamin the Donkey in "Animal Farm", I will refrain from comment.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
CTravel32



Joined: 01 Mar 2017
Posts: 85

PostPosted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 10:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was unclear as to why he included "worm your way into.."
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
suphanburi



Joined: 20 Mar 2014
Posts: 916

PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 12:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

CTravel32 wrote:
I was unclear as to why he included "worm your way into.."


Because you do not have the qualifications to go in the front door (you lack a teaching qualification (B.Ed/PGCE) and lack a teacher's license).

You'll have to worm your way in.

.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> General Discussion All times are GMT
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group

Teaching Jobs in China
Teaching Jobs in China