Job Discussion Forums

[jplau]

Hi, I was interested in working in India for a while and with enough money (to 1) live there and 2) pay off my student debt) go to graduate school there or at least learn how to write and speak a major Indian language. I have a TEFL certificate and B.A.s in Linguistics and Chinese.

Can anyone give me their general impression of India and maybe describe which regions I should look into?

[Nozka]

It depends on the size of your debt, but it is unlikely that you would be able to pay it off working in India. Most teaching jobs just don't pay much here if you are thinking in western currencies.
As for your other request, this country is one of so much contrast, and that is perhaps the best general impression I can give you. Since I don't know your individual tastes and interests, I can't suggest a region for you.

[eclectic]

I've got a BA in ENglish from Rutgers College (USA), a Masters in INternational Business, speak German, Italian and Spanish proficiently, 1.5 years teaching English in Korea (still here now), and a 40-hr. ONLINE TEFL from i-to-i which involved no live classroom time.

What do you think I could reasonably earn in Delhi, Madras or Hyderabad, if indeed there are jobs available?

[Nozka]

Your best bet for a job that pays reasonably would be in one of the call centers. I don't work in one of these, but from what I've read and heard, you should expect to earn in the area of $1000 (45,000Rs) per month, have some sort of accommodation provided, and get other perks like meals and endless cups of tea while on the job. This is of course a generalization - except for the tea.
45,000Rs is a Huge salary for most Indians and would allow you to live a very comfortable life here, travel in country when you have time off, and hopefully buy a plane ticket home. Most Indian families (extended families) live on far far less, but they are not buying things like bottled water, beer or coffee (or whatever your vice is), regular internet access, or traveler's insurance, and they are not paying the inflated prices that you would pay as a Westerner.
I know Westerners who can survive on much less than a $1000 salary here, but believe me, it's a hard practice to keep up. I've lived in many demanding places, and I still place India at the top. It is incredibly stressful here, especially in the cities where all the IT jobs are.
At the same time, this is one of the most amazing and rewarding places I've ever experienced. If you want a job for money, go to the gulf; if you want to get lost in a culture, then come to the subcontinent. Namaste.

[eclectic]

That wasw a great repl;y and I thank you very very much! I want to live somewhere that I can eventually retire in, my wife is a Guyanese Indian, her grandparents came to Guyana from Calcutta in 1900.

I am in love all my life with INdian culture and wound up marrying an INdian. Sounds like its pretty stressful working there though.

[rockyp44]

Your wife might qualify to get PIO (Person of Indian Origin) status. Then if you move here, after a specified time you get it, too, and you can be hired locally (no need for an employment visa, which is a hassle in and of itself).

With your degrees, I would think a university would like to hire you--but yes, life is stressful here, even with things are going smoothly.

If you want to pay off student loans, I'd look at a country which pays much better--Japan or Korea (altho' I'm not up to date on the amount people are saving) and Saudi Arabia, Libya, etc., where they are desperate for teachers and pay well.

Go to linkedin.com ESL teachers forum to read about the latter.

[eclectic]

[Hadit]

[rockyp44]

[diced260]

"I believe you, but being from NYC I'd like to know just specifically WHAT is so stressful there? YOu are the umpteenth person saying that and I really want the specs on that please. Is it tthe maddeningly incompetent beaurocracy? Or what?"



This made me laugh out loud. And I agree with the essence of Rocky's reply...

[eclectic]

inadvertently or not, I do tend 2 make people laugh all my life.