Job Discussion Forums

[Skipp]

Hey hey... I'm considering teaching English abroad next year or the year after, but I'm currently in a secure job and am a bit hesitant about jumping too soon. That said, I've wanted to teach English for years and always wanted to travel!

A bit about me...

- I'm a white, 28 year old British woman. I'm in relatively good shape and I speak clearly.
- I've been told many times that I'm good with adults and children, but I have no formal experience with kids.
- I work for the civil service (if that looks good) and have a degree from a London university.
- I'm not afraid to slum it or work hard... I'd mostly like to teach English, so I can pick up a language, learn new cultures and live in different countries.
- I come across as very confident in dealing with people and love new challenges... I'm so bored with the 9-5, same stories, routines and need to step out of my comfort zone, but I'd also like to help people.

So my questions...

Honestly, how hard has this job sector been hit with the recession? Is it unrealistic for me to find a job easily?

I'm interested in Latin America and Buddhist countries... Where's good for a newbie?

How much cash should I expect to have saved up? I'm thinking of �4-6000 as a buffer... Is this enough?

I'd also consider Spain and Portugal... Is work with little experience realistic here, for an EU person?

I'm gay, but play it down... How much should I consider this when looking at teaching abroad?

P.S. South Korea and Japan don't really appeal though... Hrm, maybe that's closed minded. Heh.

[spiral78]

For Spain and Portugal, you would need a certification such as CELTA, simply because most teachers on this job market have one and anything less puts you at an automatic disadvantage.
The standard is 120 hours on site, including supervised teaching practice with actual students - online courses are considered generally substandard for this region. You might consider taking a course in the country where you decide to start - it's helpful in terms of making local contacts.

There is a Spain board below where you can find current info on the state of the job market - I think the general idea is that there is work in the bigger cities. Do keep in mind for Europe the summer holiday season - there's little going on July/August except for some summer schools and you can't really count on regular wages. Normal contract period is Sept/Oct to end June, in most cases, so you might want to time your job search accordingly.

One more note for the EU region: jobs aren't normally found from abroad. There are enough teachers around so that schools dont' need to take a chance on anyone sight unseen. Another reason taking a certification course in country is helpful - you're there on the ground for interviews.

As for sexual orientation, not usually a problem in this part of the world so far as I know, though there's always someone out there who might unreasonably take offence

[Skipp]

Oh cool... There are jobs in Spain!

Also, should I volunteer with kids to get experience? If anything, I'll at least learn a bit about how to work with them.

[spiral78]

Probably best to read around a bit on the Spain forum, and then ask there regarding the kiddie issue. I think there is some work with kids in the country, but most newbies start out with more adults, so far as I know.

My expertise is in the European region, and I've friends and contacts who have worked long-term in Spain, but I do not know what percentage of the job market is with children - I think relatively little.

In the European region, much of the work (in some countries, the bulk of work) is with adult professionals in their offices.

Public (state) schools normally employ local teachers for English language. There is some work with kids in sub-state-school ages and after school-type programmes. However, if you're imagining teaching in a regular state-run school, in one location, regular business hours, think again .

You might find that in Asia. Not likely in Europe.

[Prof.Gringo]

[Glenski]

[bulgogiboy]