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 

Best Countries to save cash?
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> General Discussion
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
bulgogiboy



Joined: 23 Feb 2005
Posts: 803

PostPosted: Tue May 01, 2012 5:20 pm    Post subject: Re: Korea Reply with quote

creeper1 wrote:
If you are talking money it has to be Korea.

Paid housing - Check
Base Salary in your hand 2.3 million won (2300 US $) - Check
Low cost of living -Check
Easy for Newbie to get job - Check
Potential to make money outside of your normal job - check

The last one is controversial but many posters on the Korea forums detail the tremendous salaries they are able to achieve. Most probably have the appropriate visa but anyway I will give some quotes from notable posters.

"It's relatively easy to make 6 million a month" - Captain Korea
"Almost unlimited earning potential" TJ


Korea is ok for money, but it's not the best.

Even the poorest paying job in Qatar has most of the things you mentioned, plus a base salary of at least $3300-3600 a month. The cost of living is higher than Korea, but the fact the salary is tax-free helps to make up for this. I can very comfortably save $1600+ a month, and if I wanted to actually watch my food and alcohol budget a bit more carefully, this could easily be $2000-$2500 a month (but life's too short for that).

On top of this, I get a total of 2 months paid holiday. In your average Korean hagown job you are lucky to get a couple of weeks.

The thing to remember is that money from privates is very unreliable. It usually takes you quite a while to build up a pool of private students, and the work is often temporary or given to ending at a moment's notice. I ended up with quite a decent amount of private students when I was in Turkey, but you could never count on them as a reliable supplement to your income, at least not in the long term.

The main advantage of Korea is, as you mentioned, that it is easy for a newbie, with just a BA and zero experience, to get a job there.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
bulgogiboy



Joined: 23 Feb 2005
Posts: 803

PostPosted: Tue May 01, 2012 5:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ancient_dweller wrote:
I have managed to save quite a bit in Moscow!


I'd be curious to know what a TEFLer can save on average each month in Moscow, and whether this involves taking on a lot of extra work?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Sashadroogie



Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise

PostPosted: Tue May 01, 2012 6:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm still waiting for Teacheratlargealways to come back and tell us that too. Suspense is killing me.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Glenski



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

PostPosted: Tue May 01, 2012 9:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sasha,
You say you are in Moscow now, so why don't you provide the info that bulgogiboy is requesting?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Tue May 01, 2012 9:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear Glenski,

I'd probably be misleading since Sasha must spend at least 75% of his salary on vodka Very Happy

Regards,
John
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
naturegirl321



Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 1:21 am    Post subject: Re: Korea Reply with quote

bulgogiboy wrote:
Korea is ok for money, but it's not the best.

Even the poorest paying job in Qatar has most of the things you mentioned, plus a base salary of at least $3300-3600 a month. The cost of living is higher than Korea, but the fact the salary is tax-free helps to make up for this. I can very comfortably save $1600+ a month, and if I wanted to actually watch my food and alcohol budget a bit more carefully, this could easily be $2000-$2500 a month (but life's too short for that).

On top of this, I get a total of 2 months paid holiday. In your average Korean hagown job you are lucky to get a couple of weeks. .

About Asia, yes, you can make money, but you'll have to work for it. If you want to make 6K a month, you're going to be working lots of hours, 6 days a week.

Qatar sounds good. What are the requirements to get a job there?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
bulgogiboy



Joined: 23 Feb 2005
Posts: 803

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 2:31 am    Post subject: Re: Korea Reply with quote

naturegirl321 wrote:
bulgogiboy wrote:
Korea is ok for money, but it's not the best.

Even the poorest paying job in Qatar has most of the things you mentioned, plus a base salary of at least $3300-3600 a month. The cost of living is higher than Korea, but the fact the salary is tax-free helps to make up for this. I can very comfortably save $1600+ a month, and if I wanted to actually watch my food and alcohol budget a bit more carefully, this could easily be $2000-$2500 a month (but life's too short for that).

On top of this, I get a total of 2 months paid holiday. In your average Korean hagown job you are lucky to get a couple of weeks. .

About Asia, yes, you can make money, but you'll have to work for it. If you want to make 6K a month, you're going to be working lots of hours, 6 days a week.

Qatar sounds good. What are the requirements to get a job there?


The paper qualifications aren't too stringent. I have a master's, but you can get into a lot of jobs with just a bachelor's plus CELTA. Most jobs here want 5+ years of experience though.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Sashadroogie



Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 2:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glenski wrote:
Sasha,
You say you are in Moscow now, so why don't you provide the info that bulgogiboy is requesting?


I'm not an average teacher, and I'm not in the habit of providing private information on a forum, that's why. And when other posters, based in Japan, claim to already have information about what the top salaries in Moscow are, yet do not give any hard facts, I do not feel the onus is on me at all. Let's wait for Teacheratlarge to come back, shall we?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Sashadroogie



Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 2:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

johnslat wrote:
Dear Glenski,

I'd probably be misleading since Sasha must spend at least 75% of his salary on vodka Very Happy

Regards,
John


Dear Johnslat

Mistake. My salary IS vodka, entirely.

Sasha
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Glenski



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 6:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sashadroogie wrote:
Glenski wrote:
Sasha,
You say you are in Moscow now, so why don't you provide the info that bulgogiboy is requesting?


I'm not an average teacher, and I'm not in the habit of providing private information on a forum, that's why.
Nobody's asking for private information, just averages. You seem to know so much about Moscow/Russia, I thought you would have been the perfect choice to provide such info.

Quote:
And when other posters, based in Japan, claim to already have information about what the top salaries in Moscow are, yet do not give any hard facts, I do not feel the onus is on me at all. Let's wait for Teacheratlarge to come back, shall we?
It's entirely your call, of course, but I really don't see why you are laying in wait for such a response, almost as if you intend to pounce on it with contradictory information which IMO you could already be providing. Might as well head off at the pass something you think you'd negate anyway. As I said, your call, though.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Sashadroogie



Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 7:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pounce is not a nice word Glenski. Please don't ascribe your notions to my posts. That isn't nice either.

Yes, it is my call to contribute - you are right there. However, as Teacheratlarge is the one claiming that Moscow salaries are X value, without providing anything other than miscellaneous ex-pat forums and newspaper articles to support his claim, not to mention putting words in my mouth about costs of living, I think it is entirely reasonable of me to wait for his reply to my repeated requests to show why he thinks that income is so low here. If he can, he will.

True I can 'head him off at the pass'. OK, then, I'll offer a little help. I'll bet he is making the same error as in the past, and is assuming that universities are the only places to work to make a respectable living. This may very well be true in Japan, but nothing could be further from the truth here. Universities are among the bottom payers for foreigners, and not much better for Russians, though they at least get all the local benefits.

The reason I am waiting for his reply is that it is only fair to allow him to explain where from he got these misguided notions. I don't think he has checked his facts, but when he does, he may be surprised that the difference in earning potential is not as great as he seems to think. Other posters have gloated about their high salaries in the past, only to be surprised that Moscow can offer a good living also, but without the restrictions imposed in the Gulf.

This of course is besides the point that many such posters seem to equate a 'university salary' with being successful TEFL teachers academically. Again, nothing like that seems to be the case at all.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
spiral78



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

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 12:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I sometimes post general information about salaries in the regions where I work, but first, by no means would I ever give actual figures earned by myself or people I know. That's absolutely private information.

Secondly, there is a huge distinction between the wages earned by a newbie to the region (and by this I mean someone who has spent just one or two years in any given place; this is not about qualifications) and someone who is established, speaks the local language, has local connections, and has built a local reputation.

I also am curious as to the source of anyone's comparison unless said poster has worked in both locations. Even then, figures cited would be limited to one person's experience/knowledge and not widely generalisable.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
creeper1



Joined: 24 Aug 2010
Posts: 481
Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 3:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="spiral78"]I sometimes post general information about salaries in the regions where I work, but first, by no means would I ever give actual figures earned by myself or people I know. That's absolutely private information.

quote]

You seriously think that "Spiral 78" and a pictue of a dog reveals your identity?

It would be an annoymous declaration of earnings.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 3:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear creeper1.

Maybe you don't know who spiral78 (the one with the schnauzer) is, but others do, including, I would suspect, some of his co-workers.

And that's not even counting the Mods.

I think it would be best to leave it up to a poster as to whether or not any posting he/she might make would be truly anonymous.

Regards,
John
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
spiral78



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

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 4:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear creeper1:

If you cared enough to read through my thousands of posts (not even my mother cares that much!!), you'd learn that, back in 1998, under a different avatar, I picked up a particularly creepy stalker from Dave's (no fault of the forum!). This ended in actual police action when this person was spotted outside my home - about 1,000 miles from his home.

Further, Johnslat is absolutely correct; people who do know 'you' (and me) are easily able to recognise a poster.

Ultimately, I know for a fact that on at least a couple of occasions, posters here have gotten or not gotten jobs based partially on their input on the boards, even though they post 'anonymously.' Most of us do write about our experience and qualifications, and most of us are identifiable to some degree.

That's a strong argument for civility - and proper spelling and grammar Very Happy Cool .

Best,
spiral
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 Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next
Page 3 of 4

 
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