Job Discussion Forums

basiltherat · Joined: 04 Oct 2003 Posts: 952

just sitting and thinking .... why are all of us (or some of us, at least) being so good and helpful to one another when it comes to questions like:

Which is the best qualification to get ?
What country is best for the money ?
What's life like in (country) ?
Where are the best jobs ?
What's it like working with (company) in (country)?

etc

Surely, by giving honest answers, especially when we are working in the country being queried and the job we've got is good/pleasant, we are doing ourselves no favours by giving them positive answers. After all, we are all in competition with one another to get the nicest/most pleasant/most rewarding/most highly paid job in particular countries. There seems at least to be more people looking for a job in this business than there are jobs so ... should we be so nice and helpful to one another ? Shouldn't we be discouraging (sp) others to go after the jobs or go to the countries we are interested in.

btw, before anyone reads more into this than there is, I'm not feeling insecure about my job. Smile

If you were a DOS and you received an application from someone who wanted to be a teacher. Assuming you had vacancies, would you take him/her on even though you thought from the contents of the CV, ie experience and quals, that he could 'threaten' your position.

Just a passing thought.
regards
basil

johnslat · Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 9:02 pm Post subject:

Dear basiltherat,
Why, because we're all generous, altruistic, helpful guys and gals, of course.
OK, seriously - I can only speak for myself, but I like to assist for the following reasons:

1. As a way of "paying it forward", that is, passing along the help I've gotten from others in the past.

2. Because I also remember those (few) occasions when no one took the time and trouble to fill me in. Knowing what's that's like, I don't want anybody else to go through a similar experience.

3. Because, well, I'm a teacher - can't help giving out information when the opportunity arises.

As for this question:

[/quote]If you were a DOS and you received an application from someone who wanted to be a teacher. Assuming you had vacancies, would you take him/her on even though you thought from the contents of the CV, ie experience and quals, that he could 'threaten' your position.
[quote]

I surely would, in a heartbeat - mainly because, having been a DOS, I'd WANT the guy/gal to take my job and let me get back into the classroom.

Regards,
John

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

Even us lifers are not going to be in this field forever, so we do need to recruit folks to replace us. The more people we tell about the EFL/ESL world, the more interested applicants there will be, the more choices DoSes will have, the more likely to get competent teachers, etc.

I try to be helpful because I just think it's the nice thing to do. When I ask a question, I'd always rather get a helpful response than an insulting, smart-assy one, and I keep that in mind when trying to answer questions.

d

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

foster · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 Location: Honkers, SARS

I have thought of that as well...could my advice help me OUT of a job should the person I give it to be better than me? Buit then again, I have the job now so unless I really mess up, I should be ok, right?

When I started in HK, I was lost. I admit it. I needed all the help I could get. I met some great people online who helped me find a flat, get settled and even allowed me to stay at their place when I arrived in HK..despite having never met me. I have thanked them profusely, but that only goes so far...so I have tried to help others in the same way that these people helped me get settled and find a job.

Karma, Pay it Forward, helpfulness...I don't know what you want to call it, but in this field, I have found more helpful people than unhelpful people.

I do admit to one slight subterfuge on my part...there is a girl in Japan, a friend of a friend of a friend sort of person who grates on my last nerve. She asked for the information on the NET scheme on Hong Kong for when she is finished with JET in Japan. I gave her the wrong webpage and information because I do not want her in Hong Kong and I do not want my name associated with her in any way shape or form. Petty, I know, but she is the ONLY person out of the all the people who have asked me either about NET and Hong Kong or NOVA and Japan that I have not been 100% honest with. In my defense, the information is on the internet and if she had half a brain, she could find it.