Job Discussion Forums

Gregor · Joined: 06 Jan 2005 Posts: 842 Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

Howdy y'all.
I don't know if anyone remembers me or what I said I'd do, but here I am, making good.
I'm back in the U.S. now. My wife has a job lined up, her Green Card is on its way, AND I managed to find an ESL job in San Francisco.
The pay isn't great, and I have a really harsh probationary period (note to the anti-probation crew - it's standard operating procedure in every single country on the planet now, so get used to it). The probationary period is 12 weeks, 28 classroom hours a week, BUT there is tons of overtime available - extra classes, administrative stuff, showing the tourist/students around the city, that sort of thing. This is all paid at an hourly rate.
After I pass probation (and I will), I will be offered a salary with full benefits, AND I'll be trained to deliver CELTA courses, which is the next step I wanted to take in my career in the first place.

San Francisco is an expensive city to live in. The pay is not huge at this job. BUT it's perfectly livable. And it's a nice career move - teacher training! Very cool.
And all this with NO DEGREE.
The school I'll be working for, if I work out well, will be willing to help subsidize a baccalaureate degree if I want to pursue one, but their concern is my diploma, which I earned over a year ago. As far as these people are concerned, I am fully qualified for this job.

I just wanted to let everyone know, this can be done. But if you teach for a year or so and then expect to find something at home, you're going to be disappointed. Sure, you can do this, but I was abroad for a number of years (since 1997), and I DID earn the diploma. I also got a few years' experience as a DoS. If this is what you really want to do, you CAN do it back home...but you need to be competitive.

I've been back for ALMOST two weeks and I start work before I get to three weeks.
I just wanted to let everyone know that it can be done, and you are not necessarily wasting your time, if you just do something that you want to do. You can worry about your future if you want, and there are plenty of people right here who will do everything in their power to scare you off of teaching ESL abroad. But if you just take care of your own happiness, I think you'll find that the future will take care of itself. That's certainly been my experience, anyway.

OK. I'm done. Just wanted to let you know that it seems to be working out so far. But I'll keep you posted. If it all goes to Hell in a handbasket, I'll admit it. But so far, so good.

Dragonlady · Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 5:46 am Post subject:

deleted...

Super Mario · Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 6:36 am Post subject:

Good on you Gregor. I enjoyed your nitty gritty posts back on the China Forums. I agree the ESL market "back home" [Australia in my case] isn't a dead end. There's interesting, challenging work around.
A degree does help though!

william wallace · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 2869 Location: in between

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

Congratulations! A job in San Francisco with a moderately decent salary?!?!? I envy you! I just sent off my CV to a school out there, but I doubt I could afford to live there even if I got the job!

d

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

moot point · Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 441

Congrats Gregor on finding employment and continuing on your TEF(S)L career in your home country. I think many of us sell ourselves short.

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 2:48 pm Post subject:

Well Done, Gregster!

Let us know how the culture shock treats you...

Justin

khmerhit · Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 3:46 pm Post subject:

Excellent transition. Having full time work helps cut down on culture shock. Best of luck to you, Gregor. Cool

Gregor · Joined: 06 Jan 2005 Posts: 842 Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

I will be sure to let all of you know how it goes. You have no idea how much your encouragement means to me. This is a frightening thing. Out in the field, I never had anyone to deal with, telling me what a bad idea this or that was. I didn't have a brother to tell me that San Francisco is too expensive to live there on a teacher's salary, or a mother to tell me that I need to have more money saved up or a better plan for what I wanted to do. Out in the field, I would just fly by the seat of my pants and everything would work out just hunky dunky. I COULD do all that in the U.S. too, I guess, and I suppose I should. But I Do have well-meaning family putting a lot of doubt in my head, so thanks for the kind support.
I'm sure things will be fine, and, again, I will let you know how it goes. I won't forget you.

shuize · Joined: 04 Sep 2004 Posts: 1270

I'm not sure I really understand your diploma situation, but reading this made me laugh:

Gregor · Joined: 06 Jan 2005 Posts: 842 Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

I guess it's easy to laugh at,
But that's also a pretty ignorant attitude, and a well-outdated one as well. These days, there are tons of different options for getting training and experience. Quite obviously, I qualified for this job over a number of other candidates.
Are you folks aware that PAs ("physician's assistants), which are practically GP doctors, get qualified to practice (under the license of a full MD) in two years? And these guys give orders to more traditionally-trained registered nurses...and the become an RN, it takes 4 to 6 years. Times are changing. I'm no longer concerned about this because I am here, in my country, and I am experiencing that the baccalaureate degree can be made redundant in other alternate ways. The place I'm working is aware that a TESOL diploma is a post-baccalaureate qual. I earned it, and have a lot of years' experience teaching and as a DoS.
I'm not being defensive, though I guess it sounds like that. I'm not. I'm just stating a truth that some people may find encouraging and other more traditionally minded people who refuse to change with the times may want to think about (though I guess I know in my heart that you won't, and deep in MY heart, I guess I don't much care).

But there ya go. My take.

khmerhit · Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 5:03 am Post subject:

Makes sense to me.

There is no undergraduate qualification for teaching ESL, so your solid experience and relevant certification count for more than an apparently irrelevant liberal arts degree-- in this particular field, and for a certain duration. Having all three would probably count for more with most employers, all things being equal. But not all things are equal in the job market, are they now?

If I were you, I would think about starting on a degree, if only because it will open doors for you-- down the road. Just a word to the wise--- Wink

memorabilis · Joined: 04 Feb 2005 Posts: 54 Location: Seoul, South Korea

It may be the case in the US that there is no undergraduate ESL teaching degree, but my alma mater, the University of Ottawa offers a BA in Second Language Teaching for either English or French. (As well as an MA, M Ed., and PhD in the same)

shuize · Joined: 04 Sep 2004 Posts: 1270