Job Discussion Forums

markgilbey · Joined: 04 Aug 2006 Posts: 7

Hi, By the time I finish my degree, and clear my debts, I will be 26 years old.

I am doing my TEFL over the summer and shall be looking at places abroad when I am done. I realise initially most of the contracts are for 6-10 months, but is there a good chance that you could carry on indefintely for several years (or a career) in the same place?

I'm thinking not only in terms of places where you can simply renew contracts, but also where it is economically viable to save a reasonable amount each month (I realise to some extent this is down to lifestyle also).

I would really like to forge a career out of teaching abroad; I'm not interested in making huge amounts of money to live a lavish lifestyle, but to have enough to live on and save each month.

Many thanks, Mark Gilbey.

isanity · Joined: 05 Nov 2004 Posts: 179

Saving for what? In somewhere like Thailand you could save enough to live out your dotage in Thailand, but not enough to be any use to you back home. The only areas that pay substantial money are the far east (Korea, Taiwan, to a lesser extent Japan) and the middle east, but there aren't many beginners' jobs in the middle east.

If you're set on the idea of a career with job progression and satisfaction, best to get out of the TEFL business.

rusmeister · Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 867 Location: Russia

Isanity's mostly right.

Russia was a prime place, but pay has stagnated and even lowered as more or even most businesses have gone over the table, and prices have skyrocketed, making Russia more inadvisable.

Plus word has always been that cost of living in Japan is so high that you can't really save anything. But I'll let the Japan teachers comment on that more.

This is not a field to get rich in, or even to save money any more. Except maybe S. Korea. But I doubt even that.

JZer · Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 3898 Location: Pittsburgh

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

nowhere

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

Deconstructor · Joined: 30 Dec 2003 Posts: 775 Location: Montreal

STAY HOME!!!! Ultimately that's where your career will most likely be forged.

afowles · Joined: 02 Jan 2004 Posts: 85 Location: USA

I lived in Poland for three years and there, had I had the inclination, I think I could have put away about 300-500 USD per month.

Now I'm in South Korea. The money is better, the apartments are free (no guarantee of quality, though. I lucked out; I love my pad), and the jobs are plentiful. And SK is a good place to be if you're just beginning a teaching career. The demand is so high that most anyone can get a job.

That last sentence sounds a bit negative, doesn't it? It is a bit negative, but I won't get into that here.

saint57 · Posted: Sun Aug 06, 2006 11:32 pm Post subject:

You can save money in South Korea, but you will burn out. Hogwons are no place to spend more than a year. The TESL jobs you have in mind as a newbie are not career options. If you are satisfied doing them for a long time that fine, but that's not a career. A career means growth and 95% of TESLers realise that teaching oral English won't satisfy you in the long term. There are plenty of careers in education. Language school teacher is a good place to start and save money, but you need to move on quickly. An MA or B.Ed are your ticket to a career.

tedkarma · Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:07 am Post subject:

Wow! I am surprised by the negativeness! Okay then . . .

I have found TEFL to be a great place to forge a career, save money, see the world, etc. So have many others.

One key to success though - will be to get a relevant graduate degree as soon as you can. Many more job options - a little more money - and MUCH better working conditions

Korea, Japan, Taiwan - are all decent places to save some money. Listen to the long-term people - not the flash in the pan folks. I think you will find on the board several people with 10-15 or even 20 years out in the TEFL world. If you want a career - talk with those people. I've been overseas since 1989 - in TEFL since 1992 - and I LOVE it.

rusmeister · Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 867 Location: Russia

Speaking for myself at least, it's not negativity towards the job itself, Ted. Things have been changing a lot, esp. over the past 10 years. In the 90's Russia was a great place to save money. Now it's not. And many people are reporting the same thing, looks like from all over.

Point is (speaking for all who agree with me now), us lifers are not really in it for the money. We're in it because we love what we do, and we get respect overseas that we don't get at home for doing it. We're just really disappointed that COL has risen so much that not much can be saved anymore, not without working overtime evenings, weekends, and (gasp!) days. That's probably where you're picking up the negative on.

We love what we do. And we aren't going to leave it; we'll just gripe a little.

Just came across the story of Darren Russell in China (ESL teacher murdered last year). A link to a thread in the forum here http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=41919&highlight=darren+russell

tedkarma · Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 11:56 am Post subject:

markgilbey · Joined: 04 Aug 2006 Posts: 7

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

markgilbey · Joined: 04 Aug 2006 Posts: 7

Yes I did!

I meant to say not expecting to earn a western wage in the east, yet a wage good enough so I could put an amount of money by each month for later on in life.