Job Discussion Forums

[greenandnew]

I've been reading Dave's ESL Cafe on and off for about 4 years now (plus browsing other sites on-line regarding international experiences), and its time for me to go. I'm at a transitional point, have no dependents, a little cash saved, and only a minor student loan to work on. I'm a 29 year-old U.S. citizen with a B.S. in Psychology, M.A. in art therapy Counseling, and a certification to guide white water rafting trips.

So, in about a month, I will be flying to another country. I've narrowed it down to Thailand or Belize and have some contacts in each (although my general interests are in SE Asia or South/Central America). I'm looking for an international experience that would help people (volunteer/ or paid) for about 6 mos. to a year. Don't want to do one of those volunteer vacations. I don't think there is anything wrong with them, (I like the trend of people wanting to do good with their free time) its just not what I'm looking for. Please feel free to give me some advice (PM or otherwise), or any theories you may have about my love of parentheses.

Apologies for the length, but I wanted to give as much info as possible. Thanks in advance.

[nickpellatt]

Are you wanting to teach, or just do any type of volunteer work?

How about doing a TEFL course in your country of choice, with a 'guaranteed' job at the end of the course...sure you can find some links or recommendations here

This way you get a qualification, which you may, or may not need (as you have a degree) and may or may not use in the future (if you decide not to pursue TEFL) but you will get classroom experience, and you will get someone to do some off the leg work for you, so you are not arriving in a strange land without any help or support...

Just my 2p's worth as a new traveller!

[laura1d]

Hi,

When I lived in Thailand I used to go to the north to volunteer teach Burmese refugees living in refugee camps on the border during school holidays. This work is unpaid (although it is possible to get a very small monthly stipend). If you are interested in doing this PM me and I will forward some details of contacts in the area. It is possible to do this for 6 months or more if you have the time. Lesser time is also possible.

Laura

[tedkarma]

Not to be a damper on the search for enlightenment . . . but neither South/Central America - nor SE Asia will allow enough earnings to help you pay off a student loan.

If you want or need to save money or pay off loans - the standard ports of call are Korea, Japan, and/or Taiwan.

However, if you have the savings to support your loan while you are out and about - the world is your oyster! Go for it - come on in, the water is fine. . .

[greenandnew]

Thanks guys! I'm not really looking to save money, but it depends if a volunteer position includes food and housing how long I can go with the student loan. In my understanding, ethical overseas volunteering includes not doing work that takes a job away from a local or doing something that justifies the airfare (or why not send the airfare to the organization so they can hire a local to do that job). Really, though I might just be making stuff up. So, anyway, I figure that teaching English for cheap or volunteer would fit the bill. I think somewhere I read about a TEFL course that was free if you volunteer afterwards, in which case I would know what I was doing to better help people. I've lead groups (therapy and educational), but somehow I feel this is quite a bit different. I'll have to look it up. Thanks for your input, and please keep me posted on any ideas or contacts you may have.

[naturegirl321]

First of all try volunteerabroad.com to look for positions.

Second, you can apply for financial hardship if you make less than a certain amount and can get out of paying loans for a bit, though I don-t know about the interest.

[denise]

[greenandnew]

Naturegirl and Denise,
Thanks for replying- I might have to check out the deferment but maybe it won't be an issue. Also, volunteerabroad.com and the general goabroad.com are good websites. I check them every once in awhile for leads. Thanks again. Just seeing people reply lifts my mood and the kind interest is greatly appreciated.
Susan

[coffeedrinker]

Idealist.com has several different areas you can search - one is for volunteer opportunities - sometimes these include those volunteer vacation organizations but they generally include local organizations as well. You can also just search for organizations in a country, and you might try searching for some in the countries you are interested in and perhaps contacting a few appealing ones to see if you could either volunteer there in your free time or try to work out some accommodation for work arrangement.

I think it makes sense to be careful though about assuming exactly what helps people of not...there will definitely be situations where they are happy to let you work for free, but the fact that you're not getting paid alone does not mean you're helping someone. Maybe you can find a paid position with a lower number of hours and check out which local organizations seem best set up once you arrive, and then donate some time to teach then.

Good luck - it sounds like you will have an interesting time and it's good that you want to do the right thing.

[greenandnew]

Coffeedrinker,
Thanks for the input. If anyone is interested, idealist has a setup where you can have e-mails sent to you regarding positions (volunteer or paid) that match your criteria. Pretty neat.

Thanks for the reminder about volunteering. I was in a paid position in mental health, and I hope that I did help people. A friend of mine who taught in Thailand also mentioned that he felt like he was helping people while getting paid. I do tend to lean toward the matyr syndrome stuff, and I need reminders that just because I am getting material gain does not mean that someone else isn't benefitting. I feel that you can make a positive impact in any position, I just forget that sometimes. Thanks, again.
Susan

[vashdown2]

When I was looking for a meaningful organization to work on a volunteer basis for 4-6 months, I used www.idealist.org as well as internet searches to identify organizations.

Believe it or not, it was a job search in itself! If you are looking for a good position- interesting- that might improve some of your skills (not just babysitting, or...), it might take awhile to find a good fit.

Try to set everything up before you leave. Good luck!

[movinaround]

Why not do a bit of a stint in a high paying country for a year or two, pay off the student loans and save a bit of money. After that, you would be free to do anything or go anywhere you want, with experience added to your resume too.

BTW, when applying for jobs, sometimes it might be better to leave out the white water rafting bit. I used to sky dive (I can't where I am now), but it's not good to let your prospective employer know you like to dangerous things Really!