Job Discussion Forums

[rucontent]

oK SO I have long wanted to teach English Abroad. I am on the cusp of that dream coming to fruition. I do not have misguided illusions of fantasy land perfection. However, I do realize that i need to make money. I cannot just make enough to get by. However! In looking for jobs abroad like in Korea, there are many recruiters seeking me out. Each one wants a resume, a pic, transcripts, etc.. I cannot afford to get transcripts for every possible opportunity. What is the best way to handle this situation?

And now in doing more research about all this, I am finding all kinds of negative, complaining, and info of how terrible things are. What to do? How to handle?

thanks

[gajackson1]

Good question! I will offer a couple of possibilities:

1) Many universities offer a job placement package as part of university/alumni services. For a set (sometimes yearly) fee, they will keep a copy of your updated resume/CV, transcripts, university degree, reference letters, etc.

Then, you either contact them, telling who to send it to, or you simply say to the person asking 'Yes, I have a full credentials package. Please contact the Registrar's office at my University; here is the information.'

2) Pull together these documents yourself, and make good quality copies. Transcript copies should be ok for general inquiries/interview purposes, if not for the actual paperwork processing. In fact, my University even offered 'unofficial' transcripts - they were obviously my transcripts; they had just not been notarized by the University office.

3) Similar to #2, you create digital copies of your documents, and put them into an e-mail format. Send it to yourself first, using something like gmail, just as a 'test run.' Then, it is saved, and you can modify or resend it any time you need! I have also burned simple cdr copies to send to employers, and if you will be doing 'on the ground' door-knocking, having a full set on a VIRUS CLEAN USB keychain/pendrive, or on your notebook computer, can be very useful.

(This is also a great idea for a good copy of your passport, insurance, ID & other docs for traveling overseas.

4) In all honesty, because of my own experiences over the years, I do NOT, in general, recc using recruiters - there ARE some good, honest, legit ones, but just not enough in general. If you choose to go that route, try to go with a bigger one with good reputations FROM OTHER TEACHERS.

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As for the negative things, well - I wrote another post here somewhere about why people teach abroad/the different types of teachers, and I think that is part of it. Also, in most places, the economies are still on the down, which does affect the teachers, too. You need to keep realistic, and be aware that your first year pretty much anywhere will be a huge learning curve (ha! no pun intended! ); it is not so different from people who say that when you decide to open a business, be prepared to be 'in the red' the first 2-3 years - except in our case, it can be emotional/mental/spiritual as likely as it is to be financial.

Keep educating yourself, & best of luck!

Glen

[Hansen]

You can't afford to send transcripts to the schools? If you are that broke, I would not consider China a good choice. You really should have a few, or even better, several, thousand dollars on hand for unseen emergencies.

There are numerous things that can go wrong here--accidents, illness, rip offs. In any of these scenarios, money is going to be a great problem solver. You may find the situation simply unbearable. Money is going to enable you to escape a bad situation.

Travel insurance can be a good help in the beginning. One acquaintance here developed a serious illness shortly after arriving. Fortunately, he had a great travel insurance plan which took care of his medical evacuation to HK (non emergent) hospital costs in HK, and a hotel there for recuperation.

These people ask for all kinds of things. I doubt they even look at them. They may be requesting transcripts as part of a counterfeiting ring which will alter your documents for their own purposes. Find a school that doesn't make such requests, if possible. Degrees, certificates, and so forth are fine. They don't need to see your transcripts.

[sly1139]

well, each person is going to have a different experience... But I just found that talking to the director, and a person that works for her, that I could figure out the rest. I didn't send any info to people unless I was interested in the job, and had an interview. If you explain this, I'm sure the reasonable people will understand. I can only speak for myself, but I came here with 400 bucks, and did fine. I might have gotten lucky, but if you over think stuff, it could get complicated. Just like with any job where you are from, each is different. Every school, every director, every co-worker... I am a big believer is self fulfilled prophecy. If you think it, it can be... People that complain about their job have never had a real job, meaning 70 hour weeks, and some labor. These jobs are a breeze. Now, you might have the odd Korean boss is a nit pick, but you just treat her like she treats you, and you will be fine... These people need us, and you, so don't let yourself be dis-respected or taken advantage of...
Koreans will take advantage of a person far from home, but unless you hurt a kid, or don't show up to work, you will not lose your job...

[Glenski]

Send an UNofficial photocopied set of transcripts with the promise to get official ones when/if you are hired. In Japan you don't usually get asked for transcripts anyway, just a degree.

By the way, the complaints and such about Korea (plus the fact that there is a totally separate forum here for Korea) is IMO a subtle warning.