Job Discussion Forums

mehrlin26 · Joined: 20 Feb 2004 Posts: 52 Location: South Korea

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening Whichever It May Be,

I am a long time visitor, first time poster so I am not sure whether this post belongs here or in the Newbie forum. Bear with me.

I am currently in Central Europe in a job with a private agency. It is not a bad place and I am enjoying myself. However, I am thinking about the future. I don t mind teaching but I don t want to do it forever. The number at the end of my user-name is actually my age. I ve had a bit of a rough time these last four years and teaching English in foreign countries has been a way of meeting ends meet. So the question I m throwing out here is, Does this lead anywhere

Is there life after teaching Question

I will give you an example of what I am talking about. Sometime ago, a relative of mine who is working in the civil service told me of a couple who once taught English in Japan who now work in the Canadian civil service in a Middle Eastern country which shall remain nameless here. Does anyone else know any stories like this

People who start out teaching English and then using the experience to jump to other kinds of jobs

( Sorry about the excessive use of smilies: I can t find the question mark on this keyboard ).

Sorry, incidentally if this sounds insulting to career teachers. You do a wonderful job, God bless ya, but I still need to know.

Okay, I m done apologizing now. Let s hear from you.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

I have a friend (10 years experience and an MA) who got bored with teaching. He is now a stand up comedian in Turkey. Not too different from some teaching jobs .

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

Depending on your language skills in the language of your host country, you could go into translating--I know some people who have done it or thought about doing it. (I don't know any specifics--translating is a big, huge field about which I am largely ignorant...)

d

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

or proof reading

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Teacher training
Course development
Writer

mehrlin26 · Joined: 20 Feb 2004 Posts: 52 Location: South Korea

Course development Question

Could you elaborate on that Question

My thanks to everyone who has replied so far. Very Happy

FGT · Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 762 Location: Turkey

It's possible to move into international business. I know a couple of people who started out as EFL teachers who both now hold management positions in Philip Morris - huge salaries, travelling the world etc.
Speaking fluent Turkish was crucial (and being European in Turkey helped).

Dr.J · Joined: 09 May 2003 Posts: 304 Location: usually Japan

It's not impossible to get into translating (I hope!), but you do need to be very proficient in your languages.

In terms of 'transferable skills', you can basically say; keeping deadlines, working with difficult people, working with large groups of people, planning short and long term. You can move into most fields of education. You can write, but then you can move to that from any job. You can move into tourism, especially if you know the language, so you can also move into language and jobs related to international affairs between your native and host country.

When changing careers there is often no choice but to start at the bottom. However, having experience as a teacher might make it a smoother/faster journey up the ladder.

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

SOme keep dreaming of becoming their own bosses based in a foreign host country. This is partciularly attractive to people in Asian countries.
As in my case, however, dreams may - never come true!

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

been_there · Joined: 28 Oct 2003 Posts: 284 Location: 127.0.0.1

I was an ESOL teacher for about 7 years and now I'm the Academic Director of a University.

I'm also taking the Foreign Service exam in April, so I might just be the guy giving you your replacement passport when you get pickpocketed next year...... Very Happy

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

slaqdog · Joined: 29 Apr 2003 Posts: 211

After 13 years as a teacher I have decided to stop and return to the UK. I know it will be tough but opportunities do exist. By the way at age 26 you can do whatever you set your heart on

khmerhit · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2004 6:26 pm Post subject:

THE CANADIAN GOVT HAS A PROGRAM FOR UNDER THIRTIES THAT LEADS TO WORK IN IR (INTERNAT RELATIONS) DIPLOMACY CONFLICT RESOLUTION NGO EMPLOYMENT AND THE LIKE. ASSUMING YOU HAVE A DEGREE I SHOULD LOOK INTO IT IF I WERE YOU. HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE OSCE (ORG FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE). THEY AND OTHER ORGS HAVE OFFICES THAT STAFF CANADIANS OVERSEAS.
HUNDREDS OF THEM. I MET A GUY WHO SAID ONLY ONE THING COUNTS IN HIS BUSINESS (CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN SERBIA) AND THAT IS EXPERIENCE. ANYWAY, THIS PROGRAM OFFERS A FOOT IN THE DOOR. I WILL TRY TO LOOK IT UP AND REPORT BACK, AS I DONT KNOW ITS NAME.

Joachim · Joined: 01 Oct 2003 Posts: 311 Location: Brighton, UK

I worry about this myself. It seems a common enough pattern amongst ESL teachers - finish University, get some shitty dead-end job to pay off debts, save and do the CELTA then leave your home country, as you're desperate for an adventure, then you kind of stagnate and just go from job to job, very rarely earning enough money to consider a future.

My idea is to keep travelling and working until I'm 30, by which time I will go home and get a real job!. WHat it will be I don't know, but we have time to decide, and it's better to be at the bottom of a ladder you want to climb, than halfway up one you don't.

Oh whatever!