Job Discussion Forums

Old Surrender · Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 2:19 am Post subject: Tips for married couples

Hi!

What kind of insight could you guys give married couples looking for a teaching job abroad?

Background on us: She's finishing her Master's in English and wants to teach abroad a couple years before applying for her PhD, (hopefully picking up the language of the country we're in, she already knows Spanish). She also teaches English classes at the university she attends.

I'm a graphic designer with a degree in journalism.

We're looking at Japan, Tiawan and Korea for jobs.

If you guys have any tips or general rules of thumb before we delve too deeply into our search, we would appreciate it!

Blasphemer · Joined: 03 Dec 2008 Posts: 199 Location: NYC/Warszawa

Hey!

We just moved to Poland ... you are actually in a great position! Two bring in more $, so you will actually be able to save a bit more and do some traveling. Two makes it easier during the initial few months.
We both were lucky enough to land a job at the same school... it's a cool arrangement, you can both learn about your new environment together...

Don't worry, it'll be all over soon Wink

Good Luck!

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

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

yeah, but for the places they're looking at Japan, taiwan and Korea, as long as they're both native speakers, they'll be fine.

China is always an option too.

Try posting on the country forums as well.

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

You realize that coming as a couple is a disadvantage. Good.

Tip #1. Don't forget that or expect special treatment.

Tip #2. Go to the forums for the countries that interest you. Read their FAQs and sniff around directly.

Tip #3. For Japan, do the search function here to see what others have posted on the same topic. Yours is not a unique situation.

Tip #4. Only one of you actually needs a work visa (for Japan anyway). Get that, and the spouse can come here on a dependent visa and work PT (with special permission) or just job hunt until someone wants to sponsor a work visa.

Old Surrender · Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 10:40 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the replies!

I think our strategy will be for her to line up a job and I�ll search for a job in the same city before or once we get there. We have money stashed away. She has a fair amount of university teaching experience -- some of her students were non-native speakers last semester. Does this sound like a realistic strategy? It probably differs from location to location. (Work visa rules, and such, as Glenski noted.)

I, on the other hand, have very little teaching experience. I guest lectured a couple times at the communications department at the university here, but that was more like �Hi! I�m a graphic designer for a newspaper! I make maps and infographics! When we�re short-staffed, I switch hats and copy edit! I also freelance for a trade magazine! Here�s how to get a job in media...� not really teaching, per se. Maybe I�ll find a gig at an English-language publication abroad, but I�m really interested in taking an entry-level teaching gig.

Yes, we�re both native speakers.

Thanks so much! I'll start poking in other forums and Search for previous couples' threads!

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Bit of a flaw. ASk about the country, for example, with Japan and Korea, your spouse can get you a visa. But for China, the company has to get it for you. So let the school know in advance.

Doesn't matter about your lack of experience. Start now, volunteer, observe, take some classes. It's all about marketing.

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

Old Surrender · Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 5:16 pm Post subject:

We already took a look at the jobs on JACET, looks like Japense language ability is the biggest roadblock.

She has taught Comp 101, English 201 (Arguementive Writing), and English 400 (Editing for Literary Jounals). She started as a TA and now she's an adjunct.

Not sure what you mean by publications, but she's a part-time copy editor for a trade journal that has an international circulation and some of her poems have been published in a couple lit mags.

We won't leave the US until a job(s) is lined up. Sorry if I didn't make that clear!

housecattn · Joined: 21 Apr 2009 Posts: 26 Location: Baltimore, Maryland

Old Surrender

Generally in academia the reference to publications is to articles written or co-written by the person and published in scholarly journals etc.

It also refer to books written on related scholarly subjects, textbooks etc.

Hope this helps.

Mike