Job Discussion Forums

[Guest]

Unlike a lot of people on these threads, I personally believe that teaching "conversational English" in China is a perfect opportunity to see another part of the World and to find out if you would enjoy teaching or not. As I see it you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

The demand is so great here that practically ANYONE can get a job - even I did although the odds were against me with NO DEGREE, NO TEACHING ECPERIENCE, NO QUALIFICATIONS AND BEING 56!

Everyone has a different agenda for being here in China and I do not see anything wrong with any of them. Mine was to worm my way into a CLOSED Orphanage and I did that seven months ago so I am happy.

Some see it as a career and others see it as a paid holiday. I do not condem anyone as I think there is room here for everyone. If you are prepared to take a lesser paying job, as I am, you will be very happy here I am sure.

Piece of advice - just sign for 6 months initially, as you can always extend it.

Best of luck

[ls650]

[Guest]

I don't know about the overall balance. Why don't you do a thread to see how many qualified people are here and how many unqualified?

I would do it but I do not know how!

[James_T_Kirk]

Hi Dubbs,

Just do it! I think China would be a good place for your first teaching job. Ideally, as others have said, getting some qualifications would be a good idea before you go abroad to teach, but if you don't have the money to do so now, you can go back and get qualifications later if you enjoy the job.

In regards to your credit card debt, shop around for a different credit card company that offers a card with a low interest rate. Many different credit card companies compete for business, and if you transfer your balance to one of their cards, they will often offer a very low rate of interest, and, better yet, may offer a "no payments, no interest" deal for up to one year. Thus, you could possibly transfer your credit card balance and not have to worry about it getting bigger and bigger for a whole year! After a year, if you still haven't paid off the card, you could go through this process again...transfer the balance to a new card and get the same deal of "no payments, no interest" for up to one year.

Good luck,
Kirk

[Roger]

Rhonda,
I respect you and am glad to know that you with your golden heart are among us; but by all means, you should, in my humble opinion, desist from encouraging all and sundry to flood into China!!!
This is not because I am more in favour of qualified folks - remeember I never held your lack of certs against you!

But I am not favourably inclined towards certain members of the travelling crowd that pop up here today, there tomorrow, and leave a trail of debts and broken hearts behind.
Not to mention the negative impact this nomadic lifestyle may have on unprepared young student minds.

China does not need everyone, not even everyone they want to place in English classes; in most cases they can do without us.
So let's protect the market for those who actually have something to contribute!

[YakTamer]

Dubbs, what you should do is pay off SLC using a credit card and then declare yourself bankrupt.

Or do the following (more fun)....

1) Get as many credit cards, personal loans, as you can
2) Use your credit cards to buy consumer junk and then sell it on ebay for hard cash
3) buy a plane ticket to vegas (using a credit card) and take all the cash you've now acquired with you
4) walk into the first casino that takes your fancy and put *everything* you have on black.

if you win...
5a) pay off all your debts and take the other half of the money as your 'seed capital' to fund a life of excess and debauchery.

and if you lose...
5b) walk away with sang froid, commit a minor violation to get yourself deported back to Blighty free of charge and when you get back declare yourself bankrupt.

So its heads you win and tails you don't lose.

Seriously, the current change being enacted to Bankruptcy laws in the UK could lead to a flood of people taking this route, my guess is hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions if the housing bubble collapses, as it surely must, and negative equity returns. If you have large debts and no assets (ie a house they could grab), the new law makes bankruptcy look a no-brainer. There no longer seems to be the social stigma attached to bankruptcy that there used to be and you can get discharged within a matter of months. Obviously, I couldn't condone this morally (ahem) as my perspective has been more that of the creditor rather than the debtor and I learnt the hard way that "loan oft loses both itself and friend". But actions have consequences and the change to the law will mean that eventually people's behaviour will respond to the new regime - probably quicker than the finance companies can avoid being burnt.

I speak from some experience in such matters having made a living writing credit risk software for banks, although the counterparties were usually other banks rather than joe public maxed out on his MBNA Platinum.

Apologies for so much OT blather on what is clearly meant to be a TESOL forum and on my first post.