Job Discussion Forums

[Daddyo]

[coffeespoonman]

The quality of being exotic, much like beauty, fades with time... and sobriety.

For me, Wal-Mart sounds pretty exotic these days.

Well, I guess I could just head down the street to Carrefour to get my fill of cheap plastic crap.

[Greg 09]

Louise, you sound like a pretty dynamic and capable person, do you have entrepreneurial capabilities?

Why not go to Turkey, get a CELTA, take the best job you can find with your networking skills, gain EFL experience, and try to develop privates and/or part time Business English gigs as you go. A couple of years later, having attained the right connections, you could set yourself up in any number of ways. If you're serious, dedicated and creative you could use teaching as a springboard to areas related to both professions.

That's kinda-sorta my plan, but I have a degree and am getting another. But degrees only open certain doors, and opportunities are created many other ways. Its a moving target, but I bet you could hit it.

I fell in love with Turkey too (Istantbul), I hope you find your way back there!

[bulgogiboy]

Hi Louise,


Welcome to the forum


You probably wont have a problem finding illegal work, but that's no basis on which to start a new life in a country. Even if you got a CELTA, as another poster pointed out you wont be able to get a work permit if you dont have a degree.

It sounds like you have a good job right now. How about continuing on with your job, and doing a part-time degree( preferrably in English or a related subject if you feel capable/interested enough to major in it), and topping it all off with a CELTA? It will take a few years at least, but during that time you could also be saving money for a nice flat/house in Turkey, and taking Turkish lessons. You could continue to spend your holidays there, and have a look around different parts of the Aegean/Med coast to see where would suit you best. Bodrum is a clear favourite with a lot of ex-pats and Turks alike.

If you are really serious about starting a stable life in Turkey then I would recommend waiting a few years to sort these things out, it might seem like a long time but in the long run it'll be worth it.


About actually living in Turkey:

Have you spent any continuously long periods of time in Turkey already? Or just the usual 1-2 week breaks in the Aegean/Med coastal towns? I know this sounds obvious, but dont underestimate the differences between having a holiday in Turkey and actually living there and dealing with the day-to-day drudgeries and politics.

I lived there for over 18 months, took a course in Turkish alongside working(as well as studying hard at home) got engaged to a very well-educated and liberal Turkish girl from a wealthy family(long story) and did my masters thesis on the issues surrounding Turkish secularism, nationalism and political Islam(after I had returned to the UK). I dont think i'm being arrogant in saying that I know more about Turkey than the average Westerner.

As I'm sure you know, Turkish people are generally very hospitable and considerate towards foreigners. I made some really good friends there and still stay in touch via msn, where unfortunately I am starting to murder their language with my ever-deteriorating skills

However, you need to bear in mind that deep-down Turkey is actually a VERY conservative country in which the majority of people have fervent nationalistic and/or Islamic beliefs. And that is the Western part of Turkey i'm talking about. In the East it becomes as conservative as many Arab countries, with 'honor killings' in abundance and 'blood feuds' between tribes(there was a massacre at an engagement ceremony last year where 44 men women and children were mowed down with machine guns). Even in towns like Izmir, which is reportedly the most liberal place in Turkey, you will find serious political and religious divisions within society, and worrying restrictions on free speech. Even the most educated and seemingly liberal Turk can often have surprisingly fascist attitudes lurking beneath the surface. The average Turk is so nationalistic its suffocating. This has been indoctrinated within them from a very early age, where they pledge allegiance to Ataturk in schools every day. It's illegal to criticise him and people are sent to prison for expressing their views in this and many other areas which are taboo within Turkey. Just try having a civilised discussion about the Armenian Genocide, or Kurdish rights issues and see what happens...

This might not be an issue for you, but if you're planning on getting a Turkish boyfriend then be warned, certain topics will most likely be out of bounds. Basically any criticism, no matter how contructive, of Turkey/anything Turkish will cause problems with many Turks. There are also unwritten rules about things like dating/sex which exert far more power over people than the written law of this 'secular' country. They of course have the whole double standard thing going on. The men arent misogynists, just lecherous hypocrites for the most part My male Turkish friends constantly asked me(to the point of severe irritation in some cases ) to introduce them to Western women, as they see Western women as being a source of sex but without the whole marriage commitment thing (ironically the whole 'Turkish girls should be virgins on wedding night' expectation is a standard created and advocated by the majority of the male Turkish population - and a standard that they are constantly trying to get those same girls to disregard after a few glasses of raki ).


Before I get slammed for Turk-bashing, let me say that I think that Turkey is a beautiful country with a lot to offer: warm weather(most of the year), lovely food, friendly people, and some amazing sights to see. I just knew it wasnt for me long-term. I could have been married and living over there right now, but the time I spent there was sufficient. If you are truely in love with Turkey then I hope it's different for you, I sincerely hope it works out. Maybe you arent as anti-nationalistic as I am

About men there: I did actually have one or two Turkish friends who were faithful husbands and doting fathers, so if you are interested in Turkish men then please dont be put off entirely by what I've written. I just think you should know everything about a country you are planning to settle in, the good the bad and the ugly.

After all this, I am still planning a 1-2 year stint in Saudi hehe, assuming I can find a job with money enough to tempt me. But thats different, that's about cash towards a house or a doctoral degree, plain and simple. It's a simple case of the old 'in and out'(ok perhaps not the most appropriate phrase to use in relation to Saudi... ). That's another thing in Turkey, which is that the money leaves a lot to be desired, especially if you are earning a good salary right now(as your job title would suggest).

Good luck, and pm me if you want to ask anything else

[doner]

It is also worth pointing out a few things. Firstly there is an intense jealousy that seems to be hardwired into the culture-encouraged by the state and there is an insiduousness feeling amongst the general population that westerners are rich and deliberately keeping Turkey down. Secondly owing to tax increases Turkey is becoming an expensive place. Prices are skyrocketing and apart from eating out, seasonal fruit and veg, bread and labour intensive things like having a haircut it is often more expnesive than the UK.