Job Discussion Forums

[the_otter]

I hope this topic hasn't come up before. Or not recently at least.

Come July, I'll have spent a a little under a year teaching courses in Spoken English and in Written English students at a Chinese university. I have a degree in English and a Celta certificate.

The news from the UK, unfortunately, mentions nothing about a few hundred thousand vacancies suddenly flooding the job market, so I can't go back home, nor do I have the money to fund a masters.

My question is - where next? I would like to find work in Poland or Germany, but I don't know if that's possible. Teflers say it's nearly impossible to get a decent job in Germany without fluent German and that the market in Poland is already saturated. I'd rather not stay in China for another year, in case I get stuck here indefinitely. (Though I like China, I don't like it enough to make it my permanent home).

I have some basic German (GCSE level), which recently I've been trying to improve.

I'm not posting this in the China forum, because most of the people there are still in China.

[tttompatz]

Year two in China wouldn't be out of place.

Look at Korea if you really want to make some money to put toward a Masters. The job isn't any great shakes but it is easy to save some cash.

Look at Thailand or Vietnam if you want to try the tropics for a year and have the beaches or mountains on the weekends.

With a degree, a CELTA and assuming you are a native speaker (from the UK?) with a UK passport you can head virtually anywhere outside of North America (and the job situation in the states is worse than the UK.)

.

[the_otter]

Thanks - and yes, I'm a native speaker with a UK passport.

Although I wouldn't mind spending another year in China, I'd rather head somewhere without a logographic alphabet. Korea isn't a place I want to work (teaching high school students: brrr), but what you say about the money means I'll have to consider it.

If I can't find work in Europe, then Vietnam and Thailand, as you suggest, sounds like good bets.

[spiral78]

Germany's probably do-able, but keep in mind that wages are essentially subsistence-level. You can live OK, but saving or paying off debt is usually not feasible in the first year in a new location at least. If you commit to an area and build a local rep and contacts, things can get a bit more lucrative, but European salaries for teachers are almost never on a par with what you can expect in Asia. Just too much competition- it's a hirer's market here.

[the_otter]

[Prof.Gringo]

[spiral78]

Yes, mostly freelance. Keep in mind that in your second or third season in one location, it's more likely that you can find the 'better' niches. Starting out is usually the bottom of the barrel stuff, unless you've got local contacts already.
The fact that you've already got some proficiency in German and the intention to work on it further is an asset.


I think you'll get more specific info at this stage on the Germany forum.

[spiral78]

By the way, your experience in China probably won't 'wow' potential employers. You'll make a better impression if you demonstrate some awareness of the vast differences in teaching Asian students and European ones.

[the_otter]

[Prof.Gringo]

[naturegirl321]

Latin America often doesn't pay that well. Mexico seems to the best bet though. It might be worth staying in China another year to show stability. That being said, if you want to leave, then with a UK passport, Europe is wide open.

[the_otter]

[dackinator]

------

[the_otter]

That's good to hear! I'd be happy to work in Poland or Latvia, and I'd go to the Ukraine or Russia in preference to another year in China if the job looks sound.

May I ask where you did go in your second year?