Job Discussion Forums

[post_post_philosophy]

looking to make a move soon. originally had one last temporary job lined up here in the US but it fell through. my qualifications are only that i am a native english speaker with a fresh BA in History (minor, philosophy) from a one in a million middle tier U.S. university (temple university, philadelphia).

my long term plan is to enroll in school for my MA in the summer or fall. for now i am looking for employment options in some of the countries/cities of the schools i hope to apply to. schools i will be applying to are in located in istanbul, turkey, switzerland, and poland. i also have friends and a deep emotional attachment to roma, but it doesnt seem like a reasonable place to find work right now.

what i`m really looking for is general advice on moving, job searching (teaching jobs in particular but anything helps), and really anything you might find useful. for the record, i am *not* just a young graduate looking to travel. although "expat" is a sort of heavy word that i`d rather not use, that is the direction i am seemingly headed in. i am not looking for "easy street" just useful advice for a reasonable path towards exploring the big blue dot. thanks in advance. ~

the internet is a very big, daunting place and even the most enthusiastic can get bogged down and discouraged from hours of seemingly fruitless surfing. this is why i come to you for advice, starting points, ect.

i do have some funding i was able to save during college to get started. i would rather not pay 1000 USD for a certificate however being that my plan is to return to school.

disclaimer: i never know whats "ok" to post here and what is going to drive mods and "og"-types nuts, so as i always say, feel free to delete, modify, whatever my post if need be. i`d rather that then the angry "read blah blah blah you stupid newb" replies.

[spiral78]

You are highly unlikely to find anything at all in either Switzerland or Poland without some relevant qualifications. The Swiss market is extremely small and attracts highly qualified and experienced teachers, and the majority of newbies in Poland have at least a CELTA or equivalent.

Jobs in this region are not usually found from abroad in any case -there are lots of teachers here on the ground and reputable employers don't have to take a chance on someone sight-unseen.

Without a cert, you are probably better off to start somewhere in Asia.

[post_post_philosophy]

thanks for the response. i realize teaching in europe from my current position is not the easiest.

i have debated the more obvious places in asia (s.korea, vietnam, ect). my only worry is, like i said, i am looking to apply to MA programs to start in the summer or fall of 2012 and dont want to be tied down somewhere in asia. i`m aware that this sounds picky and counter productive, but, just saying.

edit: if i did opt to do certification in a particular country, what is a general/broad estimate on the amount of time it will take to get a sort of "return" on my investment? like i said, i have some funding, just a bit weary of spending something like 1000 USD just to qualify for interviews.

[spiral78]

So are you basically looking to pick up something from now until summer/fall of this year? Something 6 months or less? If that's the case, I doubt that anyplace will pay a return on an investment in a cert plus relocation and starting up expenses (neither travel nor start-up expenses are normally paid by employers at the newbie level here).

Also, you may already be aware that a standard contract in the general European region is normally Sept/Oct through June. It's not very common to find something offered for a short period of time.

[post_post_philosophy]

Yes I am aware of the awkward timing with regards to standard contracts coming at the beginning of the traditional school year.

And yes, as tough as it sounds, I am looking for something short term at the moment. I wish my situation were different but applications to school and returning to studies is where I feel my priority should lie.

Aside from teaching I am also curious about english language papers or jobs related to editing, ect. Anything really.

I should state that I am not 100% against committing to a teaching job and delaying school. I am more or less putting out feelers, looking for advice, websites, other resources to help get me off the ground. I am in a bit of an awkward personal situation (one might say "in limbo"). Just wanted to state that I am well aware of my (poor) timing and that I need to do serious planning. I like these forums, people are generally experienced, helpful, and enthusiastic about being part of the (for lack of better terminology) "international community".

Maybe that helps explain my situation better and my (current) goals in using this forum.

[spiral78]

I know people across Europe who work for English language newspapers and in editing, but, again, these jobs aren't abundant and aren't normally open (on either short or long-term basis) to someone sight-unseen from abroad. The people I know who are working in these realms are expats committed to a region, who have local contacts and language skills and who moved into the positions based on a local reputation. It's the kind of thing that any native speaker who has lived in a region for a while might want to do, and that's why you don't see advertisements for such jobs - there's an abundance of people already around to do them.

Your best bet so far as Europe is concerned may really be summer school gigs - they pay very little and there aren't tonnes of them around, either, but landing a summer school job is probably more feasible than trying to get a contract anywhere here for Jan/Feb through June/July.

Sorry I haven't got more positive news for you, but I honestly think that your chances of finding something in Europe from abroad, for a few months only, with or without certification, are very slim indeed. Have you some alternative ideas on tap?

[post_post_philosophy]

I appreciate the replies spiral, grim in outlook as they may be, and pretty much expected as much.

As far as alternative ideas, thats basically what I made this thread for. I`m looking for them. I have a very optimistic take on the situation regardless, this is just day 1 of "operation, figure out the next stage of my life" or whatever.

Like I said, I have some friends in Roma, but given the economic situation there I dont feel right asking them with help finding a job. I did email the program director of a school I attended there just as a feeler as they usually hire english speaking students/ex-students to help with their current crop, pay under the table, and help provide housing. But really, thats more of a pipe dream than finding a short term teaching job and was done as more of a "what have you got to lose" option.

[spiral78]

So far as Rome (and most of the EU) you've got Schengen zone restrictions (assuming you have only a US passport and none from an EU member country). It means that after 90 days you are subject to possible bans and fines.... you're probably aware of that, but it's not really recommended any more to work under the table unless you're going to do it for less than a 90 day period and then get out of the zone....

[post_post_philosophy]

I am aware and not necessarily "condoning" this. Though in traveling I have met plenty of people who do this and seemed to be doing alright for themselves (or doing it "safely",ect)

Either way, I appreciate your advice Spiral. I hope that this thread will garner some more attention before it plummets to obscurity. Forum members please come share advice, tips, stories, ect.

For now I retreat to the world of Italo Calvino`s "Invisible Cities".

[Glenski]

[SahanRiddhi]

At this point you'll no sooner get to wherever you're going than it's time to turn around and come back. There is no way it will be a profitable venture financially when you account for airfare and startup costs. If you're determined to go traveling, and you can afford it, just take an extended vacation. Pick up a bit of off-the-books work when you get there, if it is available, to offset the costs. But on this short timeframe, and given your choices of destinations, there is no way you ill save or even break even, no matter how you go about it. Lost cause.

[alyssautumn]

You might want to look into teaching in Georgia. The international jobs board is full of ads from recruiters looking to fill volunteer positions for a new government program. They pay airfare upfront, and it looks as if you can teach for as little as 3 months.

[MotherF]

I'm suprised no one has pointed this out but...

If you are wanting to do an MA starting in the fall of 2012--you should have already applied. Most deadlines are in December and people know if they have been accepted or not in March or April.