Job Discussion Forums

[gordogringo]

I taught in Taiwan for several years before returning to a career in the commercial real estate industry.I can not tell you how many interviewers in the US thought I was lying about working overseas and was saying that to cover up spending time in jail.I started carrying my passport around and as much proof as possible of my time in Taiwan.Long story short after 6 years in Las Vegas commercial real estate I went back to teaching esl for a chain of resorts here in Vegas.And I cannot wait to get back to Taiwan to teach.Hopefully by Jan. Fingers crossed.

[Sweetsee]

Right on Gordo,

I spent 10 days in Kenting Park, you know it? On our way to Vietnam but denied entry, met some teachers and seemed cool there. All the people I met were opening businesses there; dive shop, English school, bar, etc. Can't remember the town down there, on the beach sort of. In fact, beach access was iffy, many off-limits. And every one chewing on those Beetle Nuts, whoa! those were gnarly, tried them a couple times and got too amped, hair standing up and stuff. Gotta love the Beetle Nut shacks, though! Oh yeah, I thought they were hookers when we were cruising south on the bus. I woke up and caught glimpses of these neon flashes, it was raining and my partner said, 'Yeah it's like Amsterdam'. From that moment I was very alert.

Were you in Taipei?


Cheers,
s

[Boy Wonder]

Worked in Greece for a year in 1998/99.
Left TEFL for 6 months....worked in a bookshop and at a ski resort in France.
With relief returned to TEFL with a job in Poland Jan 2000.
Left TEFL for 6 months after Poland...to do a PGCE course...couldnt stand the prospect of years spent in British primary schools so quit and....
With relief returned to TEFL with a job in Spain Jan 2001.
Worked in Spain/UK and the ME over the next 3+ years.....saved a tidy sum and....
Left TEFL in May 2004 vowing to retrain/settle down in the UK ....guess what..it lasted 6 months...
With relief returned to TEFL in Nov 2004 with a job in Italy....

Sept 2005 have been recently entertaining thoughts of buying property and settling in the UK....leaving TEFL.....
But like Richard Burton and Liz Taylor i just can't part.....
I am have become lazy...retraining and working hard and long hours in the UK doesn't attract me at all....
For good or for bad i am coming to the realisation that i am probably approaching unemployability for most decent jobs in the UK and to be honest can't be bothered to fight my way forwards to wow a decent prospective employer.
The money in this game is too easy .....the people i meet too interesting....the perks of seeing new things frequently too good to miss.

No i want to do the diploma now....pledge my life to TEFL....one day launch my own TEFL website and write many good course books.

Until next year when i may well decide to leave TEFL again for 6 months.

[Doc Kris]

Do you experience agism? One ad stated bluntly no one over 35 need apply, another age 50. One Chinese recruitment firm recruits healthy 60 plus.

Do you put your age on your resume?

[ls650]

[Guy Courchesne]

[Stephen Jones]

Resumes from the States rarely have it on, so I have to to back and ask for it, with the conseqeunt delay. Retirement age in Saudi is sixty (Hijri years, not Gregian) so we can't hire anybody who will reach it before they complete the contract.

If they put a limit at 35 ot 45 apply anyway, Unless they are a goverment agency or large corporate entity the rule won't be set in stone and you might well slip through the initial hurdle.

[Dave]

I think my situation is similar to that of the OP - I taught in Japan for several years before returning to the U.S. and changing careers. Now I make a healthy amount more in the financial industry than I did teaching in Japan, but I sometimes miss my teaching days and might return to it part time after I retire. I think it would be a good way to experience a new culture in depth for six months or a year at a time. But as I have a wife and young children who depend on my income, teaching EFL abroad really isn't a realistic option for me at this time.

[gordogringo]

Yeah,sweetsee,I was in Taipei for awhile but lived in Hsin-chu.The beetle nut girls are indeed a different kind of thing but was used to seeing that type of thing as I moved from Las Vegas.But Taiwan is not Amsterdam.Drugs are strictly forbidden.We had one teacher from Canada get caught with weed.Not a fun thing thing.Something about Canadians and drugs.Every Canadian I met used them.A bit unsettling to be asked all the time if you know someone who sells dope.But I had a pat answer.I put myself through college as a police officer so I told them I knew people who sold back home but I put them in jail which is where your heading eventually. Works everytime.

[Hod]

[Sweetsee]

Hi Gordo,

Thanks for that. Funny about your Canadian mate, I'm the same way.
Did manage to sesh down there exactly once. Although, the reference to A-dam was about the beetle girls.

Remember, herbe's a gift from the earth.


Enjoy,
s

[ls650]

[Super Mario]

After 20 years teaching Shakespeare et al to native speakers I needed a change, so taught EFL to non-natives [in China].
Enthused, I got post grad qualifications in TESOL, went back to China and now have well paid permanent work in the ESL industry back home. And if you hail from one of the bigger native English speaking countries, its not hard to find: migrants, refugees and international students take care of that.

[comenius]

Lots of really good feedback everyone, thank you. I'm more and more leaning towards taking the plunge, but alas, that nice regular professional paycheck will be missed!

I'm wondering about various ways to test the water. I've thought about maybe doing some part time work at night or on the weekends for a bit to kind of ease back into the field. I wonder how schools will react to someone that has a MA TESOL and five years full time teaching experience, including 3 years overseas, but hasn't actively taught since 1997!

[ContemporaryDog]