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MiddlekingdomMatt
Joined: 05 Jan 2012
Posts: 2
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 Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 10:44 pm Post subject: When you're done teaching, how do you get back? |
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I would really love to teach in China, and have done plenty of research - it's been a goal of mine for a while. I'm 24 years old, white, from the US (NYC) with a bachelor's.
However, my concern is getting back to the US when I'm ready. I don't have any parents to fall back on, so I would have to find my own housing and a job as quickly as possible after moving back to the US.
Is this accomplish-able for me, without having to rely on anyone when I come home? Is it just a matter of saving money, or having some confidence that I can do it? My fear is I'll go to spend a few years there, but become financially trapped. I don't want to live in China forever, just a few years at most and move back. I'd be giving up a decent job to get there, too.
I want to do it for the experience, the opportunity to travel, learn Mandarin, see Asia, and immerse myself in a different culture. I know it's definitely got its downsides, but I just worry that there's a risk I could become stuck. Any advice? |
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muffintop
Joined: 07 Jan 2013
Posts: 803
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| Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 11:56 pm Post subject: |
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Depending on the field you are in at home it may be fairly easy or extremely difficult to slide back into another job when you return. Few potential employers will see the time spent in China as a positive thing and you'd be competing with others who don't have to explain away a few years worth of a gap in their work history.
Finding a place to live when you return after a few years will be the easy part. Finding a job that does not include saying 'Would you like fries with that' may prove to be much more difficult.
You can study Mandarin at home and you'll likely find as much or more Chinese culture in Chinatown than you will here....without many of the negatives. I'd suggest you save up some cash and pop over on a vacation unless you are really set on just jumping in with both feet and hoping for the best.
Good luck. |
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mwaltman
Joined: 07 May 2013
Posts: 78
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| Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 12:45 am Post subject: |
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| You are a prime example of someone who has no business moving overseas for reasons of employment. |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 1:58 am Post subject: Re: When you're done teaching, how do you get back? |
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| MiddlekingdomMatt wrote: |
However, my concern is getting back to the US when I'm ready. I don't have any parents to fall back on, so I would have to find my own housing and a job as quickly as possible after moving back to the US.
Is this accomplish-able for me, without having to rely on anyone when I come home? Is it just a matter of saving money, or having some confidence that I can do it? My fear is I'll go to spend a few years there, but become financially trapped. I don't want to live in China forever, just a few years at most and move back. I'd be giving up a decent job to get there, too. |
I have no experience in China, but I do have experience in other countries (and moving back from those countries). It seems like your question isn't necessarily specific to China, so I'll reply.
In my experience, as long as you have a definite, concrete plan when you come back, you should be fine. That means, a job lined up and a place to live. Finding a place to live is pretty easy to do from a distance, as long as you are OK deciding on a place based on photos. The ability to find a job from abroad will depend on what field you are / want to be in. Not sure if we can tell you much about that unless you tell us what your future career goals are.
As muffintop said, not a lot of employers will see teaching in China as a relevant work experience. Of course, some employers will see it as relevant, but it depends on what the job is (which, again, goes back to what your career goals are).
The people who I've known who end up in their parents' basement are the ones who decided to move back without developing a concrete plan first. I think it all depends on your planning. If you know you are going to be moving back in a couple years, then that gives you a couple years to develop a plan and save the money you'll need when you move back.
Or, do you have something specific in mind that you are worried about?
| mwaltman wrote: |
| You are a prime example of someone who has no business moving overseas for reasons of employment. |
Uhh... care to elaborate? |
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MiddlekingdomMatt
Joined: 05 Jan 2012
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 2:08 am Post subject: |
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Generally, my plans are to do something tech related... web development, particularly. I have a BA in Sociology.
I'm currently working at a tech firm and will be working on some web design type stuff soon, and am a "tech lead" for the customer assistance dept. I'm hoping to eventually do web programming. I think if I stick it out for a year or so at this company, I'll have some decent skills and experience under my belt for this line of work, which is lucrative and employable. I think at least to some extent I'd have to be patient - no sudden jump overseas. I suppose this is realistic.
Thanks for your replies so far. |
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chinatimes
Joined: 27 May 2012
Posts: 478
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| Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 6:15 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| I think if I stick it out for a year or so at this company, I'll have some decent skills and experience under my belt for this line of work, which is lucrative and employable. I think at least to some extent I'd have to be patient - no sudden jump overseas. I suppose this is realistic. |
I would laugh at your choice in BA, but mine is Asian studies. Talk about trapping yourself 
I think you should go to a big city like Beijing or Shanghai. Research the two cities and see if one is a match. It might be hard to get a tech job in the smaller cities. Next, would be to get a job near the bigger cities. |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 7:29 am Post subject: |
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| MiddlekingdomMatt wrote: |
Generally, my plans are to do something tech related... web development, particularly. I have a BA in Sociology.
I'm currently working at a tech firm and will be working on some web design type stuff soon, and am a "tech lead" for the customer assistance dept. I'm hoping to eventually do web programming. I think if I stick it out for a year or so at this company, I'll have some decent skills and experience under my belt for this line of work, which is lucrative and employable. I think at least to some extent I'd have to be patient - no sudden jump overseas. I suppose this is realistic.
Thanks for your replies so far. |
Once you get your skills up to an employable level, you could probably go to China and do some web development work online / remotely on the side. Maybe do some freelance work for local businesses or a local web dev company (though I know nothing at all about that industry, let alone about that industry in China).
The people I knew in Japan who were teaching English and were IT people took on some volunteer tech-related roles in their school/company just to keep their skills current and something relevant on their CV. For example, developing the school's web site or developing a student information management database. It was extra work and they didn't get paid for it, but it was interesting to them and it helped when they made the return home (and one of them works at Google now). |
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Bud Powell
Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736
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| Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:17 am Post subject: |
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| MiddlekingdomMatt wrote: |
Generally, my plans are to do something tech related... web development, particularly. I have a BA in Sociology.
I'm currently working at a tech firm and will be working on some web design type stuff soon, and am a "tech lead" for the customer assistance dept. I'm hoping to eventually do web programming. I think if I stick it out for a year or so at this company, I'll have some decent skills and experience under my belt for this line of work, which is lucrative and employable. I think at least to some extent I'd have to be patient - no sudden jump overseas. I suppose this is realistic.
Thanks for your replies so far. |
If , at present, you have a job that seems stable, stay in the States. Keep that job. Since you are not at present a teacher, leaving the U.S. will leave you with work experience that is not applicable anywhere except teaching. Even then, unless you have already taken the praxis and are a licensed teacher, or have taught on the college level, that China experience will amount to nada.
Those who are or have been instructors at the tertiary level will find that the time spent in China actually WILL count as valuable experience to a prospective employer in education (provided that you can produce bona fide proof of experience such as a release and/or recommendation from your former employer and copies of the letter of invitation).
Unfortunately, in many school districts and in universities in the U.S., jobs are tight (as they are in so many other sectors), so I recommend that you hang onto your job. It may take you somewhere.
If you're considering going to China to teach because you seek adventure, I recommend that you get an MA first, then get experience teaching on the college level, THEN come to China. That will make it much easier for you to transition back into the American job market as a teacher.
It was proposed in another thread that you have a contingency plan to return that will include an employer and somewhere to stay when you return. That's a good idea if you can pull it off 8,000 miles away from home. I've never been able to do it. I've always had to rely upon savings to tie me over for a few weeks or months PLUS a generous relative or friend who can help me out.
One bright side: it's possible to take the praxis exam upon your return, then work for Teach for America. The pay scales in some areas of the U.S. are much higher for beginning BA level teachers than it is for beginning MA level teachers at many universities. That's something to think about. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 10:39 am Post subject: |
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| TEFL is a trap. Once you get in there, you can't get oou. |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 7:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Bud Powell wrote: |
Those who are or have been instructors at the tertiary level will find that the time spent in China actually WILL count as valuable experience to a prospective employer in education (provided that you can produce bona fide proof of experience such as a release and/or recommendation from your former employer and copies of the letter of invitation).
Unfortunately, in many school districts and in universities in the U.S., jobs are tight (as they are in so many other sectors), so I recommend that you hang onto your job. It may take you somewhere. |
Yes, experience teaching in China can be useful in education, but that alone won't cut it. Like you said, to be a (k-12) school teacher, you need to have teacher certification. And, to teach ESL classes at a university (in the US), you need to have at least a relevant masters (TESOL, Applied Linguistics, etc.) Experience with Chinese students could be valuable for teaching ESL classes at US universities, but that's only because so many of the students in ESL classes are Chinese and an understanding of the students' background would be useful. The actual experience of teaching in China probably wouldn't matter so much, since you'd learn the necessary things about teaching from the MA you'd have to get.
| Quote: |
| If you're considering going to China to teach because you seek adventure, I recommend that you get an MA first, then get experience teaching on the college level, THEN come to China. That will make it much easier for you to transition back into the American job market as a teacher. |
Right... if the OP wants to change careers to teaching, which it doesn't sound like. The OP said he wants to do IT in the future, and he knows more about that industry than most of us do, and how an absence from and return to it would work.
So, I guess the question for the OP is: Do you want to make teaching a career, or do you just want to go live in China for a couple years and teach as a way to support yourself?
If you do intend to make it a career, you're going to need additional training.
If you want to do it just as an experience and then return to IT work, I'd recommend you talk to your IT colleagues and see how easy it is to take a break from that field and re-enter it in a couple years.
Either way, you're going to need to be pro-active about situating yourself for your future if you do intend to return to the US.
| scot47 wrote: |
| TEFL is a trap. Once you get in there, you can't get oou. |
Very true for a lot of people. It's definitely a lot easier to fall into it than it is to get out of it! |
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Montanaland
Joined: 20 Dec 2009
Posts: 60
Location: Bakken Oil Field
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| Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:56 pm Post subject: College Degree |
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| I'd like to point out that only about 25% of folks have a college degree and therefore can even consider teaching overseas. In my opinion- the majority of the jobs in the U.S. are going to be in the service sector in the coming years followed by inflation. Im grateful to know that after my tour in the oil patch I can take a break and/or explore a masters and a career in esl. |
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ChinaPanther
Joined: 08 May 2009
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 4:42 am Post subject: |
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| I will never work in America again. The way I view China is through the movie The Matrix. I am Neo having gotten on Morpheus's ship. Being on the ship doesn't mean you do not have problems but would you really want to go back to the matrix. The grass is greener on the other side of the fence. In America you are a slave to the almighty dollar. I'm too darn spoiled in this country to ever go back to work there. |
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ecubyrd
Joined: 09 May 2009
Posts: 172
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| Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 7:18 am Post subject: |
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| I went back once. I'd worked over in the Land of Morning Calm for several years. My friends kept telling me "come back here, we miss you". I took their advice and gave it a go. It took about a month or two to decide that wasn't for me anymore and I came back to Asia shortly afterwards. |
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Bud Powell
Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736
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| Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 4:13 am Post subject: |
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"In America you are a slave to the almighty dollar. I'm too darn spoiled in this country to ever go back to work there."
Whoa. I don't intend to sound harsh, but for as long as you depend upon someone else to provide you with a means to support yourself, you'll be a slave.
We all have to serve somebody.
My attraction to China is that employment comes much more easily and my creativity is appreciated a LOT more in China than in the States. (America's educational system is becoming a lot like China's. We teach for the test, a goal which restricts creativity). |
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doogsville
Joined: 17 Nov 2011
Posts: 924
Location: China
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| Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 6:07 am Post subject: |
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| Bud Powell wrote: |
Whoa. I don't intend to sound harsh, but for as long as you depend upon someone else to provide you with a means to support yourself, you'll be a slave.
We all have to serve somebody.. |
I don't intend to sound harsh either, but those two sentences are entirely contradictory. If you have to serve somebody then you are at best a servant, at worst a slave. Unless you are entirely self employed, then you depend on someone else to provide you with the means to support yourself. If you're self employed, you depend on your customers to provide you with the means to support yourself. The only way to avoid dependence on others is to grow your own food, make your own clothes and generate your own electricity. It's doable, but most of us are happy to be a link in the chain.
My impression was that the poster was talking about how much easier his life here in China is compared to his home country. That's certainly been my experience. There's no way I would go back to the UK now. I'm having a much better time here than I did there. I work half the hours here for a better quality of life. |
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