Job Discussion Forums

orchid · Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 1

Hi there everyone. I have a B.A. (major in French, minor in Linguistics), and recently received a J.D., but I feel burnt out by the law school experience and am not sure I really want to practice law after all. Lately I've been considering (fantasizing?) about teaching English abroad. I currently have no TEFL certificate or teaching experience. I'm American, and a native English speaker.

I'm open as to geography, but where do you all think I would stand a decent chance of obtaining employment? Things to consider: I have a substantial amount of student loan debt; I'd want to pay off all or most of it here in the U.S. first (if I can ever find a job!) before heading off on an ESL career. But in any event, I'd like to earn at least enough from teaching to go beyond mere living expenses and be able to save a little or pay off any remaining loans. I realize this may be difficult. Would my J.D. count for anything in terms of finding employment?

Thanks for listening, guys!

Babala · Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 1303 Location: Henan

orchid,
Well China is not the place to come if money is a concern. As for your law degree, I am currently working with a woman who was a lawyer back in Australia and it doesn't count for anything. Not sure about other countries, I somehow doubt it though.

tedkarma · Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:32 am Post subject:

Get a TEFL Cert - go to Korea. Some people will tell you that you don't need one. You don't - unless you'd like to know how to teach English. Then you'd find it very useful.

Even with a crap job you save at least US$10k a year.

You can make your law degree work for you. JD? Approached correctly your law degree can help you qualify for jobs that require graduate degrees (good university jobs). Don't take just any job - try to market yourself. There are many law schools that would need an English teacher with your specialty.

When I was teaching in Taiwan - I met a JD who was teaching international law at a university there.

Be careful about your first job - learn the ropes and spend your first year doing research, shaking hands, networking and finding just the right position, but you'll pretty much have to be in country to do it.

I'd guess you could find a much much better job the second year - at least a 50% increase in wages - maybe double.