Job Discussion Forums

donalruane · Joined: 28 Mar 2006 Posts: 3 Location: IRELAND

hello all,

i'm male, 37, irish and looking at the efl thing as an exciting way out of a staid scene in ireland, and also a way to secure a regular income, that my current setup as a writer doesn't afford me. never done efl before, so what i need to know is -

1 - where is the best place to go in asia to make some serious cash, if such a scenario exists? japan? south korea? taiwan?

2- i see some jobs in south korea offer free housing. is this just a gimmick resulting in your salary being lower than you could get elsewhere and paying for your own housing, like in japan etc?

3 - i have a B.Sc in Management from Trinity College Dublin, awarded 1993. i did some corporate work in marketing for a couple of years but mostly have done my own thing - film production, published 3 books etc. should i do a tefl course or go with what i have? if so, what one? is celta the best?

4 - what are the best places to go for in japan and south korea, factoring in cultural amenities, decent people, good conditions, availability of overtime etc?

5 - anyone done a gig with amity in japan? impressive site, money looks ok. feedback on this would be good.

lots of questions i know, but nay help you can give me would be appreciated. not just by me, but also by my increasingly frustrated bank manager!

cheers,

donal Wink

tedkarma · Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 9:15 pm Post subject:

Korea is where I go when I need to save money. Japan has high start-up costs, and the cost of living is quite high in Taiwan too.

Careful of the housing issue in Korea though. It is often substandard, but sometimes just fine.

Most people (depending on your lifestyel of course) can pretty easily save US$800-1000+ per month.

Korea is not a bad place to get your feet wet in the occupation.

donalruane · Joined: 28 Mar 2006 Posts: 3 Location: IRELAND

hi ted

thanks for the speedy reply. i need to make a decision in near future, so i might narrow down the possible locations and just focus on korea. i am genuinely interested in teaching and also in the cultural aspect of where i end up, but in reality, anywhere in the far east is gonna be a stark contrast to dublin!

any tips on where in korea is good, based on your time there?

cheers,

donal

tedkarma · Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 11:22 am Post subject:

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

I lived right in chungno-3-ga, right downtown in a love hotel. Embarassed

It was a fantastic place to live. Oh to be 24 again.