Job Discussion Forums

[CdnInKorea]

I'm currently teaching in Seoul, South Korea and going to be starting a distance Master of Education with a specialization in Teaching English as a Second Language (MEd TESL) at the University of Calgary in Canada soon.

It's a two year programme, and when I finish I'd like to move on from Korea and working in Europe, in almost any country, interests me a great deal.

However, there are certain criteria: by the time I'm ready to make this move I'll be in my late 20s, single (read: dating opportunites are important) and looking for university positions that pay enough for me to have some savings (for retirement; the earlier you start the better, right?)

Does anyone have any advice?
By the way if you have any questions about teaching in Korea, feel free to PM me and ask.

[spiral78]

As a European university job holder, I can say that, while obviously openings for North Americans do exist, they are RARE.

In most cases, you will need local contacts, local language skills, and experience that makes you truly by far the best candidate for the job, before a university will go through the onerous process of getting a North American a work visa. This is a big problem because there are tons of highly-qualified UK teachers who can be hired with nearly zero hassles.

I have my job through a string of great good luck - I lived and worked here before legally, because my spouse's international company made an agreement with the government to cover spouses of their staff. I have an MA TESL/TEFL from a British university. I speak the local language. When a new position came open, my friends here recommended me. Because I worked here in the past, know the approach used, and am familiar with how the curriculum works already, they were able to make a successful case for me.

But overall - Europe is a very hard nut to crack, for North Americans. You may be able to find something over time, but expect it to take a lot of hard work and dedication. Jobs won't be falling into your lap.

[Marcoregano]

Another point to consider is that most university jobs in Europe are crap. Even if you manage to get a post it probably won't pay well, unless you snag a tenured position at, say, a UK or German university. But as far as the latter is concerned, the words 'pigs' and 'fly' spring to mind - nothing against you but given your North American status and the fact that you will be up against X number of Brits and other Europeans with PhDs and local connections...bla bla...not easy. I'd stay wherever the girl in your avatar is from! Jeeeeeezus H. Btw, is that a bottle of soju she's advertising?