Job Discussion Forums

[MrCali]

My wife and I are on our third year of teaching and third country. We started out to see and experience as much as we possibly could before "settling down" to have kids and a house payment. We have Masters degrees and are now in our first year of university teaching after previous levels in private language schools. We have never broken a contract and are teachers by trade, so it is interesting when we hear different co-workers talk about staying less than 2 years isn't wise or advisable. It is not that we hate any country or position, but we feel inclined to keep moving, since we're kind of on a limited schedule of time abroad. We are always open and upfront with potential employers before we sign contracts, and it is understood that we honor contracts and should not feel obligated to make promises of extending contracts. Will this moving possibly hinder our ability to find employment at the university level when we decide to "settle", provided the economy turns around and English/ESL positions open up at the 2-year and 4-year college level?

[Glenski]

The answer to your question is another question:

Settle where?

[MrCali]

We're both California natives with all family located in the central valley. We're open to just about any state in the U.S. that would hire us at the higher-ed level. We've also discussed and agreed upon the concept that it is not entirely out of the question of finding and falling in love with someplace out of the U.S. and choosing to settle there.

[tttompatz]

The primary reason why people tend to stay in one country for a while is the cost of moving. Unless you are still living like college students you would normally tend to move up in comfort levels (and accumulate the comfort items that go with it) and to sell up and move on every year gets expensive.

That said, if your goal is adventure then go for it. There is nothing (other than the expense of changing) to stop you from moving along from country to country.

I don't think employers will see it as an issue when you finally do decide to "settle".

.

[nomad soul]

In general, some US employers might perceive you as job hoppers or flighty based on your employment histories and therefore, might not give you a second look. On the other hand, nowadays it's not uncommon to spend shorter lengths of time in a job given the current job market. Academia is even more forgiving; potential higher-ed employers will be interested in the quality of your work experience and your development and not how long you stayed in the job. So focus less on being ready to settle and more on the skills and experience you'd bring to the college/university, especially if you took on high-level and/or challenging responsibilites in your previous jobs (as opposed to having the same generic teaching duties in each position).

[MotherF]

I'm not sure how US Employers would see it as I have not exprience at home.

But I want to add to this:

[Zero]

An employer hiring ESL teachers, but being picky because they move a lot? I don't think so.

I think the No. 1, key impediment to resettling back home is that there are so many adjuncty-type positions and so few "real" jobs with benefits. Second problem is that you are from expensive California and you have chosen an inherently mediocre-paying field.

[Glenski]

Flitting about from country to country year after year will give any employer cause to second-guess whether you will stay with him. The only advice I can give is when that time finally comes that you decide "this is the place", you must make that absolutely clear to the employer.

[MrCali]

Wow! We really appreciate the input, all! I don't think we've seriously considered staying in once place to be able to gain a stronger sense of a contributing community, simply because we haven't been at the university level before. We started off our trek teaching children in Korea and slightly jokingly, we soon realized we don't like children-in that, we got Masters degrees and not teaching creds for a reason. Though teaching ESL/EFL often seems to have similarities in multiple ages/levels, we haven't been in anything but private academies where pleasing students in dancing monkey fashion was top priority. "Keep students happy no matter what!" seems to have been the standard adage, which, as a private institution owner and operator, we completely understand. However, can anyone provide insight on public institutions? Do they follow the same prototype?

Now, we have a strong English language dept here and thus far have been given free rein when designing a syllabus for the semester. We look forward to what is hopefully the beginning of the rest of our professional careers, both here and wherever the road leads. I know that as we move from place to place after one contract session, and employers have seen their fair share of foreign teachers come and go, it is hard to earn trust and freedom in the classroom. This is perhaps one of the greatest drawbacks to not staying to complete a second contract; the watchful eye of superiors making sure we're doing it right.

If anyone has insight in teaching at universities in China, feel free to share. We're truly thankful for this online community of international instructors. Happy weekend!

[SahanRiddhi]

Wow ... that's a lot of "we." Do you guys ride a bicycle-built-for-two to work? Do you teach the same lesson simultaneously in adjacent classrooms, like synchronized swimmers? And, not to get too personal, but I gotta ask ... tandem toilets?

[Glenski]

I'd say ask in the China forum for the best responses.

Do you expect to be hired together?

[naturegirl321]

[MrCali]

Naturegirl, thank you for the insight. As far as preferences go, it seems that I am laid-back, easygoing while my wife is a bit pickier when it comes to food and requires more social interaction than me. We both had wonderful experiences while teaching in Korea, however. We've heard that it's not impossible to raise kids abroad, but greatly more difficult. More power to you both! My wife's good friend spent many years of her childhood raised by parents teaching in New Guinea. She said it was probably the best decision her parents could've made for her, simply because she learned that playing barefoot with chickens in the street was more enriching than watching t.v. and playing video games like many of her peers. We hope to expose our children (perhaps only one? maybe 2?) to as many world cultures as possible, since it's such an importance to us.

To your comment, Glenski, we don't plan on being hired together in the U.S., no. We have flexibility in our educations as far as our MA in English goes, meaning we are qualified to teach more than ESL in higher ed. However, I'm in teaching for the long haul, while my wife would like to look into after-school programs or different facets within the world of education.

SahanRiddhi, you're perhaps not married, which is why you posed the questions you did? We are a team, sychronized in decisions, but individuals in thought. I put her thoughts and feelings above all else and she mine, which I'm pretty sure is why we do so well in all avenues of life. I feel we are fortunate to have one another. It is difficult to leave one's home country and travel abroad alone and having my best friend with me makes it even more golden.

[SahanRiddhi]

[naturegirl321]