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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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 Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 7:50 am Post subject: Re: Career after ESL in Korea? |
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| sojourner1 wrote: |
Having completed 2/3 of my contract so far, I am thinking hard about what I want to do next year. I could go for another job such as at a public school in Korea, but I am hesitant as I can honestly say that I am not enjoying living in Korea. It's not a bad country, it' just a rather boring and confining way to live from my perspective. Could be a very enjoyable way to live if in Seoul, but I don't really know that for sure. I know despite limitations out of our control, life is largely what we make of it.
I am thinking about things such as possible career opportunities, how to explain gaps in employment, how to build on Korea experience, and what areas of the US might be a great place to repatriate. I know it will not be easy without being experienced or established in a specific specialization yet, though I have a bachelor of science in business and military experience before teaching in Korea. I have ruled out police officer, security guard, and teacher. I heard many college graduates in the US are driving trucks (boring monotony) for a living or retraining for a medical specialty. Just a few ideas I got from reading career related articles. I do know health care, education, and truck driving are the 3 main industries offering career opportunities these days. Any others I should consider?
What are you thinking or planning on when it comes to your repatriation and acquiring a new career opportunity? I know some of you are not planning on this, but have decided to stay in Korea indefinitely. I want to hear from those of you who are planning to go home and start a new career. Thanks in advance. |
At one point, I ruled out being a teacher, but I decided that I am going to change my mind. I just will not teach in an inner city school again. I will teach in a middle class area or a rural area in Ontario. I want to pursue graduate studies while teaching, so I can acquire more skills. I do not want to acquire more debt, so that is one reason I am considering teaching again. I have a certificate after all. |
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OiGirl
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: Hoke-y-gun
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| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 8:00 am Post subject: |
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| I've always been able to move seamlessly from teaching English in Korea to teaching English in the US. |
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twg
Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Location: Getting some fresh air...
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| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 8:04 am Post subject: |
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I'm going to wander the world, helping children and stray animals like Cain from Kung Fu...
Or maybe like Jules Winnfield. I haven't decided yet. |
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Jizzo T. Clown
Joined: 27 Mar 2006
Location: at my wit's end
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| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:36 pm Post subject: |
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| twg wrote: |
I'm going to wander the world, helping children and stray animals like Cain from Kung Fu...
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So basically you've decided to be a bum??  |
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bjonothan
Joined: 29 Apr 2003
Location: All over the place
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| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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| After 4 years in SK, I came home and got married and have started a teaching business here in Australia. I am always real busy and the money is pretty good. I live in the city and have all the luxuries (eg pool, gym e.t.c). I will have a web site going at the end of the year and will be hiring a few more teachers and in a couple of years I should be making a lot of money. Most ESL teaching material is crap, so you people should be able to make some nice dollars making something better. I did that and have just done about 8 months of testing and fine tuning. If any of you are coming to melbourne at the end of the year or early next year, let me know and you can come and work. |
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just another day
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
Location: Living with the Alaskan Inuits!!
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| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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| contrarian wrote: |
I've been in Korea for 8 years an I'm finished next April. About 18 months ago I bought a Mobile home in a Condo park. It's 150 meters from the Marina, so I bought a boat. Since I qualify for CPP and OAS. I am going to retire and work part time for the Korean guys who bought the local hotel.
They like me as I speak a little Korean.
My schedule. Get up at 6:00 to pee. Go back to bed and get up ar 7:30 and a breakfast of bacon, egs and hashbrowns.
Go back to bed and nap until 10:30. Get up and pee and let my dog take me for a short walk to the Marina. Look at the water and perhaps go out and fish - perhaps not. Pee over the side.
Come home and have hot Korean ramen for lunch - just for old times sake.
Have a nap. Then go to the Legion, drink Coke and tell lies to all of the other old farts.
Go to work at the Hotel. Steak Sandwich is part of the deal. Do the night audit and nap for a few hours at 10 bucks an hour.
Go home at about 1:00 am and go to bed. Get up every two hours to pee (that's my exercise.)
Perfect career. Not too stressful, there are about 3 widows in town for every old fart, so I have company. I'll get a cat to keep my ears warm. Oh yea! It's on Vancouver Island.
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have u gone to the doctor about a bladder infection? thats a lot of peeing. |
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bosintang
Joined: 01 Dec 2003
Location: In the pot with the rest of the mutts
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| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 8:04 pm Post subject: |
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| The King of Kwangju wrote: |
I'm back in Canada now, and have experienced repatriation myself and seen it in many friends of mine.
The key thing is to have a plan of some kind, and the money and guts to carry it out. Then you'll accomplish your goal.
With no plan, just looking for something to fall in your lap, well, you'll be in exactly the same position you were in when you left. If it was a good one, great. If it was a rotten one, welcome back.
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I think people who have specific goals and plans are not the ones who need to worry. If you have a goal, you'll figure out what you need to do to obtain it.
For those of who are still drifting aimlessly after a year or two abroad and looking for a career, I think it's better to go home and Resign yourself to the fact that you'll have to start somewhere and work your way up from there. A lot of people who end up in good positions don't end up there on their skills alone. You need connections, or luck. Meeting the right people, and being in the right place at the right time. That's certainly not going to happen if you're in Korea.
Sitting around Korea, waiting for inspiration will just eat up the best working years of your life. Five years teaching experience in Korea will be no better than two. Even the money you save here is not that much. There are quicker ways of earning money, and the money you save will not add up to the lost career time. |
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