Korean Job Discussion Forums

philinkorea · Joined: 27 Jan 2003

just finished a year in Korea teaching kids. Will be quite likely to go back now and teach adults. Kind of see myself eventually in a kind of counselling role or that kind of area, some sort of people orientated work. Kind of worried going back as everyone seems to go for a year and settle back down in their home country and do something. Guess i dont have a real settled plan and focus but just see korea as cool to work with another age group which i can see as relevant and enjoy myself, and can save some good cash, better than i would here. just wondered how others see their time in korea and how they see it career wise. i guess i want to enjoy my young life, 23. i do feel im doing my best though and making good decisions. maybe i just worry too much some people on here say esl teachers are losers

katydid · Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Location: Here kitty kitty kitty...

As of now, I really don't have a career plan. I hope next year will be my last year here. Korea is great to pay off bills, and I like what I am doing, but it is far from home.
You can't use grad school to futz around. I would love to be in uni all over again taking courses in everything to see what clicked and what didn't.
Hopefully, I can save enough money to go home next year, have found a good job or grad school Rolling Eyes

and do something with my life, which may or may not be related to my Korean experience.

RedRob · Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Location: Narnia

Katy, I'm using an extramural uni in NZ to do some Futzing- I did pure science the whole way thru my undergrad, until my last semester when I did an anthro paper to fill in a gap. Unfortunately I loved it! If I do all the papers for an anthro major I'll get a postgrad dipsomethingorother, I don't really care, it's just cool to git me sum mindfood. I plan to dabble in some politics papers and maybe some regional development too.
You can have your cake and eat it too.

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

haya · Joined: 12 Jan 2004 Location: Seoul

Hmm.. I've been daydreaming along those lines also, the career goal thing, and wondering to myself what I'll be doing "after Korea." But honestly I'm very happy and satisfied with where I'm at in life right now. In fact, I want to hold onto these years a little bit longer.
I've been in Korea for 2 years, and I'm coming back for a third. I came straight out of uni and haven't really looked back. Sure, it'd be nice to go to grad school in the future and to have a "career" in the way future, but for now I'm enjoying life too much as it is.
Don't look around you at what everyone else seems to be doing. Life doesn't have to be about getting ahead, or even about keeping up. Just enjoy. Wink

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Career plans? Traditionally I'm not career-minded. That being said I am getting just a little bit older to think about 'now or never'.

In a few months start a grad program which is more or less in 'peace-keeping'.. it'll be in Spain.. try to graduate and do stuff like that for a year or two or three..

Then considering trying to get into something along the lines of Humanitarian Lawyer or something International-or-another along those lines.. just so I can travel all over the fucking world and get paid for it.

Its either that or *beep* off and do next to nothing for years and years until I die in Rio de Jainero or something like that. But I'm 33.. the OP (original poster) is 23. The last 10 years I've been a clueless happy wanderer incapable of knowing where I'd be six months from any given moment in time.

I'm inherently a dreamer.. so lets see how or where I get mussed up and sidetracked on this one.. the Spain and Peace-keeping stuff is already set in motion.. but all else beyond that is subject to change at any one of my many and sudden whims.

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Eazy_E · Joined: 30 Oct 2003 Location: British Columbia, Canada

This is an interesting post. I can safely assume that most of the expats in Korea aren't going to teach ESL to children in their own countries when they return, yet that's what the majority of us do in Korea. This means that the time in Korea is kind of a lark: just something to enjoy before you eventually go home and get down to business.

I'm back home after a year in Korea, and gawd it feels good to get back. I missed my family, and for me Korea was more isolating and lonely than it should have been (small-town life and all). Yet I feel like my second year would be a lot more fun than my first, due to learning a bit of the language, making a few friends, and learning the ropes of the EFL business.

But I feel as though if I went back, I would be making a huge sacrifice. Distance from my family and friends, and another year on my resume that isn't career-relevant (I eventually want to get into law enforcement). I guess a lot of people are more carefree than I am, but right now I just want to get my life started back in Canada.

VanIslander · Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2004 6:36 pm Post subject:

I like to think my career plans haven't so much changed as been delayed a bit. I was supposed to be finishing off my Master's thesis this very month, by my past plan, but I've given over $10,000 to help a family member and so need to be here at least until the end of the year, and am tempted to stay another six months after that.

I'm starting to admit to myself that Korea has changed me. I just can't see the world and my place in it the same way as before. This is a good and a bad thing I think.