Korean Job Discussion Forums

[friendoken]

After many years I returned to university to complete what had been let go a generation past. I graduated with a BA in Professional Communication and returned to Laos with dreams of glory and teaching English as a stepping stone. I instantly found a great job teaching and kept hunting. In late November I saw a very small ad in the Vientiane Times looking for a writer. I applied and got the job. I was the only person who applied!

Some instant icing on the cake is that the boss is French and I am fluent.

He had asked Lao Airlines if he could put together a magazine for the airline, they said yes. He hired me, a graphic designer, and a couple of marketing and sales people and we went to work. The first task was to decide on a name; it was SpotLight Asia.

We just presented the trial edition to Lao Airlines. They loved it and signed us to a ten year exclusive deal. The SEA Games are in Laos this December and the sales and marketing team can't keep up with demand. I am the editor and head writer of what is the best magazine produced in Laos bar none. Please note that the competition is not stiff. But we are producing something spectacular, of that there is no doubt.

Just a happy note for those communication people. It has been denigrated as a useless degree, even here on Dave's. Not always true.

The year ends in two weeks. Final exams will be done. Once corrected and handed back I will have completed my contractual obligation. I will write, travel around SE Asia on Lao Airline's tab and write stories about life in this part of the world. With any luck I'll never teach English again. I don't hate it. It is not the dream job. Writing is, and has been since I was very young.

I will need to hire an assistant by spring. Are there any writers out there who could handle living in paradise?

[Robot_Teacher]

Cool, happy for you. Cheers. Back in uni, they highly emphasized going global as that's where the opportunity was perceived to be for our generation; not home like it was years ago. They were right, but the pay is so low like back home though it's more interesting to get on an airplane and work in other countries to see and do interesting places. I just need higher professional level of pay to have something left for flights, hotels, and investing so I picked Korea to start. That's a catch 21. Uh, I mean 22 different money problems.

Of course, pay was low for many high paid senior professionals back in the day when they were still looking fabulous at 25 or 30 years old so it's possible that your $8/hour job in Laos can lead to bigger and better things in the future. I'm betting I could do much better in SE Asia on $8 to $10/hour than in Kansas City, Missouri USA. Not only with it being cheaper cost of living, but maybe more opportunity to work in my career field unlike at home where no ones hiring new talent.

[AmericanExile]

[DorkothyParker]

My Communications Dept. dean always emphasized that our degrees were less about doing any one thing, but rather giving us the ability to analyze, adapt, and learn independently. Our department got a lot of flack, but I honestly think it's a very dependable degree to have. It offers students all the writing and linguistics instruction of English, the research methods of Sociology, and a great understanding of various schools of Philosophy. We may not be "trained" for an entry level position right out of college, but we do have a lot more options available to us.

You are not fortunate; it seems you received everything you earned. I am happy for you and I hope I can achieve something worthwhile with my newly conferred degree.

[VanIslander]

[friendoken]

[D.D.]

I am always thinking why are you so much into Loas. Is it that good a place or is it that bad and you like to troll people into coming. I will come see what it is like but I still take your posts with a grain of salt because they are all super positive. Maybe you are a languange school owner or a lonely guy looking for more westerners in your city. Is Laos really that good?

[Draz]

[VanIslander]

[friendoken]

[Koveras]

Is there a website I can look at? I want to know more.

[friendoken]

The website has not yet been updated to include SpotLight Asia magazine. It is old and talks mainly of eco-travel and tourism within Laos. It will not be of any help at all.

I have no idea what another writer position will pay with respect to the enquirer.

Pie is here, lots of cake too! One thing the French did leave behind when they formally vacated was pastries. And, the French know a thing or two about that. They also introduced wine and cheese, both of which are in abundance.

[Koveras]

I'm not sure I understand. Are you actually interested in applications right now? Or are we just talking about how nice Laos is? I'll grant it seems nice. Does it have weird jungle animals? That's one thing I appreciate about the northern hemisphere: our animals are normal. Just teeth and fur, no pincers or scales or poisonous stingers.

[Cheonmunka]

Good for you Bud. That's getting ahead entrepreneurally.
I remember parking my car for the English lit. exam and the attendant telling me/complaining to me that he has an English lit. degree. Well, it's definitely what you do with it that counts. Having the parchment alone isn't going to get people offering you stuff.
'But,' I told him, 'at least you're earning a living ... doing what you have to do.' You can't overlook that.

[WendyRose]

Congrats. ;D I'm a news/magazine writer but probably wouldn't move to Laos. If you have information I could pass it on to writer friends, though. Let me know.