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TECO
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 3:26 am Post subject: |
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| tiger fancini wrote: |
| ESL Milk "Everyday wrote: |
| And we should all keep in mind that if you're bragging about getting ahead and advancing your career and being a winner in life, then it's probably safe to assume that you're an American. |
There are 4 things that keep me here in Korea (in no particular order).
1. Never having to worry about money. If I see something I want, I can buy it without feeling any guilt about the impact on my bank balance. My bank balance has never been healthier and I'm completely debt-free.
2. Travel. I can travel abroad at least twice a year. Sometimes 3 times if I'm lucky.
3. This will confuse the cynics out there, but I also have to say job satisfaction. When I go home in the evening, I almost always feel happy with the day I had at work. Sure, it's not the perfect job but then who has the perfect job anyway?
4. Living alone, in a nice area of a busy, modern capital city.
I'll be taking the OP's advice and staying here, because frankly I don't believe that those 4 things would be attainable for me in my home country right now. In fact numerous friends and family members have advised me to do precisely that.
Oh yeah, and my social life is pretty cool too. |
I like Tiger Fancini's post. It also sums up my reasons for enjoying what I do here. I've lived in some cool cities and had some good jobs. And, as mentioned above, it's finally nice not to have to worry about money for a change. TEFL'ing also lead to me being debt free with all of my education loans now paid. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 6:05 am Post subject: |
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| shifty wrote: |
I think posters have some duty to bias themselves to the general experience and not particular. Else newbies contemplating the leap and reading these forums will get a warped impression. |
Actually the point of my post was that it is NOT a be-all one-size-fits-all job or career move.
It can be as simple as a gap year or two to pay off student loans or to travel around a bit
.
It can be a planned career if you are inclined that way.
It can be a career change (by choice or necessity) and be for a short time (till things improve at home) or a long time.
There is a future if you want it but like any other teaching job it is not for everyone and getting to the top of the heap takes YEARS of time, additions to your qualifications and skill set.
Use it for what you want or need out of it. Gap year or career is up to you.
When you are done there ARE lots of soft skills that translate back to home. Adaptability, people skills, time and people management, organizational behavior, developing your work ethic, and if you decide to go into big business you have a great skill set for corporate training.
It is not a dead end job or at least it doesn't have to be. It is also not a career killer or at least it doesn't have to be.
What you do with your time is up to you. You can use it or it can use you.
Career killer or career enhancer - again, it is up to you and what you are willing to do with it.
. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 6:21 am Post subject: |
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| ESL Milk "Everyday wrote: |
Wow.
It actually kinda scares me to think of what Korea will be like if there are no more native speakers... I'm not saying that we're a force of positive change, but Korea left to its own devices-- is it just going to isolate itself again??? |
Wow.
I can't believe you write crap like this. |
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asylum seeker
Joined: 22 Jul 2007
Location: On your computer screen.
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| Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 6:32 am Post subject: |
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| edwardcatflap wrote: |
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Where are you getting this 'phase out NETs' information from? I'd honestly like to know... to me, it sounds like one of those political promises that are always made and never kept, or maybe something to set at ease the minds of KET's who might otherwise start panicking/trying to kill us.
Why are things 'unlikely' to get better and are they actually even all that bad right now??? |
I work with people from education authorities, mostly SMOE, and they've told me it's the case. They've been spending huge amounts of money taking Korean English teachers out of school for 6 months at a time and training them up in Korea and abroad. All that investment would hardly be worth their while if they were still going to pay for NETs to come over and support the KETS. Like I said it's a long term strategy and it'll be a while before there'll be no more Korean teachers who need support. However, with this in mind, I can't see the point of SMOE and other authorities actively trying to recruit and keep high quality NETS. I've never worked in a public school but I hear things on here about schools letting experienced teachers go and employing newbies to save money and this is probably a result of the strategy. We all know holidays have shrunk and PS wages have been stagnant as it is for a long time. |
I know of three public schools, that friends work at, that have been downsized from two NETs to one this year. A fourth one worked at a school that was contemplating going from one to zero but just managed to save his job by squeezing some money from somewhere else in the budget. So yeah it looks like the culling has already started. |
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ESL Milk "Everyday
Joined: 12 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 7:13 am Post subject: |
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| Captain Corea wrote: |
| ESL Milk "Everyday wrote: |
Wow.
It actually kinda scares me to think of what Korea will be like if there are no more native speakers... I'm not saying that we're a force of positive change, but Korea left to its own devices-- is it just going to isolate itself again??? |
Wow.
I can't believe you write crap like this. |
You're a class act, Captain Corea.
Keep smilin'. |
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shifty
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 8:16 am Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
| shifty wrote: |
I think posters have some duty to bias themselves to the general experience and not particular. Else newbies contemplating the leap and reading these forums will get a warped impression. |
Actually the point of my post was that it is NOT a be-all one-size-fits-all job or career move.
It can be as simple as a gap year or two to pay off student loans or to travel around a bit
.
It can be a planned career if you are inclined that way.
It can be a career change (by choice or necessity) and be for a short time (till things improve at home) or a long time.
There is a future if you want it but like any other teaching job it is not for everyone and getting to the top of the heap takes YEARS of time, additions to your qualifications and skill set.
Use it for what you want or need out of it. Gap year or career is up to you.
When you are done there ARE lots of soft skills that translate back to home. Adaptability, people skills, time and people management, organizational behavior, developing your work ethic, and if you decide to go into big business you have a great skill set for corporate training.
It is not a dead end job or at least it doesn't have to be. It is also not a career killer or at least it doesn't have to be.
What you do with your time is up to you. You can use it or it can use you.
Career killer or career enhancer - again, it is up to you and what you are willing to do with it.
. |
I have understood the thrust and subtleties of your posts and I quite agree with all you say.
People are different and shouldn't be subjected to a collective strait-jacket.
I'm just remarking that posters should be aware of appropriate moments to interject their 'success stories' since they may not be the rule and can unduly sway a prospective newbie.
I think it's just a pet dislike of mine that some people habitually reduce any topic to themselves and forget the wider interest. Kinda anti-social.
In any case I would never even begin to question anything you say Ttompatz, even if you said I should take a running jump. Maybe just to ask how high. |
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TECO
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 10:56 am Post subject: |
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| shifty wrote: |
| ttompatz wrote: |
| shifty wrote: |
I think posters have some duty to bias themselves to the general experience and not particular. Else newbies contemplating the leap and reading these forums will get a warped impression. |
Actually the point of my post was that it is NOT a be-all one-size-fits-all job or career move.
It can be as simple as a gap year or two to pay off student loans or to travel around a bit
.
It can be a planned career if you are inclined that way.
It can be a career change (by choice or necessity) and be for a short time (till things improve at home) or a long time.
There is a future if you want it but like any other teaching job it is not for everyone and getting to the top of the heap takes YEARS of time, additions to your qualifications and skill set.
Use it for what you want or need out of it. Gap year or career is up to you.
When you are done there ARE lots of soft skills that translate back to home. Adaptability, people skills, time and people management, organizational behavior, developing your work ethic, and if you decide to go into big business you have a great skill set for corporate training.
It is not a dead end job or at least it doesn't have to be. It is also not a career killer or at least it doesn't have to be.
What you do with your time is up to you. You can use it or it can use you.
Career killer or career enhancer - again, it is up to you and what you are willing to do with it.
. |
I have understood the thrust and subtleties of your posts and I quite agree with all you say.
People are different and shouldn't be subjected to a collective strait-jacket.
I'm just remarking that posters should be aware of appropriate moments to interject their 'success stories' since they may not be the rule and can unduly sway a prospective newbie.
I think it's just a pet dislike of mine that some people habitually reduce any topic to themselves and forget the wider interest. Kinda anti-social.
In any case I would never even begin to question anything you say Ttompatz, even if you said I should take a running jump. Maybe just to ask how high. |
Shifty,
You're right. But people make their own luck. That is, if one decides to stay in TEFL as a possible career, s/he can put herself / himself in a good position by doing certain things so that they can access the better jobs out there. That may mean taking responsibility for one's professional development by going and getting a TESOL diploma or relevant degree in education, linguistics or TESOL. It often not all doom and gloom for those who can bring something to the table. TEFL can be quite a rewarding and satisfying career choice. |
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Louis VI
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
Location: In my Kingdom
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| Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 12:24 pm Post subject: |
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With all the free time and savings possible, teaching in Korea is a great launching pad for an entirely new career. Save the money for later re-training expenses/advanced degrees/apprenticeship etc and spend free time researching the new field of work, maybe doing distance coursework, contacting people in the field, etc. If one plans ahead, teaching in Korea provides the means to be well prepared to start a new career. Sure, you may start at the bottom of the hill but you can hit the ground running with the resources to get to the top.
10 years teaching in Korea ($50,000 U.S. savings - easy without trying, trust me)
2 years re-training/advanced degree/apprenticeship/developing small biz/etc
THAT is not an unreasonable scenario. |
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morrisonhotel
Joined: 18 Jul 2009
Location: Gyeonggi-do
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| Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Louis VI wrote: |
With all the free time and savings possible, teaching in Korea is a great launching pad for an entirely new career. Save the money for later re-training expenses/advanced degrees/apprenticeship etc and spend free time researching the new field of work, maybe doing distance coursework, contacting people in the field, etc. If one plans ahead, teaching in Korea provides the means to be well prepared to start a new career. Sure, you may start at the bottom of the hill but you can hit the ground running with the resources to get to the top.
10 years teaching in Korea ($50,000 U.S. savings - easy without trying, trust me)
2 years re-training/advanced degree/apprenticeship/developing small biz/etc
THAT is not an unreasonable scenario. |
I'm somewhat skeptical that staying in Korea for that length of time to then use that money to launch a career elsewhere is really all that sensible. It seems to me that using your savings to fund a whole new career shows little long-term planning - after all, that's going to be 10 years of lost money from your plans for retirement, etc. Sure, you may strike it lucky back home and make a lot of money after you retrain, and I do know one guy who did something similar after 4 years in China, but I'm skeptical whether it's an appropriate use of your funds. |
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silkhighway
Joined: 24 Oct 2010
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 4:13 pm Post subject: |
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| morrisonhotel wrote: |
| Louis VI wrote: |
With all the free time and savings possible, teaching in Korea is a great launching pad for an entirely new career. Save the money for later re-training expenses/advanced degrees/apprenticeship etc and spend free time researching the new field of work, maybe doing distance coursework, contacting people in the field, etc. If one plans ahead, teaching in Korea provides the means to be well prepared to start a new career. Sure, you may start at the bottom of the hill but you can hit the ground running with the resources to get to the top.
10 years teaching in Korea ($50,000 U.S. savings - easy without trying, trust me)
2 years re-training/advanced degree/apprenticeship/developing small biz/etc
THAT is not an unreasonable scenario. |
I'm somewhat skeptical that staying in Korea for that length of time to then use that money to launch a career elsewhere is really all that sensible. It seems to me that using your savings to fund a whole new career shows little long-term planning - after all, that's going to be 10 years of lost money from your plans for retirement, etc. Sure, you may strike it lucky back home and make a lot of money after you retrain, and I do know one guy who did something similar after 4 years in China, but I'm skeptical whether it's an appropriate use of your funds. |
And $50,000 is not at all a lot of money either. Even if you're extremely cheap and cautious with your money you'll burn through that in 2 years living expenses, and that's just for yourself in 2011 terms, With a family in 2020, it probably won't even be enough for a downpayment on a house. |
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myenglishisno
Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Geumchon
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| Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 5:16 pm Post subject: |
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| TECO wrote: |
| tiger fancini wrote: |
| ESL Milk "Everyday wrote: |
| And we should all keep in mind that if you're bragging about getting ahead and advancing your career and being a winner in life, then it's probably safe to assume that you're an American. |
There are 4 things that keep me here in Korea (in no particular order).
1. Never having to worry about money. If I see something I want, I can buy it without feeling any guilt about the impact on my bank balance. My bank balance has never been healthier and I'm completely debt-free.
2. Travel. I can travel abroad at least twice a year. Sometimes 3 times if I'm lucky.
3. This will confuse the cynics out there, but I also have to say job satisfaction. When I go home in the evening, I almost always feel happy with the day I had at work. Sure, it's not the perfect job but then who has the perfect job anyway?
4. Living alone, in a nice area of a busy, modern capital city.
I'll be taking the OP's advice and staying here, because frankly I don't believe that those 4 things would be attainable for me in my home country right now. In fact numerous friends and family members have advised me to do precisely that.
Oh yeah, and my social life is pretty cool too. |
I like Tiger Fancini's post. It also sums up my reasons for enjoying what I do here. I've lived in some cool cities and had some good jobs. And, as mentioned above, it's finally nice not to have to worry about money for a change. TEFL'ing also lead to me being debt free with all of my education loans now paid. |
I agree. What Tiger said pretty much hits the nail on the head, however I don't need to live in a capital city. I actually chose to live in Seoul this time and in some ways I'm regretting it. |
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myenglishisno
Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Geumchon
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| Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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| TECO wrote: |
| tiger fancini wrote: |
| ESL Milk "Everyday wrote: |
| And we should all keep in mind that if you're bragging about getting ahead and advancing your career and being a winner in life, then it's probably safe to assume that you're an American. |
There are 4 things that keep me here in Korea (in no particular order).
1. Never having to worry about money. If I see something I want, I can buy it without feeling any guilt about the impact on my bank balance. My bank balance has never been healthier and I'm completely debt-free.
2. Travel. I can travel abroad at least twice a year. Sometimes 3 times if I'm lucky.
3. This will confuse the cynics out there, but I also have to say job satisfaction. When I go home in the evening, I almost always feel happy with the day I had at work. Sure, it's not the perfect job but then who has the perfect job anyway?
4. Living alone, in a nice area of a busy, modern capital city.
I'll be taking the OP's advice and staying here, because frankly I don't believe that those 4 things would be attainable for me in my home country right now. In fact numerous friends and family members have advised me to do precisely that.
Oh yeah, and my social life is pretty cool too. |
I like Tiger Fancini's post. It also sums up my reasons for enjoying what I do here. I've lived in some cool cities and had some good jobs. And, as mentioned above, it's finally nice not to have to worry about money for a change. TEFL'ing also lead to me being debt free with all of my education loans now paid. |
I agree. What Tiger said pretty much hits the nail on the head, however I don't need to live in a capital city. I actually chose to live in Seoul this time and in some ways I'm regretting it. |
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silkhighway
Joined: 24 Oct 2010
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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When talking about teaching in Korea, there are really two different groups we're talking about here.
1) Hagwons, unigwons, public schools -- teachers who have little more than a BA, maybe a non-accredited teaching course.
2) Universities, community colleges, teacher trainers -- teachers who have their M.TESOL. or who are at least building up to it.
For someone staying 10 years, the second options isn't so bad even if it's not a tenured track. You can transition to universities in other countries or commuity colleges in your home country and you will continue to earn a reasonable living doing it. I also think it's worth considering that virtually everyone on this message board has only lived in Korea during the good times, when growth rates have been strong, and a recession could dramatically change things. TESOLers may feel the pinch, but I think their careers would survive it. The other group are on much shakier grounds. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 6:07 pm Post subject: |
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| ESL Milk "Everyday wrote: |
| Captain Corea wrote: |
| ESL Milk "Everyday wrote: |
Wow.
It actually kinda scares me to think of what Korea will be like if there are no more native speakers... I'm not saying that we're a force of positive change, but Korea left to its own devices-- is it just going to isolate itself again??? |
Wow.
I can't believe you write crap like this. |
You're a class act, Captain Corea.
Keep smilin'. |
Hello, pot. Have you met kettle?
Seriously, do you think that your comment could be considered "classy"?
I have no doubt Korea would just fine if every E2 was not renewed. Korea would be fine without you...get over yourself. |
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Louis VI
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
Location: In my Kingdom
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| Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Captain Corea wrote: |
| I can't believe you write crap like this. |
 This kind of comment lacks civility and politeness and is what started this thread downhill in terms of respect for other posters.
Let's all get along! Kettle, pot, you guys need to stop being cooking utensils.
| Quote: |
There are 4 things that keep me here in Korea (in no particular order).
1. Never having to worry about money. If I see something I want, I can buy it without feeling any guilt about the impact on my bank balance. My bank balance has never been healthier and I'm completely debt-free.
2. Travel. I can travel abroad at least twice a year. Sometimes 3 times if I'm lucky.
3. This will confuse the cynics out there, but I also have to say job satisfaction. When I go home in the evening, I almost always feel happy with the day I had at work. Sure, it's not the perfect job but then who has the perfect job anyway?
4. Living alone, in a nice area |
These are all huge benefits imo. It's the job satisfaction that's the clincher for me. I love what I do and will keep doing it until I no longer do.  |
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