|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
itiswhatitis
Joined: 08 Aug 2011
|
 Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 6:39 am Post subject: Career changes in 30's..... |
 |
|
Native speakers here have the advantage of coming from wealthy countries where there will always be areas of work that are in demand.
Something to ponder.....
The % of people who "climb the corporate ladder" are no doubt in the minority (even in the minority amongst those with degrees).
Do I stand alone?.........What's wrong with traveling, learning foreign languages, self improvement and distance/online education and starting a career a bit later in life?
Some realities:
-You will not be able to get into a respectable MBA program (although you may be able to take an executive MBA).
-You may have to take orders from someone younger than you (if that is even a problem).
-You may have a mortgage at an older age than most
-You may have to buckle down and save for RRSP's more than most during your shorter career
Living abroad has expanded my reality. I wouldn't say that teaching abroad in itself has necessarily opened new doors for me but it has made me ponder more ambitious goals that I wold not have had the confidence to consider before.
Thoughts/personal experiences...???.... |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Harpeau
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
Location: Coquitlam, BC
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 7:18 am Post subject: |
|
|
I see it as living a different kind of life. I am so grateful that I've travelled to over 26 different countries around the world. That wealth of experience means so much to me. I hope to travel further afield in the future. Being an expat is awesome! Avoiding these polar vortex over here in cyberia makes it all worth it for me! I love what I am doing and am a happy man- doing a combination of counseling, life coaching , lecturing, teaching guitar, singing the blues, acting, etc., making decent coin and am mostly my own boss...what more could a person ask for?  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Leon
Joined: 31 May 2010
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 7:40 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Why can't you get into a respectable MBA program? I am currently in a top graduate program after teaching English, and there are several other students here with similar experiences. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ginormousaurus
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Location: 700 Ft. Pulpit
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 7:59 am Post subject: |
|
|
Many of your points ring true for me. I left Korea after living there for nearly 7 years. I didn't really consider it a career change because I never really considered teaching ESL as my career. Although, in hindsight, I suppose it was. The time really slipped by.
So now here I am. I'll be 33 when I finish school next year and actually begin my real career. There will certainly be people younger than me who will always have seniority over me. I plan to buy a house shortly after graduation, and I'm sure I'll still be paying a mortgage as I near retirement. I will definitely have to save for retirement more aggresively than someone who started saving 10 years earlier.
Despite all that, I'm still very happy with my life choices. Moving to Korea was the best thing I had ever done. Had I not gone to Korea, I would have started "a real career" much sooner and many of the above mentioned issues would not exist for me. But on the other hand, I would have missed out on all things that have shaped the man I have become. And without that, it's unlikely I would have chosen to undertake the degree I'm currently working on. I would have ended up working in a mental hospital like my parents and grandparents and never really leaving my small town life.
What sort of career change do you have in mind? I know you were interested in taking some distance math courses. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 9:17 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Ginormousaurus wrote: |
Many of your points ring true for me. I left Korea after living there for nearly 7 years. I didn't really consider it a career change because I never really considered teaching ESL as my career. Although, in hindsight, I suppose it was. The time really slipped by.
So now here I am. I'll be 33 when I finish school next year and actually begin my real career. There will certainly be people younger than me who will always have seniority over me. I plan to buy a house shortly after graduation, and I'm sure I'll still be paying a mortgage as I near retirement. I will definitely have to save for retirement more aggresively than someone who started saving 10 years earlier.
Despite all that, I'm still very happy with my life choices. Moving to Korea was the best thing I had ever done. Had I not gone to Korea, I would have started "a real career" much sooner and many of the above mentioned issues would not exist for me. But on the other hand, I would have missed out on all things that have shaped the man I have become. And without that, it's unlikely I would have chosen to undertake the degree I'm currently working on. I would have ended up working in a mental hospital like my parents and grandparents and never really leaving my small town life.
What sort of career change do you have in mind? I know you were interested in taking some distance math courses. |
Interesting perspective, but how many of those years would you have spent paying off your student loans and credit card debts, while building your career? You'd still have them, I suspect. Also, being in debt and cash poor makes it hard to move to a big city where the rents are high and the jobs are actually ocated.
Now, you should be debt free and have a nest egg to finance a new start. Because you will burn through cash setting yourself up. Rent, damage deposit, etc. You may have had to take on some new debt for grad school, but you should still be in a better position than you would have been had you have stayed. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nate1983
Joined: 30 Mar 2008
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 9:29 am Post subject: Re: Career changes in 30's..... |
|
|
| itiswhatitis wrote: |
Native speakers here have the advantage of coming from wealthy countries where there will always be areas of work that are in demand.
Something to ponder.....
The % of people who "climb the corporate ladder" are no doubt in the minority (even in the minority amongst those with degrees).
Do I stand alone?.........What's wrong with traveling, learning foreign languages, self improvement and distance/online education and starting a career a bit later in life?
Some realities:
-You will not be able to get into a respectable MBA program (although you may be able to take an executive MBA).
-You may have to take orders from someone younger than you (if that is even a problem).
-You may have a mortgage at an older age than most
-You may have to buckle down and save for RRSP's more than most during your shorter career
Living abroad has expanded my reality. I wouldn't say that teaching abroad in itself has necessarily opened new doors for me but it has made me ponder more ambitious goals that I wold not have had the confidence to consider before.
Thoughts/personal experiences...???.... |
Obviously nothing is wrong with that. In fact, I think everyone who has the opportunity should live/teach English abroad for a year or two (or longer, especially if you're able to make a career out of it for yourself).
As someone who began my "corporate career" at 27 after teaching English in Korea, some of your points ring true for me. I definitely have less in my retirement account than I would if I'd been saving since I was 22, and have had younger people in more senior positions to me, although I have been able to see a pretty quick career progression. I recently got a mortgage (had to tap into my retirement account for the down payment) and yeah I'll probably pay it off when I'm at a more advanced age. If your goal is to go back to school for a top MBA, that door is not necessarily shut if you can spin a good story - I recently applied to a few schools, and just a few days ago got my second invitation to interview (at Yale, first was Wharton).
The reality is that in the west (and probably everywhere), society doesn't place as much value on these "life experiences" as it should. There's certainly something to be said for developing hard, marketable skills, but over a career of 30 or 40 years a couple years is just a drop in the bucket and you could bring skills and a perspective that others don't have. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ginormousaurus
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Location: 700 Ft. Pulpit
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 9:47 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| Ginormousaurus wrote: |
Many of your points ring true for me. I left Korea after living there for nearly 7 years. I didn't really consider it a career change because I never really considered teaching ESL as my career. Although, in hindsight, I suppose it was. The time really slipped by.
So now here I am. I'll be 33 when I finish school next year and actually begin my real career. There will certainly be people younger than me who will always have seniority over me. I plan to buy a house shortly after graduation, and I'm sure I'll still be paying a mortgage as I near retirement. I will definitely have to save for retirement more aggresively than someone who started saving 10 years earlier.
Despite all that, I'm still very happy with my life choices. Moving to Korea was the best thing I had ever done. Had I not gone to Korea, I would have started "a real career" much sooner and many of the above mentioned issues would not exist for me. But on the other hand, I would have missed out on all things that have shaped the man I have become. And without that, it's unlikely I would have chosen to undertake the degree I'm currently working on. I would have ended up working in a mental hospital like my parents and grandparents and never really leaving my small town life.
What sort of career change do you have in mind? I know you were interested in taking some distance math courses. |
Interesting perspective, but how many of those years would you have spent paying off your student loans and credit card debts, while building your career? You'd still have them, I suspect. Also, being in debt and cash poor makes it hard to move to a big city where the rents are high and the jobs are actually ocated.
Now, you should be debt free and have a nest egg to finance a new start. Because you will burn through cash setting yourself up. Rent, damage deposit, etc. You may have had to take on some new debt for grad school, but you should still be in a better position than you would have been had you have stayed. |
I was debt free when I left Korea. Now...not so much. Life is expensive after you've become accustomed to a certain quality of life and the government has been all too accomodating when it comes to lending me money. I also had to support my wife who didn't have a work visa for a while. Also, I'm not in grad school either. I'm doing an engineering degree and basically had to start all over at the beginning. This was very daunting and meant taking a distance math course while still in Korea to prepare me for what I was getting myself into. The next few years were spent in a math and physics-induced haze. But...I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
I'm definitely better off that I left when I did. It was at the height of the financial crisis. I figured it was as good a time as any to go back to school. My hope was that by the time I was finished, the economy would be stronger and I'd be well-positioned to start a new career. Indeed that is how things are going. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 7:22 pm Post subject: Re: Career changes in 30's..... |
|
|
| nate1983 wrote: |
| itiswhatitis wrote: |
Native speakers here have the advantage of coming from wealthy countries where there will always be areas of work that are in demand.
Something to ponder.....
The % of people who "climb the corporate ladder" are no doubt in the minority (even in the minority amongst those with degrees).
Do I stand alone?.........What's wrong with traveling, learning foreign languages, self improvement and distance/online education and starting a career a bit later in life?
Some realities:
-You will not be able to get into a respectable MBA program (although you may be able to take an executive MBA).
-You may have to take orders from someone younger than you (if that is even a problem).
-You may have a mortgage at an older age than most
-You may have to buckle down and save for RRSP's more than most during your shorter career
Living abroad has expanded my reality. I wouldn't say that teaching abroad in itself has necessarily opened new doors for me but it has made me ponder more ambitious goals that I wold not have had the confidence to consider before.
Thoughts/personal experiences...???.... |
Obviously nothing is wrong with that. In fact, I think everyone who has the opportunity should live/teach English abroad for a year or two (or longer, especially if you're able to make a career out of it for yourself).
As someone who began my "corporate career" at 27 after teaching English in Korea, some of your points ring true for me. I definitely have less in my retirement account than I would if I'd been saving since I was 22, and have had younger people in more senior positions to me, although I have been able to see a pretty quick career progression. I recently got a mortgage (had to tap into my retirement account for the down payment) and yeah I'll probably pay it off when I'm at a more advanced age. If your goal is to go back to school for a top MBA, that door is not necessarily shut if you can spin a good story - I recently applied to a few schools, and just a few days ago got my second invitation to interview (at Yale, first was Wharton).
The reality is that in the west (and probably everywhere), society doesn't place as much value on these "life experiences" as it should. There's certainly something to be said for developing hard, marketable skills, but over a career of 30 or 40 years a couple years is just a drop in the bucket and you could bring skills and a perspective that others don't have. |
Yeah, I just got an interview for a top 30 MBA as well (not Ivy), and I wrote an entire essay devoted to my experience teaching at a hagwon. While I have no idea what my chances of getting in are, it clearly wasn't an immediate disqualifier. I only applied to one school, so I can't offer much beyond that, but I talked a lot about my soft cultural skills and how I'm much better prepared than most for a multicultural work environment. Stories can be spun. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bucheon bum
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 1:37 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Leon wrote: |
| Why can't you get into a respectable MBA program? I am currently in a top graduate program after teaching English, and there are several other students here with similar experiences. |
Yeah, I'm a bit puzzled by that as well. I know a number of people who were in excellent MBA programs and they had a wide variety of pre-MBA experiences (including teaching ESL).
I started my current "career" at age 31. Really hasn't been a problem or issue. We all go through life at different paces. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kengreen
Joined: 19 Jan 2011
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 5:13 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| bucheon bum wrote: |
| Leon wrote: |
| Why can't you get into a respectable MBA program? I am currently in a top graduate program after teaching English, and there are several other students here with similar experiences. |
Yeah, I'm a bit puzzled by that as well. I know a number of people who were in excellent MBA programs and they had a wide variety of pre-MBA experiences (including teaching ESL).
I started my current "career" at age 31. Really hasn't been a problem or issue. We all go through life at different paces. |
I agree. Lots of people change careers as they get older. It's becoming more and more common in this global world. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
|
| Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 1:04 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
I agree. Lots of people change careers as they get older. It's becoming more and more common in this global world. |
So what did the world use to be like before it became global?  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
PRagic
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
|
| Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 2:32 am Post subject: |
|
|
| What's wrong with living and working overseas, improving your skill set and marketability as you go, and making serious bank along the way? There's more than one way to skin the professional cat! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Francis-Pax
Joined: 20 Nov 2005
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 7:55 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Ginormousaurus wrote: |
Many of your points ring true for me. I left Korea after living there for nearly 7 years. I didn't really consider it a career change because I never really considered teaching ESL as my career. Although, in hindsight, I suppose it was. The time really slipped by.
So now here I am. I'll be 33 when I finish school next year and actually begin my real career. There will certainly be people younger than me who will always have seniority over me. I plan to buy a house shortly after graduation, and I'm sure I'll still be paying a mortgage as I near retirement. I will definitely have to save for retirement more aggresively than someone who started saving 10 years earlier.
Despite all that, I'm still very happy with my life choices. Moving to Korea was the best thing I had ever done. Had I not gone to Korea, I would have started "a real career" much sooner and many of the above mentioned issues would not exist for me. But on the other hand, I would have missed out on all things that have shaped the man I have become. And without that, it's unlikely I would have chosen to undertake the degree I'm currently working on. I would have ended up working in a mental hospital like my parents and grandparents and never really leaving my small town life.
What sort of career change do you have in mind? I know you were interested in taking some distance math courses. |
What is a real career? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ginormousaurus
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Location: 700 Ft. Pulpit
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 9:12 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I don't really know. That's why I put it in quotations (at least in the second incidence in which I used it). I suppose, in my eyes, it would be a job that I work towards getting and plan on increasing my skill set for over time. So, in my case, ESL wasn't really a career. I did not plan on doing it for very long and I had no real career plan in place. What was originally intended to be a 1 or 2 year thing, effortlessly turned into 6 years. So while I accept that ESL was a career for me, it never really felt like it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Francis-Pax
Joined: 20 Nov 2005
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 9:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Ginormousaurus wrote: |
| I don't really know. That's why I put it in quotations (at least in the second incidence in which I used it). I suppose, in my eyes, it would be a job that I work towards getting and plan on increasing my skill set for over time. So, in my case, ESL wasn't really a career. I did not plan on doing it for very long and I had no real career plan in place. What was originally intended to be a 1 or 2 year thing, effortlessly turned into 6 years. So while I accept that ESL was a career for me, it never really felt like it. |
So teachers don't increase their skill set over time? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
