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chungbukdo
Joined: 22 Aug 2010
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 Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 9:38 pm Post subject: Building skills in Korea that translate to home country |
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| What skills would you say an English teacher (In Korea only) should look to build during a few year experience here that translate well to living and working back home later? Whether at work or personal development related.[/quote] |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 9:43 pm Post subject: |
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Lifelong learning, professional development, cultural sensitivity and awareness, adaptability to new and changing circumstances.
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chungbukdo
Joined: 22 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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Do you have anything more specific?
For example, Im starting to teach myself to code so I have an actual skill when I get back. |
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BackRow
Joined: 28 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 10:01 pm Post subject: |
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As tom mentioned, you cna develop a lof soft skills here. It's tough though to develop hard skills here, and those are more important given how competitive the job market is in the west.
I was going to mention coding, but you've come to that conclusion as well. Given the online resources out there, it's a very realistic and practical thing to learn. Other than coding...I'm not sure.
You could take various online classes from your alma mater and maybe get another degree, certification, etc. I don't know too much about this though. |
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postfundie
Joined: 28 May 2004
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| Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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| in your free time, read books and study math...I think putting 'cultural sensitivity' on a CV is BS...some of the people who are 'culturally sensitive' are the biggest idiots in the world... (no disrespect to ttompatz I'd say you are probably the most helpful and insightful person on this board) |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2014 1:27 am Post subject: |
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None taken and "cultural sensitivity" would be (or should be) taken along the lines of:
someone who can live and function for an extended period of time in a foreign culture as something more than a tourist ...
(they may be a twit* but they can still manage to keep a job and not get killed or deported so they must be managing to do something right).
* twit - The kind of person that makes a retarded chimp look smart.
(source - the urban dictionary)
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2014 2:05 am Post subject: |
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I taught myself how to draw digitally here.  |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2014 4:30 am Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
None taken and "cultural sensitivity" would be (or should be) taken along the lines of:
someone who can live and function for an extended period of time in a foreign culture as something more than a tourist ...
(they may be a twit* but they can still manage to keep a job and not get killed or deported so they must be managing to do something right).
* twit - The kind of person that makes a retarded chimp look smart.
(source - the urban dictionary)
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While I agree, I must say that I basically got torn a new one in an MBA interview with a top-30 school for going in this direction on my CV. Then again, maybe I should have known better. |
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robbie_davies
Joined: 16 Jun 2013
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| Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2014 8:43 am Post subject: |
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Learning Korean would be the one I would have thought. The one question employers always asked me was 'Did you learn Korean while you was out there?' The longer the period on the CV, the more language skills they expect you to have. Even if they haven't been expats themselves.
I was always asked that by people back home 'Oh, do you know any Korean?' As if it was as easy as picking up a sun tan. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2014 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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| robbie_davies wrote: |
Learning Korean would be the one I would have thought. The one question employers always asked me was 'Did you learn Korean while you was out there?' The longer the period on the CV, the more language skills they expect you to have. Even if they haven't been expats themselves.
I was always asked that by people back home 'Oh, do you know any Korean?' As if it was as easy as picking up a sun tan. |
"You must be fluent by now." I think this comes from mistakenly looking at English teaching as some kind of study abroad, not realizing that teachers work full time and often legitimately don't have time to attend classes, even if they wish to do so. I lived in Anyang during my time in Korea, and working until 6:30 I could never find weekday classes that would fit into my schedule. |
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absane
Joined: 24 May 2011
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| Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2014 6:34 pm Post subject: Re: Building skills in Korea that translate to home country |
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| chungbukdo wrote: |
| What skills would you say an English teacher (In Korea only) should look to build during a few year experience here that translate well to living and working back home later? Whether at work or personal development related. |
Be proactive in your own education and skill development in a field that will pay you well to do something that you enjoy doing. Example: if you like computers, maybe learn some programming on the side and get involved in the software development community.*** If you like martial arts, practice a lot and try to become an instructor (or fight North Koreans).
Don't become one of those expats that go home, realize they have no skills other than knowing how to play 31 different Soju drinking games, and taking a job at a 7-11 while longing for the "good old days." While there isn't anything particularly bad about that lifestyle (because it happens frequently), most people don't want that when they leave Korea. And of course, not every expat ends up like that. In fact, I've seen a lot that have left college, taught ESL in Korea for a few years, and then gone home to work high paying or well respected jobs not related to teaching. They did so because they spent some of their free time acquiring skills.
*** For those interested in working with computers, it is entirely possible to get certifications here in Korea that are Internationally recognized. You can get A+, Network+, Security+, CEH, etc. You can take all of the exams in English and they would help a lot in trying to find a job back home. There are also a plethora of online courses you take take that will also award certificates for passing an exam.
Anyone interested in working in information security should send me a PM. I know quite a bit and have scored a few interviews in the US while working in Korea. |
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jdog2050
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2014 9:33 pm Post subject: |
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| One thing that's great about Korea is that in your spare time, depending on where you live, you can "throw yourself" into almost anything. Wanna become an event planner? Start throwing parties and concerts in your area; I'm sure all the other expats and young Koreans will be happy for it. Wanna code? Start building up a portfolio by offering small free services on Craigslist. Wanna write? Write for Groove, 10, etc. |
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orosee
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Location: Hannam-dong, Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 1:00 am Post subject: |
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I thought this thread was about comparative architecture  |
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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 6:02 pm Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
Lifelong learning, professional development, cultural sensitivity and awareness, adaptability to new and changing circumstances.
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Definitely cultural sensitivity and awareness. I also learned to appreciate my culture much, much more. One can also develop him- or her-self here in some areas.
You could develop language skills if you so choose, but I am not certain how in demand they are in everyone's home countries.
Classroom management skills and the ability to organize yourself transfer well. Context may not transfer. And the structure of a Korean school is very different from international high schools and K-12 and universities. So that part of the experience does not transfer well. |
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postfundie
Joined: 28 May 2004
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 7:49 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
Learning Korean would be the one I would have thought. The one question employers always asked me was 'Did you learn Korean while you was out there?' The longer the period on the CV, the more language skills they expect you to have. Even if they haven't been expats themselves.
I was always asked that by people back home 'Oh, do you know any Korean?' As if it was as easy as picking up a sun tan. |
I always take this as opportunity to ask them, ' what do you mean by fluent?' 'or 'what do you mean by 'speak'?
That being said, I'm in the 'ifyouliveherealongtimeyoushouldlearnthelanguage-crowd.' |
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