Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bellum99]

Man, sometimes I hear from my friends back home and they tell me what they are doing and I keep thinking that I will be at the back of the line when I finally get home.
Do you guys ever worry that English teaching is actually hurting your long term goals?
What are going to do when you get home?

[Derrek]

I worry about that sometimes, but then again, I look at all of my friends back home who are divorced, living jobless with the parents, and also have to start their lives all over again. It's very difficult to find anyone with a "normal" life back home: married, kids, good job, etc.

It's 50/50... I can find good reasons to stay and to go.

I'm having more fun here, though. At least from a dating and a job aspect (well, usually the job -- the students are fun to teach).

Think of it this way... when you're 70 and look back at your life, you'll be glad you branched out and tried something different. If I hadn't done this, I think I would have always wondered why I didn't go do something adventurous, wild and fun.

I also appreciate a lot of things I have back home MUCH more... from toilet paper and accessable garbage cans to jobs that don't screw you out of everything every chance they get (less corruption).

[Badmojo]

Never.

I can think of a lot more things that would waste my time than teaching in Korea. It's all about the bottom line. Saving close to $20 000 in one year is never a waste of time.

Living back home? Now that's a waste of time. It seems all I do there is drink. My family is one bad influence.

[The evil penguin]

I know the feeling. Living in korea did seem at times to be a complete waste of time. Seemingly more stress from the job then it was worth and receiving emails from family and friends back home who seemed to be having a great time and actually "living". Had a mate always emailing photos of the home surf and fishing and new boat and so on.

Yeah, couldn't wait to get back to re-join the human race. You know what however, now i'm back in aussie i've realised something. Being average and trying to integrate back into normal life is not all its cracked up to be. And as it turns out, all the time i was envious of my family and friends back home, they were envious of ME! Struggling with bills, the old set 9-5 routine jobs, mowing the lawns, washing the car. Thats not living. Even my best mate (a successful research scientist and teacher and also husband of the girl i had a major thing for in highschool) has admitted to envy. This is a bloke with a beautiful wife, great kids, new car, house, boat great job etc etc. All the things i once thought i wanted.

I'm now back at uni studying to be a "proper" teacher. And thoroughly dissatisfied with it all.

Now korea (and the whole ESL thing) doesn't seem so bad. I reckon i'll be back.

[Tiger Beer]

Yeah, I've had that feeling.. and I've acted on it.. and I've went back to the home country and started working again, collecting bills, paying for rent, living in less than desireable city neighborhoods (because they are almost affordable), and the commutes to work with high gas costs, etc.

I go back and forth on it (and follow through with it).. but happy to be back in Korea.. where I can travel easily, save more money, live better, etc., etc.

One thing I learned having gone back and forth.. is wherever you are living.. the other one seems more enticing and inviting. But overall the urge to get back abroad is MUCH stronger on me when I'm at home.. then the urge to get back home when I'm abroad.

[Unreal]

Yeah, I think about this all the time but when I think about my friends with degrees back home and where they are now, I can't say they're really getting ahead of me. A lot of them are doing the same kind of labour or tourism jobs they did before getting their degrees.

Before I came to Korea the first time (2002) I had just finished an intensive IT training course where "97% of graduates find employment"...but after 6 months of looking for work, about 20% found employment in the IT field...and most of those were bottom of the barrel ($10 an hour to start for some jobs). That's part of the reason I came to Korea in the first place. I have a teacher friend who just returned to the US after several IT companies expressed interest in him. Last I heard from him, he was working at a Chinese restaraunt and complaining about IT outsourcing.

For me when I came to Korea the first time I was quite quiet and shy but I've learned to be more aggressive and I feel much more comfortable in public and social situations so teaching has helped me in ways that should help my career and social life if I return back to Canada. I'm leading an interesting life and learning new things every day in Korea. I guess in the long run we want to return to Canada to have kids (I married a Korean girl last year) but in terms of career opportunities right now, I don't see much more happening in Canada or the US than here.

[canuckistan]

Bellum99 wrote:

[Saxiif]

[Paji eh Wong]

[Vince]

I lived in Japan for six years and thought the same thing about my life there, so I returned to the US eleven months ago to get back to "real life." It didn't take long for me to learn a lesson about the meaning of real.

Now I have a job in a corporation with lots of potential for growth, but it doesn't pay as much as I'd like. My salary in Tokyo was much fairer compensation for my efforts. Bills and schedule prevent me from doing the things I thought I'd do when I got back to the US. I was quite the city hopper in Tokyo, but in the US it's work-and-home and errands on the weekends. And of course there's no sense of discovery here. I thought I had seen it all in Japan, but I didn't realize the sense of constant exploration and adventure I had. Even communicating daily in a second language and making headway with the written language was more stimulating than I realized. Aside from being more able to buy a house in the US, I can't say that my quality of life is any better here. I too see myself going back.

[Homer]

Bellum,

You will only be wasting time if you see time here as being wasted.

Where ever you are it is all about what you do with your situation.

Now, why should working as an ESL teacher be a waste of time or any less valuable or real then living at home? I notice you said living at home but did not mention any meaningful job for you there.

[whatthefunk]

If you were back home, youd be watching the Simpsons every day thinking to yourself, god, Im wasting my time.

[the_beaver]

Nope.

My friends back home who are busy trying to keep up with the Joneses and who think a week at Club Med is a holiday are wasting their time.

[diablo3]

Well, I do not think this is hurting my long term goals as I try to find something relevant to my career in Korea while getting accustomed to Korean habits, culture, etc. Also, give teaching a chance, and if you like it then consider that as one of your long term options.

For bellum, you do not lose trying, and I think you are young and so you will gain valuable experience.

What would I do if I go back home? Try to find something I wish to do workwise, and while that is happening just play the playstation.

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

Hah! Oldboy is only now opening (in limited release) in the States. I saw it like 2 years ago. Losers!

Then again, they still got Doritos over there, so I guess it evens out.

Sparkles*_*