Korean Job Discussion Forums

ejsh82 · Joined: 05 Sep 2007 Location: Gangwondo

This goes out to all you non-education majors who took one or two years off from "the man" to enjoy your youth just a little bit longer...

Have you experienced or know someone who has experienced looking for a corporate job after teaching English abroad (specifically Asia) for 1-2 years?

Has it been difficult to get back into the job market (in cities like NY or Chicago)? Do employers see it as good or bad thing that you have 2 years of experience abroad, but no related experience to a corporate job? Looking more for consulting or business jobs...

Thanks for any help or insight!

bejarano-korea · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

You have been working so thats a start.

If you had gone to an employer with two MAs then they would say
'leave your CV in the bin' I know a lot of people who do two MAs and
they have just wasted their money and their time.

If you had been on the dole or had arsed about working at tescos stacking shelves after your degree, like a lot of people I know, employers would ask questions.

Basically what I would advise you is not to worry about it too much, you are never going to be on your arse forever.

You have no experience at coporate level and no-one is going to be interested in you at this moment in time for the good stuff, work from the botttom, even if it is as a sales clerk or whatever and if you are good enouh you will rise through the ranks.

And teaching abroad is not a bad thing to put on a CV either.

ejsh82 · Joined: 05 Sep 2007 Location: Gangwondo

Thanks for the tips.

I should have clarified. I worked for 2 years, then decided to do ESL abroad...

Make any difference?

bejarano-korea · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

I've said it before, but if you combine your teaching experience, some computer knowledge, and your ability to draw up lesson plans and teaching materials, there's a good future in technical training. Corporations need people who can train their internal staff and train clients. Computers, voice mail systems, photocopy machines, whatever. It's not high paying work at first. You have to start at the bottom.

Fresh Prince · Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Location: The glorious nation of Korea

peppermint · Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:22 am Post subject:

I've been back in the "real world" for a while now and haven't found my 4 years as an ESLer to be much of a setback. Employers seem interested in how that experience, and you can really make it work for you -if you know how to spin it. Telling them you played hangman with 5 year olds for a couple of years won't cut it. Wink

I do contract work for the federal government, and it took a very long time to get the security clearance, because I had to send letters back and forth to the Korean embassy, and the KNP, and such. That's been the only time that I've noticed it having a negative impact.

bosintang · Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:45 am Post subject:

I think you have to look at this way. No matter what field you go in, nobody is going to throw a job at you because you taught a few years of ESL. Employers really have no idea what you were doing in Korea and they don't care.

That's true for your first job. However, if you're patient and start with an entry-level job like everyone else, the ESL experience will help you down the road to move up the ladder or into other positions if you can sell it properly.

Czarjorge · Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 5:22 am Post subject:

Be careful when considering jobs in corporate America. I left a corporate job and I'm now coming to SK. Just as many people have said, "It takes a certain temperment to survive Korea," the same can be said about corporate America. The new rule is CYA (cover your a.ss) and unless you're good at that you're going to get thrown under the bus. Consider all your options and look at more than entry level corporate jobs. You can teach ESL in a larger city just like in South Korea, and in some cases it can pay well enough.

Jeju Rocks · Joined: 23 Aug 2004

I plan on doin' the ESL thing until I get drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers. I have been waiting for quite some time now, but I am thinking it will be next year when I make my big move.
Until then, what's your favourite irregular verb?

ejsh82 · Joined: 05 Sep 2007 Location: Gangwondo

Hey everyone,

Thanks so much for all your constructive replies.

A little background: I worked in sales for 2 years in events: event coordinating, designing, planning, etc. I do plan on getting my MBA sometime in the future-"hopefully" University of Chicago-GSB... I'm from Chicago.

As I'm a newbie as an ESL teacher. I partly came to Korea to expand my overseas experience because I am very interested in consulting-pay in pretty good and the travel-usually, I guess it depends on what company...

But thanks for the heads up about training especially for VoIP. I had a good friend who worked for both Anderson Consulting and now Cisco Systems who specialized in VoIP. I was just wondering how MARKETABLE my experience overseas will be in the future! Smile

Thanks again for any tips!

mole · Joined: 06 Feb 2003 Location: Act III

This topic's killing me. Did my 9.5 years in K-land.
Been back "in the world" for about a year.
Haven't thought much about a job.

http://www.campbowwowusa.com/

This looks kinda fun, though.

any comment, SuperFly?? heh.

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

"Help desk" and technical support is another avenue for your ESL experience. You're used to explaining things in a clear manner to people 100% clueless. English isn't always the first language of many people using software/hardware.

Again, low level, start at the bottom stuff. But it's a start.

pest2 · Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Location: Vancouver, Canada