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Because of the poor economy, I accepted a job in China teaching English to elementary school kids around 8 months ago. Although the job is fun, it's not a real career and I worry that I'm going to make myself obsolete in the job market back home if I continue teaching here.
When my contract is up in a few months, I am planning on going back to the US, but I don't have any jobs lined up. If nothing else, I can live with my parents as I continue looking for jobs and maybe take some classes at the local community college. Is this a wise decision? If I stay in China, I can continue making money and living on my own. But I feel like it's killing me career-wise. Help from any of the more experienced people on this forum?
You can make a carrer out of this. I know many people who have. The cool thing is, this type of carreer can really give you the chance to see the non english speaking world.
What is your degree in? Perhaps you can teach in a country that could also potentially hire you in your field. Also, look for teaching jobs in S. Korea. They pay well, normally pay for housing and transportation and well the women are easy on the eye.
Why is it not a "real" career? You admit that it's fun. Why not stay with it for a few years and see if it blossoms into a "real" career.
The job market in the USA isnt going to improve for a while. If you move back in with your parents while you take classes and then look for work, you could be living with them for a lot longer than you expect.
Because of the poor economy, I accepted a job in China teaching English to elementary school kids around 8 months ago. Although the job is fun, it's not a real career and I worry that I'm going to make myself obsolete in the job market back home if I continue teaching here.
When my contract is up in a few months, I am planning on going back to the US, but I don't have any jobs lined up. If nothing else, I can live with my parents as I continue looking for jobs and maybe take some classes at the local community college. Is this a wise decision? If I stay in China, I can continue making money and living on my own. But I feel like it's killing me career-wise. Help from any of the more experienced people on this forum?
Who cares? If you enjoy what you do for a living and you can support yourself, continue doing it. I have an uncle who has been teaching English overseas for the past 13 years and he has told me that he won't ever go back to working in an office.
Most "real careers" that college prepares you for are a bore anyway. Do you really want to spend 40 hours a week in a little cubicle, dealing with high school level "office politics" day in and day out?
What about trying to find a job in the US teaching English to Chinese people?
What about a job in the U.S. teaching English to Americans? LOL Especially college educated professional athletes. Maybe teaching English to illegals? Seems half the people here can`t speak English! Do they even teach English in school anymore? A lot of the young people I meet can`t speak one sentence of proper grammar. I know I`m not an English major. But some can`t put one coherent sentence together.
Well, I'm not a teacher by training nor do I have any desire to be a career teacher. My degree was in Asian Studies, an awesome yet completely unemployable major.
I know that what I do may sound exotic, as most of my friends think because I'm always uploading interesting photos online of places around China, but I'm bothered by the fact that I'm going nowhere. There's no moving up or getting promoted here. Plus, I'm not very proud of the fact that I teach my first language for a living.
I'm not trying to rush into a cubicle job. But I do think that I need more professional experience first before deciding that it's not for me. What I do may sound great, but I don't want to be 40 years old one day and realize that my only skill and experience was teaching English. It's cool to do for a year or two as a break from the real world, but it's most definitely not a career.
... I'm not very proud of the fact that I teach my first language for a living...I don't want to be 40 years old one day and realize that my only skill and experience was teaching English.
OMG, you've managed to insult English teachers everywhere. Proper English is a dying language and those who teach it well should be revered, not belittled.
I take back what I said in my previous post. Please do get out of teaching immediately. With that attitude, you have no business influencing young people in any way.
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Maybe teaching English to illegals? Seems half the people here can`t speak English! Do they even teach English in school anymore? A lot of the young people I meet can`t speak one sentence of proper grammar. I know I`m not an English major. But some can`t put one coherent sentence together.
