Alternatives to teaching English

[Fidel]

I've been teaching English in Thailand for about a year now and although I have enjoyed it and the money I have been earning has allowed me to enjoy a good standard of living I'm getting a little bored.

 

 

 

Can anyone fill me in on other possible jobs in LOS... all suggestions are welcome.

 

 

 

Cheers!

[Guest]

very difficult.

 

if you have qualifications to get an expat job in some field than it is easier to get that from your homecountry. not many openings for local hire. still, depends on your qualifications.

 

if you think you have a special talent, you can always try on your own, build something up for yourself. very difficult, but possible (i did it that way).

 

the easiest way would be to slowly phase the teaching out while you build your own thing up. so you have a salary from which to pay your rent and food while you can see if your own thing works out or not.

[Fidel]

I'm 25, I hold a BA and a post grad in Business and Information Technology. I have worked in the IT industry back home. I know I might be better off going back to change career but I really want to stay in SEA.

 

 

 

Ideally, I want to work for an NGO but that may require another year in University. I guess I could look into teaching in Asia and studying at the same time.

 

 

 

Any hints about that Fly?

 

 

 

Cheers!

[Guest]

While in Cambodia, I met many people working for NGOs. They stayed in nice Condos, had their own drivers/ cars, got a nice salary and were telling the Cambodians, what they really need ("safe the wildlife", "Cambodia needs the forest for its survival"). Many can be seen at Martinis almost every night (educational purpose only, of course). Not the worst option, if you are really into things like this.

 

 

 

As Thailand is more developed, I am not sure if there is a high demand for NGOs nowadays.

[Guest]

25?

 

 

 

hmmn, how much work experience do you have? you just might have to bite the bullet and head back to stateside for more experience and creds. this isn't a putdown of any sorts. just some pointers. at 25, that is the best "experience building age" out there. if your planning on having any "upward mobility" in the future, it's best to put in the time now.

 

 

 

It's better to be practical than to blindly put faith in a profession you may become weary of. Do you teach english because you love to teach? Or do you teach to stay in SEA? Because if it is the latter, you're doing no one a favor.

 

 

 

Sorry, I just have a real sensitivity in the teaching profession in general. From my past experiences and my current, let's just say less than 10% of my instructors actually understood the concept of teaching. It's a fucking sad state in america where teaching is concerned, especially specialized subjects/fields. Students can tell the difference between a teacher or some person just going through the motions.

 

 

 

Fidel, think of it this way. If for some inexplicable reason you needed/wanted to go back home and start anew. Let's say it's 5 years down the line. Those 7 years of teaching english would be like a gaping hole in your resume, especially if you're going to be looking for some profession in line with your degrees. do you really want to be in an entry-level position at 30? just some things to think about bro. I'm 29 and I'd give my left nut to be back, but reason dictates. I'm no use to anybody by moving to LOS now and diminishing whatever options I'm garnering. it's good to have options.

[Guest]

there are a lot of different NGOs around ranging from huge well funded international ones with coorparate structures dealing with top level government agencies like for example the ILO, up to small idealistic cashstrapped grassroots organisations, and of course the different church funded ones.

 

this jungle of NGOs ranges from the completely useless to the ones which really change things to the positive.

 

here in thailand many have positions for unpaid volonteers like the ones around the burmese border, which always look for staff who teaches refugees in the camps, or another example is father joes mercy center in klong toey.

 

a good start into that business could be to spend some time volonteering, getting to know the business, and see what kind of opening could present itself, where you can see yourself in a professional capacity.

 

many of the NGO people i have known started off like that. many ex-peace corps people for example around there.

 

it might take some time until you get the nicer paid jobs, but as far as i know most of those openings are just inside openings, also a lot of overseas hire for the top positions. lots of politics involved.

 

you are young enough to start a career like that. just go around the different NGOs and ask around what they think.

 

 

 

teaching here and studying at the same time is not a bad idea, i have heard that there are some very good masters courses available here (but about that i have not much idea, i have never seen a university from the inside ).

 

 

 

it is important not to lose too much time. teaching can easily be a trap. now, 25 years old, you can still do whatever you want, when you crossed the magic 30 it is a whole different game.

 

 

[Guest]

there are a lot of career possibilities here in asia, where you can also start off in asia. i have done that with my career, and fidel mentioned the NGO business, many people in the NGO business i know have started that way.

 

it is of course not an easy way, but i for example prefer it that way. i have never liked the idea of climbing the coorparate ladder back home. took the first chance to get out.

 

now i am 34, and i am still convinced that i did the right thing. it was a rocky road sometimes (still is at times), but a lot of joy. and the personal freedom i enjoy now i don't think i could ever have back home. who cares about the money?

 

 

[Guest]

I tend to agree with you. But right now the IT business in the States is probably the worst it's been in a generation.

 

 

 

The latest status symbol in Silicon Valley: a job.

 

 

 

The current growth industry in San Francisco: U-Haul.

 

 

 

(is Fidel from the States?)

[Guest]

you are correct. an IT position is hard to maintain/gain atm. I'll tell you what though, it'd be a hell of alot easier to find an IT job here in the states still than in LOS atm. Why? Like others have stated, why would thai/intl companies hire a farang when they have a huge population of well trained IT people at their disposal? Unless you're the cream of the crop super badass mofaka or basically have some unique skills, you're sol. Perhaps not completely but near it. In a foreign country, it's better to be practical than idealistic when looking for a profession.

 

 

 

Like fly mentioned, if you have the resources and means to create your own business, then perhaps idealism is a definite plus. I just think that it might not be good advice to tell a guy, "go for it, you can do it! just work hard and never let your dream go buddy!!!!" especially without knowing fully what his creds and abilites are. better to be practical in this case IMHO.

[Guest]

>better to be practical in this case IMHO. <

 

 

 

after the first years just goofing around asia, i got practical. i set myself two year goals. my idea was that if i did not reach them then i'll should seriously think about a career or location change.

 

things worked out fortunately. still here. no two year goals anymore