I made a strategic and wise financial decision that also boosted my happiness more than I ever could have imagined. I wasn’t happy so I did something about it instead of sitting back and being passive. I had a problem and I found an extremely viable, smart solution. In addition, in the globalized economy of the 21st century, many employers highly value international work experience. It happened every single time and when it did, I knew I was about to blow everyone in the room away. Inevitably my teaching abroad experience came up in interviews within the first 10 minutes. When applying against 50+ other similarly qualified job applicants for a single opening, having something completely different at the top of my resume was a huge leg up. It was fascinating comparing my job interview experiences from before I taught abroad to the interviews I did after I got back. I am the interesting friend that broke away from the pack, took a chance, and as a result, reaped the benefits in more ways than I can count. I did all of this while still transferring $1000 to my American bank account every month and maintaining all of my financial responsibilities back in the U.S. I was going out and exploring all that South Korea had to offer while also visiting a lot of the neighboring countries over long weekends and holidays. I was living rent-free in a studio apartment a block away from my school. I was working 25-hour per week in a job I found truly rewarding and enjoyable. Living paycheck to paycheck was exciting and all, but saving $1000 per month in South Korea was a lot more fun. There are Great Benefits for English Teachers Overseas How many times in an office job does a person face scenarios like this?Ģ. You have no choice but to become a strong, independent, problem-solver and make your way through these mini obstacles. While teaching English abroad, you are faced with dilemmas like this on a daily basis.
The first few people you ask for help don’t speak English well and are in too much of a hurry to stop and try to figure things out.
Travel the world after college how to#
You have an address of where you need to go and a few instructions on how to find the bus to get you there. Your phone doesn’t work and the wifi network is down. You’re alone and none of the airport signs are in English. Picture yourself stepping off the plane in a foreign country with two 50lb suitcases. Think You're Going to Learn A lot in an Office Job? Just wait. They thought I was having some sort of post-graduation meltdown that I needed to escape from, but I knew I wasn’t. After a 60-minute conversation, I was 100-percent certain I was quitting my job, subletting my apartment, and moving to Seoul, South Korea to teach English.įast-forward four months and I was in the airport with my entire life packed away in two suitcases, boarding a plane to Seoul. I randomly wandered into the office to grab some more information and ended up sitting down with an Admissions Advisor. I never walked down that street to get home. This was normal.Īfter 6 months of this repetitive and extremely stressful existence, I found International TEFL Academy on my walk home from the subway after work. But again, society told me this was where I was supposed to be at my age. I was living paycheck to paycheck in Chicago and spending my entire income on rent and going out with friends. I was on salary and had minimal benefits but society told me that’s normal for a 21-year-old new worker. You’re supposed to go to college then immediately jump into a full-time career, and then you should start a family and buy a house, and then get a puppy shortly thereafter, right?Īfter an endless number of interviews and what felt like an endless list of rejection emails, I finally got hired in a position I didn’t even want. I initially went the ‘continue applying for more jobs’ route. We've been in your shoes & we're here to helpįrom people just like you who took the plunge We believe in meaningful TEFL & meaningful travelīy employers worldwide and at the highest level Job assistance for teaching English abroad & onlineĬontact info, resources & further assistance World index for TEFL jobs in Asia, Europe, Latin AmericaĪll ITA students & graduates receive lifetime Work from home or live as a digital nomad
Travel the world after college pdf#
Grab a PDF or a physical copy of ITA's textbooks seriesĬompare pricing side-by-side for all ITA TEFL coursesĮasily pay for your TEFL course in several installments $100 OFF your 11-week online course until August 15 100% online + hands-on teaching experienceīoost your TEFL career with these advanced courses