Your passport to the world teaching english abroad

Teaching English in a foreign country can be an incredible challenge... and it can also be one of the most fulfilling experiences you'll ever have. Living abroad, absorbing the culture of another people, and using your native English knowledge to enlighten your students are all wonderful aspects of this rewarding career. But before you take the plunge and sign up for a job overseas, there are a few things you should consider about yourself and your intended path. Keep in mind... not everyone is cut out for a job like this! Teaching English in another country is not just a job. It's also a lifestyle choice. Regardless of where you choose to teach (and sometimes, your choices may be limited by what areas are in need at a certain time), it can be a time-consuming and demanding project, and it will definitely test the limits of your sense of adventure. You will be immersed in a whole new culture and expected to follow it as a citizen. Contrary to popular belief, an English teacher in another country is a far cry from being a tourist. A job teaching English won't be like a vacation. Depending on what type of school you choose to teach at and what country you're planning on working in, your life will be very different from what you have experienced in the past. Even if you've visited your country of choice before, unless you actually lived as a native you won't have a clear feeling of what it will be like to teach English there. This isn't to say that teaching English is a grueling job that doesn't allow you to enjoy the native culture, however. You'll still have time to yourself to enjoy the sites, and you should certainly do so in order to gain a better understanding of your adopted life as well as your students. The key to enjoying this experience to its full potential is to keep an open mind. This should become your mantra during the entire duration of your job. Having an open mind will allow you to experience life in your new country first-hand. If you don't expect special treatment, don't allow yourself to get caught up in feeling out of place, and don't waste your time comparing your new life with your old one, chances are good you'll feel at home before you know it. You might love to travel, and that's fantastic. But love of travel isn't enough to make teaching English abroad the career for you. You must also possess a sense of independence and self-sufficiency that will allow you to adapt easily to the unexpected. Because your life isn't going to be just about teaching English and returning to a hotel room to await your flight home. Chances are good you'll be living in an apartment or rented home in your new country for at least a year, and you'll be doing everything from grocery shopping to taking public transit. You will become, for all intents and purposes, a working citizen of a place that could be vastly different from what you're used to. Still sound like fun? Congratulations! You're one of a special group of people for whom teaching English abroad may just be the perfect career.

Jobs and over aged applicants

Though some employers would prefer a younger workforce, the older applicants still have a wide variety of career choices to choose from. Employers are starting to see the potential of older and much-experienced applicants as can be seen by the statistics below: q In Australia, Bureau of Statistics showed that between the period of August of 1989 to that of August of 2003, the workforce aged 15-24 lost more than 380,000 jobs to older workers. Aside from the fact that most of Australia's younger generation became full-time students, employers favored the older applicants. q In Netherlands on the other hand (by December of 2000), over 500,000 thousand of their employees are 55 years old and above. This figure had been increasing steadily since 1995. To have a head start from the younger applicants, one has to take into consideration the following: 1. In writing one's resume, put more weight in highlighting the accomplishments without necessarily bragging about it. One could have these lists of accomplishments and previous posts held work for one's advantage over younger applicants who may not even have any experience on the same field. An individual's employment history receives as much scrutiny as the applicant itself. While employers tend to look for gaps or lapses of time when the applicant has been unemployed, they also tend to focus on the length of service one had rendered for their previous employers. Frequent change of work (usually within very short time frames) can be alarming for prospective employers. 2. Read and enroll in programs that will refresh your knowledge on certain fields especially if engaged in professional sectors. This will keep you individual abreast of the latest trend in such fields. 3. Search the Internet for vacancies. A lot of agencies place ads on the net that advertises help for senior citizens in looking for jobs. Various search engines made easier and specific (can choose the following categories: career, location and field of interest) are also available. Jobs that do not usually look into the age of the applicant are the following: 1. Professional work that are into specialization. For applicants in the medical field (i. e. Doctors) experience is the basic determinant of being hired. 2. Lectures or speaking engagements. Speakers that are invited to discuss certain topics do not really have an age requirement. Rather, qualification focuses more on first hand knowledge and experience. 3. Writers. Writing novels, plays or children's books are one of those professions whose only requirement is good writing skills. Also, one can do the job at the comfort of their own homes, a plus factor for those in their advanced years.

Is stalin stuck in your head

Are you a duo citizen, residing in the Stalinist Soviet Union during the day, the United States evenings and weekends? Your days are filled with intrigues and the threat of intrigues. Paranoia and purges are the order of the day. You hope your name isn’t on the List. Others disappear, increasing your fear, but at least it wasn’t you this time. To paraphrase an astute commentary of the Third Reich’s rise and maintenance of power, when they came for them I did nothing. I continued in my indifference as they came for more and more thems. Finally I became a them. When they came for me, those left were as silent as I had been. But this has nothing to do with you. You would have stood up to Nazi Germany. Hell, everyone who wasn’t there would have, just ask them. But that 2 bit Stalin you have to answer to each workday is another matter. He’s really frightening. Besides, you have no time for ideals. You have a family to support. Just as profit makes cowards of business, the checks they provide do the same to the workforce. You hope time passes quickly while the sun is up, so you can return to the freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution. It’s Uncle Sam versus Uncle Joe. We won the Cold War, but this one isn’t going well. It’s been said that the hours between 9am and 5pm are anything but democratic in the United States. But at least 5 pm does come and you’re right back in the good old USA. But are you really? Does the trauma of the day leave as the sun sets? You can try to drink Stalin out of your head, or adopt some of his tactics, yell at the kids, let off a little steam. But Joe is persistent. He has settled in permanently. His dacha inhibits a good part of your mind now. Those freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution only apply to government power. Employers can legally make your life a living hell, as long as they do it within certain boundaries. All the pride you hear expressed by others in the freedoms and greatness of America, mean little when you’re only here in body, your mind and spirit residing thousands of miles away, deep in Eurasia, 50+ years in the past. Others prod you on. If it’s that terrible, get another job. You know they’re right. So you plot your move to another company or self-employment, determined to become a full citizen of America. But the legacy of the day intervenes. Depression, self doubt, questioning whether human nature is horrible and there’s no escape anyway, immobilizes you. All your energy is expended surviving the day and analyzing it during the night. Besides, you’re getting older. Employers say they don’t discriminate based on age. Everyone knows that’s untrue. But it’s impolite to call people liars, even as they’re lying. Maybe you should adopt an attitude of optimism. After all, didn’t Stalin eventually relent? Well yes. He died. The effect of the workplace is so great on an individual, so determinant of who he or she becomes, it’s surprising one’s occupation and employer aren’t listed on their tombstone. They only inform us of your loving relationships to relatives. But whether you’re a loving husband or wife, father or mother to this or that child, is often the result of the treatment you receive as you labor to support them. Your feelings for them may be the same regardless of where you work, but you have to feel a joy for life to express love properly. Perhaps we should acknowledge that fact at the end. Make our headstones accurate. I’d like to see, “Here lies John Bartlett, loving employer to the staff of the Johnson Corporation”, below his familial ties. And of course other markers will inform cemetery visitors, “Here lies Joseph Stalin. He got the job done. Now he has some explaining to do.”

Facing the fear of losing your job

Nowadays, all most everybody worries about what will happen in the future in regards to their job. The prospect of not knowing if you will be downsized can be very stressful. As a result, here is a list of techniques and suggestions on how to manage the fear of losing your job. The first step is to get into the habit of always updating your skills just in case something would happen. Learning how to use a computer or learning how to use the latest software are ways to keep abreast in today’s market. Continuous education in your field of work will also help you. If for some reason you do lose your job, having the proper skills will reduce the fear of being unemployed. Stay active in your current jobmunication with your employer and coworkers is very important. If you communicate with your boss and coworkers, you should have a general idea on how safe your job is. Knowing where you stand in your company can help predict whether your job is safe. Always keep the lines of communication open in your work environment. Sometimes we tend to exaggerate when we start to worry. Instead of worrying about what could happen, try to focus on the facts of a certain situation. Don’t assume anything and do not focus on your negative thoughts. In addition, try to read something uplifting that will make you feel better. Take it day by day. Do not worry about what may happen next week or next month. Things change all the time and it is all most impossible to predict what may or may not happen. Do the best you can today and hope for the best. If you have trouble managing your anxiety of being unemployed, then talking to a counselor can be of some help. Remember that people lose their jobs all the time and they are able to find other jobs. Just don’t let your fears and worries get the better of you.

Career development takes work

Do you currently have the career of your dreams? If so, congratulations on all your hard work, because I'm quite sure that your success and accomplishment didn't happen over night. If you do not have the career you have always dreamed of, do not worry, you can get there. Career development isn't easy, but it is definitely worth it. Career development can mean a lot of things. Here, for my purposes, I simply mean doing the things you have to do to get the career you really want. The first step in the process of career development is to figure out - really figure out - the career you want to have. This may be harder than it seems. You really need to know yourself, know what you're good at, and know what excites you. Not many people last long in a career that they hate. Career development begins with taking a close look at yourself. See a career counselor for even more help or to take tests that will help you to determine your personality and jobs that will fit it well. Once you have determined a career or two that seems like it will fit you and your dreams, continue with your career development by discovering what needs to happen for you to be qualified for the career you want. Career development does not happen in an instant or even in a year, it may take years of hard work to get to where you want to be. It is important to be realistic about your goals and about the process. Does more education need to take place for your career development? Or perhaps you just need some special training courses in your field but you do not need another degree? Find these things out and then begin pursuing it. Career development is important because I am convinced that it is important that people spend their lives on things they care about and feel like they can do well at. There is nothing worse than spending years of your life in an unsatisfying career. Fortunately, you do not have to let that be the story of your life. Take proactive steps that put you in control of your career development. I guess what I'm simply trying to say is this: life is hard. Work is hard. Work is much easier and life is much better when it is doing a career that you love. Believe that it is possible for you to have a career that you love and then commit to whatever career development is necessary for you. It will be worth it for years to come.