[thunder_god]

I'm in a bit of a tough situation right now. After a series of major life events this past year and a half, I ended up having to withdraw out of my professional graduate program. Now I'm stuck with around 40k in student loans, have a 2 year gap on my resume since my program required like 40hrs of class time a week plus 2-3x that amount outside of class to study/work on assignments, leaving me no time to get a part time job, been depressed for months now, stuck with a bachelor's degree that's kind of useless (kinesiology), have no income right now, need to move out of my apartment in 2 months, and haven't told my parents about it (they are going to freak out and probably disown me and cut me off), they live in the suburbs about 2hrs by public transportation. I live in Toronto which is a very expensive city to live in, people are very cliquey here, winters are frigging cold, and its not very commuter friendly either, and the job market is dried up right now.

I have considered several options to help get me out of my financial situation:

1. Continue to look for work related to my degree. I've found like 2 jobs so far that fits my skillset in the last month or so. There is hardly any jobs in my field of studies and I also didn't write the recent national exam that was introduced to regulate my field which cost around $1200 I think to write. I'm predicting that if I were to even get an entry level job in either a related or unrelated field I would be making between 30-40k a year. After deducting all living expenses I would be only able to pay off like 5-10k of my student loans at most if I were to live frugally and in a shithole house sharing with several other students. I lived with a pig this past year as my room mate and I would definitely not recommend living with room mates unless you screened the $hit out of them but I would probably have to resort to this option in order to save money. It would realistically take me several months if not years before I would be able to get a job related to my degree.

2. Continue looking for casual part-time jobs while doing a combination of 1 and 3. I would probably need to work 2-3 part-time jobs earning minimum wage or close to that. Currently doing this. Won't be able to save any money doing this though so definitely not a long term solution.

3. Look for a job teaching English abroad in China or something. I've had 2 recruiters tell me so far "no schools want you because of your asian face". One of those recruiters offered me some teaching job in a public school or college in some hick city out in the middle of nowhere for like $1800 pretax a month + free apartment, flight reimbursement, etc. He was really pushy about it and sounded desperate so I'm sure its at a school and place no one wants to teach in. I've had a few training centers contact me offering to do an interview with me but I have heard nothing but bad things about these centers. They scam their teachers by bringing them to work over in China illegally, not paying their teachers for overtime, withholding release letters, not paying them their salary on time, etc. I've been doing a lot of research from Dave's ESL Cafe and pretty much everyone recommended I try to look for a job at a university or public school or international school. The university's pay like $1000 a month with free apartments, and similar benefits + between 2-4 months of vacation (huge bonus for travelling) and you only teach for 16-20 hrs a week giving me more free time to pursue other things. Public schools I hear pay a bit better and offer similar benefits as universities. Almost all of the teachers teaching at these establishments do private tutoring and that's where the money is. Some of them are making 5-6k a month + their teacher salary doing this. Only problem is its illegal and I may get into trouble with the local law enforcement and takes a bit of time to get a solid clientèle up and running.

In addition, some members here have recommended I try to intern at other companies when I'm not teaching which could help me get some work experience as well as network with other companies, and it would make things a lot easier in terms of looking for work when I come back home.

I'm kind of really late to the ballgame right now in terms of applying since schools start in September so I don't know what the likely hood of me being able to get a teaching job in a university or public school in a decent city in China. Training centre's aka language mills pay a bit better but most of them don't offer housing so that would be a big expense that I would need to pay out of pocket. Also I don't have a TEFL certificate and don't have much money saved up to pay for my flight to China, although I could always ask my parents to give me a loan and pay them back after 1-2 months in China once I get my paycheque. I'm really leaning towards this option because I would be able to save up a large chunk of my paycheque probably at least 50% because my housing would be paid for and cost of living is much lower compared to Toronto which I can use to pay off my student loans quickly. I'm predicting that I would be able to pay off my student loans in about 2-3 years going this route. Also I feel like I need a break from home to clear my mind and all because of these recent events. It would give me a fresh start.


I also considered moving out west to the oil fields, but it seems the job market isn't looking too good right now especially with the lower oil prices. Also even if I were to get a job here, the government would take like half of my paycheque because I would be taxed at the highest income tax bracket which kind of defeats the purpose to busting my balls 12hrs a day working there with nothing to do for a year except just labour away. Not really sure if this would be the best option for me from a mental health point.

I've been applying for work everyday, and have visited the employment services center as well as my university's career center several times a week getting my CV critiqued for each job I apply to. Obviously if I can get a good job here in Toronto soon that would be ideal, however I don't think that's going to happen, so it appears my second best option would be to teach over in China.

What do you guys think?

[GlobalMan]

Man, tough spot.

I wouldn't personally do it, but for you I'd say look at teaching gigs in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Really good salaries, apartment paid for. Only expense is food. You'd be able to focus on saving money.

[thunder_god]

(08-01-2015 04:08 AM)GlobalMan Wrote:  

Man, tough spot.

I wouldn't personally do it, but for you I'd say look at teaching gigs in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Really good salaries, apartment paid for. Only expense is food. You'd be able to focus on saving money.

Yah I definitely would like to go over to Dubai and teach there for a year as the salary is really good and I'd be able to pay off my student loans in a year and even have some change left over, even if It meant I had to suck it up in terms of having to deal with all that religious crap and not being able to date chicks and stuff. The only problem is they all require at least 2+ years of teaching experience plus at least a CELTA teaching certificate which costs $2500 and takes a whole month to complete. Some of the higher paying ones also require a teaching license from either the US, Canada, or UK. I was planning on applying to work in dubai after acquiring 2 years of work experience in China and obtaining my CELTA. I think at the moment its not possible to get hired there.

[GlobalMan]

Have you looked closer at Saudi Arabia? Standard of living is around the same, just not as glitzy. Salaries are similar and there are a wider variety of schools as the ESL industry has been established there longer. You may find some positions with lesser requirements.

In either location you'll have to deal with the religious nonsense (to a lesser degree in Dubai tbf), but you'll have a nice place to live and there will be a community of westerners in both, which is good for bangs. Just don't screw a chic in a car and end up beheaded.

[thunder_god]

(08-01-2015 04:25 AM)GlobalMan Wrote:  

Have you looked closer at Saudi Arabia? Standard of living is around the same, just not as glitzy. Salaries are similar and there are a wider variety of schools as the ESL industry has been established there longer. You may find some positions with lesser requirements.

In either location you'll have to deal with the religious nonsense (to a lesser degree in Dubai tbf), but you'll have a nice place to live and there will be a community of westerners in both, which is good for bangs. Just don't screw a chic in a car and end up beheaded.

Yah I also checked it out. They want at least 2+ years teaching esl experience which I lack, which is why I plan on applying to work there after working in China for 2 years assuming I go the teaching abroad route. They also prefer MA in TESOL / Applied Linguistics.

I actually uploaded my resume on a job recruitment site, selecting Dubai and Saudi Arabia, along with countries in Europe as preferences in addition to China, but have only had recruiters from China contact me, so I doubt I meet the minimal eligibility requirements for the middle east.

[GlobalMan]

Yeah those two are the more stringent of countries for teaching. The third best option financially in my opinion is South Korea, which is a great place, and as far as I know they just want a bachelors. I've known plenty of people that have saved some nice cash, up to 20k a year, while still having a good time.

[Thaitanium]

(08-01-2015 04:29 AM)thunder_god Wrote:  

(08-01-2015 04:25 AM)GlobalMan Wrote:  

Have you looked closer at Saudi Arabia? Standard of living is around the same, just not as glitzy. Salaries are similar and there are a wider variety of schools as the ESL industry has been established there longer. You may find some positions with lesser requirements.

In either location you'll have to deal with the religious nonsense (to a lesser degree in Dubai tbf), but you'll have a nice place to live and there will be a community of westerners in both, which is good for bangs. Just don't screw a chic in a car and end up beheaded.

Yah I also checked it out. They want at least 2+ years teaching esl experience which I lack, which is why I plan on applying to work there after working in China for 2 years assuming I go the teaching abroad route. They also prefer MA in TESOL / Applied Linguistics.

I actually uploaded my resume on a job recruitment site, selecting Dubai and Saudi Arabia, along with countries in Europe as preferences in addition to China, but have only had recruiters from China contact me, so I doubt I meet the minimal eligibility requirements for the middle east.

Every ESL or teaching job officially require 2+ years of teaching experience. But not every school or language center will find the preferred candidate and will settle for people who have no or less experience. People go abroad to teach straight after they get a degree, so without any teaching experience.

Have you thought about Korea (people able to save 10.000 a year just by being a native speaker) or Taiwan?

Best option to earn money will be Saudi Arabia (Dubai living expenses are higher and there is more fun to be had) and there are plenty of schools that will hire you even without the experience. You just need to have a TEFL or CELTA or equivalent.

Don't let your lack of experience hold you back. Start applying yourself to those positions you see on Dave ESL and other sites. The requirements they post are their ideal candidates but they are never able to find their ideal candidates for all their positions.

Ideally try to get a job in Damman, that's close to Bahrein for some weekend fun and a more liberal attitude (alcohol )

Have a look at this article: http://www.bankerinthesun.com/2015/01/te...di-arabia/

Some good info there and on the rest of the blog.

Basicly the point is: don't let any lack of experience hold you back. I know people in Korea with just a basic bachelor degree and a tefl making good money, you can always get into China somewhere even with an Asian look, and the middle east is where the real money is.

You should be able to start somewhere with a native speaker passport.

Good luck.

[Thaitanium]

(08-01-2015 04:34 AM)GlobalMan Wrote:  

Yeah those two are the more stringent of countries for teaching. The third best option financially in my opinion is South Korea, which is a great place, and as far as I know they just want a bachelors. I've known plenty of people that have saved some nice cash, up to 20k a year, while still having a good time.

Agreed

[Phoenix]

1. If you've already got $40K debt, what's another 2.5K
2. Resumes are the weakest form of application. For this kind of job, especially if they're going to show an Asian name and an Asian face. The rest of the world has no problem with judging a book by its cover. So you must present the best cover: your voice.
3. Get the numbers of people in English schools with hiring power, be it in Arab countries, or Asian countries, wherever you want to work. You'd most likely prefer Asia, such as Korea; in Saudi you can't even drink or chase girls. Actually if I was in your situation, living in Toronto, I'd be landing in Seoul as fast as physically possible.
4. Get those numbers by whatever trick in the book you need to utilize. Hustle.
5. Read up on Sales techniques. Kaplan's 'Secrets of a master closer' is a good general sales manual.
6. Pick up the phone and call those numbers, until you have job offers (ideally at least 3).
8. "Our requirements" is just a filter - if they get no other applicants, or no other applicants are more qualified, and they have students who are going to have to be turned away if they don't hire you, they'll hire you.
9. Pick the best offer and have it made as firm as possible. After you have an offer, do your due diligence in case the company is run by a scumbag who has no problem fucking people over.
10. Get on a plane.

[Chivas989]

Get a job in Sales, Marketing or IT. Anything. Start from the bottom if you have too. I'm guessing you're in your early to mid 20's. You can find a easily find a job in Sales in the GTA area. Do you speak another language besides English? I'm guessing Mandarin or Cantonese. Correct me if I'm wrong. You can find a job in a bank selling Mutual Funds to the Chinese Clientele. Just a suggestion. My point is focus on your strengths. And speaking a 2nd or 3rd language is a great skill to have. Once you get a job, cut all unnecessary expenses and live on the low until you pay off all your debts. And attack your debts! All of them. No excuses. You don't want any debt burden. I'm 37 now and in debt because I had my head in my ass during my 20s. Don't do the same mistake. Your number goal right now should be to get out of debt. At the same time, focus on your health. Go run, do push-ups squats pulls ups etc...do some sort of body weight exercise and cardio everyday. This will help with the depression. Are you a Buddhist? Do you have a spiritual side? If so, focus on something spiritual every day. Whether you read a test, church, mosque meditation etc. Anything. Do something to feed your soul. (Don't underestimate the power of meditation) And as for your parents, man up. Just go there with a plan and tell them about it. Explain everything. If they freak out, they freak out. Don't focus on things you cant control. Focus on you only.

I hope this helps. Keep us posted please.

[thunder_god]

(08-01-2015 06:56 AM)Thaitanium Wrote:  

(08-01-2015 04:29 AM)thunder_god Wrote:  

(08-01-2015 04:25 AM)GlobalMan Wrote:  

Have you looked closer at Saudi Arabia? Standard of living is around the same, just not as glitzy. Salaries are similar and there are a wider variety of schools as the ESL industry has been established there longer. You may find some positions with lesser requirements.

In either location you'll have to deal with the religious nonsense (to a lesser degree in Dubai tbf), but you'll have a nice place to live and there will be a community of westerners in both, which is good for bangs. Just don't screw a chic in a car and end up beheaded.

Yah I also checked it out. They want at least 2+ years teaching esl experience which I lack, which is why I plan on applying to work there after working in China for 2 years assuming I go the teaching abroad route. They also prefer MA in TESOL / Applied Linguistics.

I actually uploaded my resume on a job recruitment site, selecting Dubai and Saudi Arabia, along with countries in Europe as preferences in addition to China, but have only had recruiters from China contact me, so I doubt I meet the minimal eligibility requirements for the middle east.

Every ESL or teaching job officially require 2+ years of teaching experience. But not every school or language center will find the preferred candidate and will settle for people who have no or less experience. People go abroad to teach straight after they get a degree, so without any teaching experience.

Have you thought about Korea (people able to save 10.000 a year just by being a native speaker) or Taiwan?

Best option to earn money will be Saudi Arabia (Dubai living expenses are higher and there is more fun to be had) and there are plenty of schools that will hire you even without the experience. You just need to have a TEFL or CELTA or equivalent.

Don't let your lack of experience hold you back. Start applying yourself to those positions you see on Dave ESL and other sites. The requirements they post are their ideal candidates but they are never able to find their ideal candidates for all their positions.

Ideally try to get a job in Damman, that's close to Bahrein for some weekend fun and a more liberal attitude (alcohol )

Have a look at this article: http://www.bankerinthesun.com/2015/01/te...di-arabia/

Some good info there and on the rest of the blog.

Basicly the point is: don't let any lack of experience hold you back. I know people in Korea with just a basic bachelor degree and a tefl making good money, you can always get into China somewhere even with an Asian look, and the middle east is where the real money is.

You should be able to start somewhere with a native speaker passport.

Good luck.

I was looking at that article you linked as well as another on the site. There are some really f&8^ up laws there. Getting thrown in jail for walking beside a girl? wtf? Getting arrested for approaching girls? I'd be more worried about getting thrown in jail or sentenced to death for some stupid absurd law if I arrived there. I'm really considering applying to Busan in South Korea or Taipei in Taiwan now as well. I've head one recruiter from China ask me if I was interested in teaching in some city near the border of Mongolia for like $1500 a month lol.

[thunder_god]

(08-01-2015 07:36 AM)Phoenix Wrote:  

1. If you've already got $40K debt, what's another 2.5K
2. Resumes are the weakest form of application. For this kind of job, especially if they're going to show an Asian name and an Asian face. The rest of the world has no problem with judging a book by its cover. So you must present the best cover: your voice.
3. Get the numbers of people in English schools with hiring power, be it in Arab countries, or Asian countries, wherever you want to work. You'd most likely prefer Asia, such as Korea; in Saudi you can't even drink or chase girls. Actually if I was in your situation, living in Toronto, I'd be landing in Seoul as fast as physically possible.
4. Get those numbers by whatever trick in the book you need to utilize. Hustle.
5. Read up on Sales techniques. Kaplan's 'Secrets of a master closer' is a good general sales manual.
6. Pick up the phone and call those numbers, until you have job offers (ideally at least 3).
8. "Our requirements" is just a filter - if they get no other applicants, or no other applicants are more qualified, and they have students who are going to have to be turned away if they don't hire you, they'll hire you.
9. Pick the best offer and have it made as firm as possible. After you have an offer, do your due diligence in case the company is run by a scumbag who has no problem fucking people over.
10. Get on a plane.

Unfortunately I don't got the funds to do the TEFL CELTA right now. It will also be difficult to do it if I was working as the CELTA course requires you to be in class like 8 hrs a day + some weekends for an entire month. I would most likely have to quit whatever part-time job I had obtained to fund my CELTA to complete it. I think I will just start applying despite what the requirements say. I mean what do I got to lose right?

[thunder_god]

(08-01-2015 08:23 AM)Chivas989 Wrote:  

Get a job in Sales, Marketing or IT. Anything. Start from the bottom if you have too. I'm guessing you're in your early to mid 20's. You can find a easily find a job in Sales in the GTA area. Do you speak another language besides English? I'm guessing Mandarin or Cantonese. Correct me if I'm wrong. You can find a job in a bank selling Mutual Funds to the Chinese Clientele. Just a suggestion. My point is focus on your strengths. And speaking a 2nd or 3rd language is a great skill to have. Once you get a job, cut all unnecessary expenses and live on the low until you pay off all your debts. And attack your debts! All of them. No excuses. You don't want any debt burden. I'm 37 now and in debt because I had my head in my ass during my 20s. Don't do the same mistake. Your number goal right now should be to get out of debt. At the same time, focus on your health. Go run, do push-ups squats pulls ups etc...do some sort of body weight exercise and cardio everyday. This will help with the depression. Are you a Buddhist? Do you have a spiritual side? If so, focus on something spiritual every day. Whether you read a test, church, mosque meditation etc. Anything. Do something to feed your soul. (Don't underestimate the power of meditation) And as for your parents, man up. Just go there with a plan and tell them about it. Explain everything. If they freak out, they freak out. Don't focus on things you cant control. Focus on you only.

I hope this helps. Keep us posted please.

Actually I'm going to turn 30 in about a month. I speak Cantonese on a very basic level which i acquired from my parents. As for living on the low side, I'm definitely going to be doing this. My goal is to try and live off 10-15k a year if I were to stay in Toronto, and around 4-5k if I was going to work in China and had my apartment paid for.

[GlobalMan]

Delete. He's banned anyway.