Career Guidance

Sometimes we just have so much to think about, and we feel as if we don't have enough time to do it!

We recently received some career guidance at school, and although I'm not sure how much guidance it truly offered, it definitely got me thinking. What can I actually do with this TEFL certificate? I keep hearing different stories and opinions, and I'm crossing my fingers and telling myself that this class wasn't a waste of money (even though, on the bright side, I got to be in Barcelona again.)

I hear some people say a TEFL certificate is completely worthless in the States, which I'm kind of fine with because I want to be out of the States for a while. I have another person telling me they took this same class in the past, and it did not help them in the least. He has since started his own language academy in Barcelona and is apparently very well off. Hmm...I have other people telling me lots of places all over the world will hire someone with a TEFL certificate (or even without one.) I really don't know what to believe, but listening to this career guidance was still exciting.

Here's some of what I've learned (or at least been told): there are basically three tracks to take when teaching English. You could 1) teach at a language academy, 2) teach business classes (which is really teaching English within a company or business,) or 3) teach one-on-one or group private lessons. Of course, you would probably need to do some combination of two or three of these to be very well off. And, without a doubt, each option has its fair share of positives and negatives, as with any job.

As for locations, Barcelona is apparently a lush land of English-teaching jobs. Madrid is also a good choice, whereas more rural areas will have less openings. Makes sense. South Korea and Japan will pay for almost everything related to getting there and staying there, and the pay is phenomenal. China, Thailand, and Indonesia are also countries offering a nice salary; Southeast Asia in general would be a good bet. India would be more for "experience" rather than lots of money. Germany and Switzerland are out; very difficult to land an English-teaching job there (not sure why.) Turkey is a good choice if you are looking for money. Saudi Arabia is fairly generous in their salaries, but then again, you'd be living in Saudi Arabia and confined to a compound that guards your life. I didn't hear much about South America, but I'm assuming it's low pay (similar to what I will be receiving in Ecuador.)

Again, this is just what I heard in class. Still, it's enticing to think that I could travel to many different countries and teach. On Tuesday, I'll meet with my career advisor to go over my plans. And I'm making a laundry list of doubts, concerns, and questions for him! A pipedream for me would be ... do my year in Ecuador, go to South Korea (I have a friend there and I'm dying to go to Asia,) and I still feel a gravitational pull yanking me to Barcelona. Could be that it's the first city I've been to that's abroad, my first love if you will. I just feel extremely happy here. But, I think moving on right now is a good thing for me. You can't know what's best if you never try anything else. For now, let's go to Ecuador. Jeez, I hope they're ready for this crazy girl.

On a side note, I've been talking to my friends here about being abroad and how our families are taking it. Everyone except me seems to be getting bombarded with messages of "I miss you" and "come back home!" Me? I've heard from my mother once, my sister (who refused to hug me goodbye and then shut the door on me) barely seems interested in anything I do, and I hear from my dad occassionally. One friend has Skyped with me so far, which was amazing; just to get that face-time with someone back home that I care about. I'm not trying to whine that "nobody loves me or misses me"...and I know my family has never been the affectionate type. I also know my family and friends have their own lives that they need to be attentive too, and the world isn't revolving around me and my pursuits. It's just a little strange when all of your friends discuss how tight their families are, and you just kind of listen, go home, check your email, and find a bunch of spam. Nothing from family. Maybe that's why it's so easy for me to just pick up and leave.

I LOVE MY FAMILY. That's for sure; without a doubt. I'd do anything for them. It's just that right now, I'm on a different continent, and I guess we're all just fine with that. Someday, I want them to travel somewhere with me, to see what it is that gives me such life, that inspires me to sketch, that makes me want to leave all I know behind and take a risk and learn something new. Everyone's got a passion, and travelling is one of mine. It's not wrong, it's not right. It's not good, nor bad. It just is. And if we all could just be comfortable with what is, wouldn't it be so much easier to be happy?