It's been 3 long months since my last update. I have made great discoveries but little progress in that time. I guess my personal life did side-swipe me for a large portion of that time but I always had my mind on my plans for going abroad. Let's start where I left off...
Good News. I finally sucked up all my fears, had 'Spanish month' talking with Dani, studied hours and hours for weeks and finally took that test that was keeping me from my dilpoma. After waiting 15 of the longest days of my life, I got the results. I finally had earned my Bachelor's degree!!!
Good News. I finally sucked up all my fears, had 'Spanish month' talking with Dani, studied hours and hours for weeks and finally took that test that was keeping me from my dilpoma. After waiting 15 of the longest days of my life, I got the results. I finally had earned my Bachelor's degree!!!
That was one load off my mind to say the least. Now I could put all my efforts into job searching in Asia and Spain.
I worked with my advisor from Oxford (where I got my TEFL certificate) on creating my CV, the Euro/Asian version of a resume. He also helped me create some very snazzy cover letters to add to my applications. However, the job search Oxford couldn't really help me with so I did most on my own. I found amazing websites for TEFL/ ESL teachers listing thousands and thousands of jobs all over the world. I must have sent out 25 applications to schools in Asia in the first day. By the end of the week, I had over 100 emails replies from schools wanting me to set up an interview.
Any person would have been as thrilled as I was. I thought I would have a job in a matter of days. However, as I started reading thru all the emails, almost every single one wanted me for at least a year. I really wanted to live in Asia for the summer but not an entire year. So it has been almost 2 months since I started summer job searching in Asia and have found little to no success. The summer jobs I did find were only available to English speakers that were already living in Asia. The schools don't provide any accomadations or airfare for just a summer post.
I expaned my search to other continents for summer work and found similar problems especially the pesky EU restrictions. I did take a few interviews with some promising schools and had a few job offers but nothing that really felt right or made sense for me. I was really excited about this summer Englsih camp in Florence, Italy. But after my interview, they told me the only position they had left was for the program for June only and they dont pay airfare. So after June I would be jobless and be too early for jobs in Spain. So unfortunately I had to turn the job down.
I also ran into a lot of scary job offers and scams. A tip: when it comes to working abroad, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Example, I was offered a job in Nigeria by a Swedish family whose father was recently transfered there for work and needed to learn English. They offered me my own apartment and over $7000 a month. How could I turn that down, right? Well I replied asking some personal details. He gave me his work info and even sent a family photo. But I researched the father's company and found it didn't exist. And in my research found out that white slavery is one of the most lucrative businesses in Nigeria. It may sound funny but these things really do happen.
More Good News: with the nice chunk of change I received from my tax return, I can finally finish getting my dual citizenship and EU passport. After researching, I discovered that most schools dont really pay attention to the passport restrictions but are just happy you have one in general. So now I can start searching more schools in Europe once I get my passport underway once again.
Let's end this blog with some Spain updates. I find out April 15th where I get placed in Spain for the upcoming school year in August. I had to send in my police background check and medical clearance to the Embassy of Spain in Washington DC last week. I'm guessing that means I received one of the teaching positions for American within the Spanish government but I just don't know where they are sending me. I put in my CV that I had ready accomodations in Toledo so could work in the general area. Dani and his sister will most likely take jobs in Madrid and commute to work from Toledo, so hopefully I'll get Madrid.
Dani also found me an American institute in Madrid that is at the front of ESL teaching. I sent them my CV and they asked me to come in for a personal interview (in Madrid) as soon as possible. We are in negotiations now to see if I could do more from the States before I fly to Madrid. But I just started talking with them so hopefully next blog I'll be able to give more updates.
I worked with my advisor from Oxford (where I got my TEFL certificate) on creating my CV, the Euro/Asian version of a resume. He also helped me create some very snazzy cover letters to add to my applications. However, the job search Oxford couldn't really help me with so I did most on my own. I found amazing websites for TEFL/ ESL teachers listing thousands and thousands of jobs all over the world. I must have sent out 25 applications to schools in Asia in the first day. By the end of the week, I had over 100 emails replies from schools wanting me to set up an interview.
Any person would have been as thrilled as I was. I thought I would have a job in a matter of days. However, as I started reading thru all the emails, almost every single one wanted me for at least a year. I really wanted to live in Asia for the summer but not an entire year. So it has been almost 2 months since I started summer job searching in Asia and have found little to no success. The summer jobs I did find were only available to English speakers that were already living in Asia. The schools don't provide any accomadations or airfare for just a summer post.
I expaned my search to other continents for summer work and found similar problems especially the pesky EU restrictions. I did take a few interviews with some promising schools and had a few job offers but nothing that really felt right or made sense for me. I was really excited about this summer Englsih camp in Florence, Italy. But after my interview, they told me the only position they had left was for the program for June only and they dont pay airfare. So after June I would be jobless and be too early for jobs in Spain. So unfortunately I had to turn the job down.
I also ran into a lot of scary job offers and scams. A tip: when it comes to working abroad, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Example, I was offered a job in Nigeria by a Swedish family whose father was recently transfered there for work and needed to learn English. They offered me my own apartment and over $7000 a month. How could I turn that down, right? Well I replied asking some personal details. He gave me his work info and even sent a family photo. But I researched the father's company and found it didn't exist. And in my research found out that white slavery is one of the most lucrative businesses in Nigeria. It may sound funny but these things really do happen.
More Good News: with the nice chunk of change I received from my tax return, I can finally finish getting my dual citizenship and EU passport. After researching, I discovered that most schools dont really pay attention to the passport restrictions but are just happy you have one in general. So now I can start searching more schools in Europe once I get my passport underway once again.
Let's end this blog with some Spain updates. I find out April 15th where I get placed in Spain for the upcoming school year in August. I had to send in my police background check and medical clearance to the Embassy of Spain in Washington DC last week. I'm guessing that means I received one of the teaching positions for American within the Spanish government but I just don't know where they are sending me. I put in my CV that I had ready accomodations in Toledo so could work in the general area. Dani and his sister will most likely take jobs in Madrid and commute to work from Toledo, so hopefully I'll get Madrid.
Dani also found me an American institute in Madrid that is at the front of ESL teaching. I sent them my CV and they asked me to come in for a personal interview (in Madrid) as soon as possible. We are in negotiations now to see if I could do more from the States before I fly to Madrid. But I just started talking with them so hopefully next blog I'll be able to give more updates.
If you've lost focus, just sit down and be still. Take the idea and rock it to and fro. Keep some of it and throw some away, and it will renew itself. You need do no more.
-Clarissa Pinkola Estes
