[i2i]

Anyone meet any "so what" looks when applying for jobs back at home? It seems like it would be a great thing to put on your resume. "culturally sensitive", "adaptable", etc...

does anyone play this card back at home or do you shy away from your overseas experience as a selling point?

[Happy Camper]

i hear what you are saying though i don't haven't gone home yet to test it out.

but i have to imagine it's definitely a selling point for the exact reasons that you mentioned. also, you will have more understanding of the global market and different cultures. as our world changes to a global economy, these traits will be highly sought after assets. thats my opinion at least.

[mesmark]

I think the important part of "I taught overseas" is what did you learn. Did you learn the language? Did you learn how they do business? Esentially what does your experience abroad have to offer my company?

If I was writing a resume or cover letter those would be the key points for me. If I was interviewing you, those would also be the key points.

If there is no relevance then I would just add it as an aside, work experience or not at all.

[Globe Runner]

Also it depends on what you did while you were abroad. Did you travel, teach, volunteer, work for yourself, work in a business setting. What types of experiences did you gain and like what Mesmark said, can you apply your experiences to the job or company you are applying for. All your experiences are a great asset, but I believe it comes down to the interview and how well you can "sell yourself."

[little sage]

Interesting topic.

I returned home for about one year between contracts and moved back to my very small home town. I had several job interviews all for work with kids. A couple of the interviewers I met were quite amazed by the simple fact that I had lived abroad for more than a year and survived, so I didn't even have to "sell" my ESL teaching experience any more than mentioning it. One person, on the other hand, had a nephew also teaching in Asia, so my similar experience became a kind of bonding point for conversation.

I found that most of the interviewers asked way more interesting questions of me- natural, real questions- and we got to know each other (however briefly) in a far less stressful way than the typical "Tell me your weak points" situation. I walked away from the interviews feeling like I had had honest, normal conversations.

As I've mentioned, all of the jobs I applied for were directly related to my work experience in Korea. But even if they hadn't been, talking about overseas work experience is a welcome ice-breaker in interview situations. No, I never experienced a "so, what?" attitude at all.

[mrcards]

I taught English in Taiwan for several years, and when I returned to Canada I thought about teaching in Canada. I do believe that people respect me for having this experience on my resume, but it doesn't help much when you go looking for a teaching job here in Canada. Even if you've had 6, 8, or 20 years of practical teaching experience, you won't be able to get that job unless you go to teachers college and get their lovely certificate. I know that they do this to keep a high level of quality for the teachers here, but I can't help but also think that this is just a cash grab. Well, needless to say, I never did go to teachers college, and it's a real shame because that was a true passion of mine.

[mesmark]

It probably is a law/rule for some reason and someone is grabbing cash from it. That's how it works, I guess.

In my experience, it's best to just jump through the hoops and get where you want to be. It may seem pointless or a nuisance but in the end, you're going to have to do it anyway.

But mrcards, if you've moved on then... I guess there's no need to jump through the hoops

[livinginkorea]

Hi all,

This is always an interesting topic. Many of us come here after uni and we don't know what to expect. Then when we are here for a while we start to wonder "What exactly can I do back home?" If we want to teach in any public school then many of us will have to go back to college again. If we want to work in a private academy then we have to take a drop in pay (is what I think, maybe not true).

For this reason I am seriously thinking about doing a Masters in TEFL by distance learning to make myself more marketable when I finally go back home. Most people only have a TEFL cert. so having a Masters would be a good advantage especially when the majority can speak English compared to a minority here.

My future is in English Teaching so hopefully this is a step in the right direction.

-livinginkorea

[mrcards]

I think that's a brilliant idea! Good luck to you. With your enthusiasm, I'm sure you'll do great!!

[katan-ko]

No one ever said that to me, they were more interested in employment verification. I think if you meet that attitude you can say ,"It was wonderful to experience diversity and multiculturalism on the job I am more tolerant of individual differences and special needs but at the same time I learned to respect people with unique backgrounds, they demonstrate leadership. I am looking for a management position which will benefit from my attitude and respect for people to enhance the goals of the company. You would be surprised how much a mouthful can really intimidate people, believe it or not, the world loves a snob.