Quote:
Originally Posted by ColtCrazy
StLee, thanks for the info. At the moment, we are checking out the UAE. They seem to have good salaries, a nice incentive package (housing primarily), and a fairly good rep. Still looking into how my own kids will be educated, that seems to be the one fall back.
We haven't looked into the Far East yet. Would it be possible for both my wife and I to obtain jobs? How's the salary compare to the US? And do they offer incentives (housing and the like)? Thanks. Nice to know someone else is doing it.
sabotai - From what I've seen, the TEFL certificate isn't a deal breaker. Some countries require it, like most of the US. Others seem to just want native English speakers.
|
There are many jobs, both in public schools and private academies, that advertise specifically for couples. Married couples have no problems getting jobs either at the same school or very close to each other (maybe one person at an elementary school and the other at a middle school, or something similar). Every visa-issuing job MUST provide housing either through a free apartment or a monthly stipend. In your case, since you are not currently in Korea, you would be offered a free apartment. Family-sized apartments are usually nice if you work outside of Seoul. In Seoul, I have no idea, but since my brother-in-law lives in Seoul and he has a good job, I would guess it's tough to get a nice apartment there. In lots of cases, your apartment will be within walking distance from your school.
As far as salary comparisons, I guess it depends where you live in the U.S. I'm from Louisiana and taught at a community college there, where I was making about $30,000 per year on my nine-month contract.
I make about $2500/month in Korea, but I saved a lot more money because of free housing, low food costs, and low transportation costs. In the U.S., I was paying a mortgage and car loan costs, so I was saving right at $0 per month. Like I mentioned before, I have been banking on average $1000/month here. That includes costs for traveling. I would think you and your wife could easily bank that much per person, if not more, if you choose to.
Another thing to mention is that Korea is quite safe. I won't say nothing will happen to you because I can't predict that, but in my time here I have never felt in danger and most natives feel the same way. You can take a walk at midnight without the fear of being mugged or worse. That also depends where you are. There are some places in Seoul that you don't want to be in, but that's true of every major city.
I don't know much about the experience in the UAE. I would guess it's the most lucrative place to teach for ESL teachers. Korea has it's pros and cons and that's what you need to weigh regardless of where you go.