Tim Thompson - Archer English Consulting
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Clients
  • Workshops
  • Publications
  • Tim's Blog

Get Out While You Can

3/24/2014

0 Comments

 
If you want to work or live in another country, make sure you do it before you have too many things to give up where you are.  Starting over is much easier before you become "pot committed" and every new opportunity requires too much sacrifice on your part to make it a reality.  Family obligations, a job where you have autonomy, and extracurricular professional development opportunities through people you know or a strong local reputation make it nearly impossible to leave.  So, if you have dreams of working in another part of the world, get out while you can.


I had a friend who left Korea several years ago to work in the Middle East.  He had been in Korea over ten years, had a great job, and was starting to make a name for himself professionally.  I couldn't understand why he would want to leave.  Looking back, I can see now that he sensed he was approaching the point of no return.  If he had stayed and gotten married, he would have most likely become a lifer and he still wanted to try different parts of the world.  Luckily for him, he is now happy where he is, engaged, and has a lucrative job.  I'm not sure the term "golden handcuffs" applies to him but we did discuss how challenging it would be to move on to a job that paid half what he is making now (or less).


I met some friends at a conference recently who left Korea for Vietnam.  They had to start over when it came to part-time job opportunities but there was more room for growth at their main job.  This made it a fair trade and since they were both teachers, leaving together didn't mean that one of them would have to give up their career to make the move.  That's an important thing to consider when you are married to someone who is working.  Can they work where you will be moving to if they want to?  That might be a deal breaker.


Attending the TESOL Arabia conference in Dubai this year helped me to remind me that I have a very good job and life in Korea.  I have passed the point where I could pack up my things and accept a high-paying job in the Middle East.  It's great to know interesting, high-paying jobs are over there but it's also satisfying to know that pursuing one of them won't make my life better.  I would have to give up too much.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Tim's Thoughts

    Here are some short ideas that probably don't deserve to be published but I felt were worth sharing.  

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Freelancing
    Miscellaneous
    Networking Thursdays
    Presentation Skills
    Writing

    Archives

    June 2023
    November 2022
    September 2021
    March 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

Copyright Tim Thompson 2022