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HK by March 2012

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ajdamiano

12/31/2011 17:17 EST

Afternoon all, Just a quick into. My name is Adam. Just came across this forum while doing some research in hopes of discovering my dream job in Hong Kong. I know, sounds lovely but I prefer to keep it light as i read through the mass of info...makes it easier to swallow.

After working in coorporate America for 5 years in managment at Autotrader.com, I quit, left the states to teach in South Korea and all at once, fell in love with travel. My wife and I came back to the states, got married, moved to Denver about 8 months ago and now....we're ready to take off again.

Just a bit about us. As metioned, Holding my BS in Business Mgmt, I worked at the Autotrader.com as a supervisor and trainer for 5 years which was preceded by several jobs in customer service, promotions and marketing. Currently I work as the logistics team lead at Target LLC in Denver. Having worked in leadership roles in customer service based environments. I have a keen sense for efficiency and concise directive when running a team.

My wife, a teacher for 5 years in the states with a Masters in educational leadership has also worked in sales for 2 years. She is highly organized and detail oriented.

We are both over the humdrum of daily live in the states and are actively seeking new opportunities anywhere in the world. While Southeast Asia is our focus, we are open and willing to go just about anywhere and are ready to ship out as soon as March 2012.

Any advice from those of you with similar situations or anyone with some real word experience would be great to hear. I just need to know where to focus my energies.

Thanks for the time all and Have a Happy and Safe New Year!!!

Adam

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season4greatness

1/19/2012 12:14 EST

I myself have an adventurous spirit, but I would strongly suggest that you and your wife become members of the International Schools Review forum. The information contained in these forums is invaluable to the international educator.

Spend A LOT of time reading reviews from teachers who have been to just about every country on the planet.

There are definitely some countries you will want to avoid due to civil unrest, etc. (see North Africa). Also, you should check for the entry and exit visa requirements.

My suggestion is that when you arrive in another country, DO NOT GIVE THE EMPLOYER YOUR ORIGINAL PASSPORT; GIVE THEM A COLOR COPY INSTEAD. The reason being that if you need to leave the country for vacation or for another reason, you won't be stuck, and sometimes work visas take a long time to process for foreigners.

Another red flag is if the employer changes the terms of the contract after you arrive in their country.

You may want to avoid countries that mandate that you must have your employer's written permission to leave (for any reason).

Be certain to get opinions from current and former teachers of the school you want to work at, avoid schools with high turnover rates (especially if it occurs mid-years) and tread carefully before accepting positions at for-profit schools.

By the way, I am interested in teaching in South Korea. Do you have any recommendations about schools or areas near Seoul? Which schools should I avoid? I have taken a few Korean language classes.

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