Having some issues deciding whether I should take this job. I need to make a decision fast - help me decide what to do (long, sorry)!
A quick breakdown of my current situation first: I've been working as an ESL teacher in Seoul, South Korea for the last three months. Prior to my current stint overseas, I spent four years working as an engineer. Surprisingly, I generally like my current surroundings. My last job was in a smallish suburban town which I could not stand, and since moving here I've realized that I'm very much a big-city person who belongs in a place like this.
As for my current job, I have mixed feelings. The advantages are that my boss and co-workers are really great (by far the best I've ever had at ANY job), I really love working with the kids, and the location is spectacular (I live in central Seoul and my "commute" is a 10-minute walk down the street). That being said, there are several aspects of the ESL industry I'm not crazy about: The days can be long, I'm probably not the best teacher, I don't make a lot of money (although the low cost-of-living partially makes up for it), and the job can be downright exhausting at times. I also don't have a lot of friends in this city, although I keep reminding myself that I've only been here for a few months.
The new position in question is in Washington, D.C. working for the federal government in the Foreign Service. The job pays way better (but the cost-of-living in D.C. is way higher), has those spectacular federal benefits, and provides a degree of career stability.
In an effort to look at things more objectively, I've compiled a list:
Reasons to stay put:
* My job is decent, and my boss and co-workers are AWESOME. Leaving right now would massively increase their workload and give them a lot of headaches.
* I agreed to an 18-month contract when I took the job. Breaking it is certainly possible, but again will cause the school and my co-workers a lot of problems if I can't find a replacement.
* I really REALLY love working with the kids, and feel like I'm just now getting into the groove of teaching. I'd hate to leave just when I'm starting to enjoy this job.
* I've moved three times in the past year in an effort to find work, and am honestly getting a little tired of being a nomad. I'm not ready to settle down yet, but being able to stay in one place for a year or two and make some friends would be kind of nice!
* The new job is in the northern Virginia suburbs (at least for the next 1-2 years), not an area I'm crazy about. I would have a rather long (like 30-40 minute) commute if I get a place in D.C., and I would no doubt have to buy a car.
* There's a reasonably good chance I could get hired in March 2011, although that's dependent on the 2011 hiring budget.
Reasons to leave:
* I was planning on leaving to take this job in mid-2011, so I might as well leave and take it now.
* Money + long-term career stability
* I MIGHT get hired sometime in 2011, but I think I have a BETTER chance of getting hired in September, due to the FY 2010 hiring budget running out in September.
* I would be closer to friends and family back in the U.S.
* I am currently single, unattached, and own very few possessions. In other words, I'm highly mobile.
So that's where things stand. I told the government HR rep last week that I wouldn't be available for a few months due to contractual obligations, but I think I could go back and explain that my situation has changed. However, if I'm going to do that, I need to tell her SOON (as in by this weekend) if I want a shot of getting hired in September. The catch is that, due to weird hiring rules, starting dates are non-negotiable. If I tell HR then get an offer for September, I HAVE to either take the offer or forget about this job altogether.
So help me decide MeFi, what should I do??
posted by photo guy to work & money (12 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
I taught in South Korea for three years and I agree that it's a great gig. Like you, I didn't feel that I was the best teacher and it took me a few months to find a great crew of friends. But once everything fell into place it was the time of my life.
I am also now a foreign service officer. And let me tell you, this job is WAY more rewarding. I get to work with incredibly intelligent people on fantastic issues. Kids are great, but tiring as hell. And the whole hagwon industry starts to grind you down after a while. There are few perfect schools, although it sounds as though you've found a good one (I don't want to be cynical, but just wait for the other shoe to drop - hagwon business practices can be a little....shady), but on the whole working as an ESL teacher in Korea is pretty static. After a while I felt as though I was spinning my wheels and knew that I had to leave because I wasn't making any headway in life. Living like a student worked well for a while, but once I was pushing 30 it felt almost creepy.
The foreign service is awesome. I say take that job and don't worry about leaving your school in the lurch. There's always another teacher looking for a job and it's not hard for them to fill those positions.
posted by fso at 7:29 AM on July 22, 2010 [2 favorites]