[InternationPlayboy]

No I don't want to stay in the hotel business, I want to do something to the extent of starting an online business. After I can get a decent bank roll I also want to start investing, possibly in real estate.

With my job, even though I only work 9 months, I still get to collect unemployment for the other 3 months, which isn't as much as I would normally get paid, but it helps. It will usually pay for a plane ticket and a month or two living in a third world country. Like is said, it's not perfect, but it's better than working all year for 2-4 weeks off. I also get pto in addition to the 3 months off. I think you get 1 day for every 80 hours worked, so it ends up being something like 2 or 3 additional weeks on top of the 3 months.

As far as the last paragraph, the kids in my hometown seem miserable. One of the kids is dating the highschool whore. A bunch of others have been on or are still on all sorts of drugs. A high percentage with kids are no longer with their baby mommas and probably only get to see their kids once or twice a week. I mean some of them seem happy, but I think it's kind of like saying you're happy living in a place like DC only because you haven't traveled anywhere else. When really if you lived in New York life would be ten times funner. Most of them don't have much of a frame of reference. I'd say at least 60-70% of these kids have never been anywhere outside of the states that border nevada, and if they have it wasn't for more than a week. I don't know though, it's all relative. I'm sure some of them are very genuinely happy, but it doesn't really seem to be the case for a lot of them. I personally couldn't be happy living like that.

[fucksong]

Just wanted to add that a good place to network in many countries is the local chamber of commerce or in many cases, American Chamber of commerce (some countries i know of will have a german chamber, australia chamber, etc) Great place to make connections with other expats. Even if you're not a member, they usually have networking events/parties and as some of you might already know, this is where real business deals get done or at least started over drinks.

I would also recommend for those of you who work for large companies, to start developing some sort of database of contacts that you have, especially the ones that you like and who like you (Pareto principle) as it is this database that will feed you in future and/or make you more attractive to a potential new employer

[NovaVirtu]

(11-15-2013 05:39 AM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  

I'm trying to figure out a way to make it work better. My goal is to start some type of business online or do something remotely where I can be time and location independent.

For the last 6 years or so I have been working in hotels, which works alright for traveling, as you can work anywhere in the hotel industry, and the places that pay the most are usually great places to live. In the hotel industry, it's common for people to move around a lot, so as long as you have a few places on your résumé that you worked for a few years, you're looking pretty good. One company I was with for 4 years and another 2 years, both were in pretty impressive areas for the industry and one being among the top 10% of hotels in the area. Both of the companies loved me, especially the higher profiled one, so I have great references. The money has been pretty good for not much qualification other than a good résumé and being able to speak a few languages. With my résumé and language skills I can pretty much get a job at any hotel I choose. I just got a new job and will be making right around $1000 a week and should I stay 6 months to a year I'll be making more like $1500 a week. Not bad pay for a man in his 20's. It affords me enough to travel for a bit of each year. This new job gives me 3 months off a year as the hotel is closed for those three months, which is great for traveling, but I also have to spend the rest of the year in a small town, which I like the small town, but it gets old after a while. If I could find this same job in a place like Miami, I'd probably never quit. I just need to find that middle ground. I wouldn't mind getting 3 months off a year to travel if the rest of the year I could live in a place I truly wanted to live in. But prefferably, i just want to be able to live and work where the hell I want to when I want to. Money is important, but if I'm making 50 or 60k a year for life, I'm totally fine with that so long as I get to see the world in the process and not just have 2-4 weeks a year off.

I think the way I'm doing it now is alright, but it could be better. This coming year I'm really going to push to better my situation. I've been held back these last 8 months or so because of funds and other things. Now I'm finally back to were I was before my last South American trip financially. It's going to help give me a little more motivation now that I have a little more cash flow coming in. I'm going to start reading up and try to figure out how I can make it work. I'm playing around with some ideas, now I just have to figure out how to implement them.

When I really think about it though, I feel pretty accomplished for seeing the few places I have seen and learning a couple of languages. I'm currently back home where I grew up for a couple weeks, and most of my friends lives seem so damn boring. Most of the kids I grew up with I don't talk to anymore, mostly because we can't really relate. I tried meeting up with my best friend growing up, and it just doesn't seem like it's going to happen. We kind of made plans but when I hit him up he says he has plans, then I think about it, and I don't even know how we'd relate anymore. He's still living with his dad and doesn't have a job. I'm pretty sure he just kicked a bad drug habit that's probably been consuming his life for who knows how long, and he's deciding to enlist in the army at the ripe age of 27. Half our other friends have kids and are working shitty construction jobs, doing the same routine day in and day out, all so they can take a hunting trip or go out on a boat once a month. I just can't do that shit. These kids hang out with the same people and fuck the same girls as in highschool. I think I would have shot myself by now had I stayed in the small town I grew up in. The only ones I still talk to are my friends that decided to move to Vegas proper (or at least Henderson). Only a handful of my friends growing up are actually living, and they're the only ones I've hung out with since I've been back. Not surprising, they also like to travel, are mostly single, and if not single, they still hang out every weekend and like to have fun. So after coming home, I feel like i may not be doing everything perfect, but I'm not doing bad either. I could be stuck trying to fuck the girls I went to highschool with that have 2 kids by now. I felt before I came that I was kind of at a turning point and I need to figure shit out, but coming back home made me feel like I'm doing pretty well. While I don't have it all figured out, I'm feeling confident that it will all fall into place soon if I work for it.

Wow dude...you hit the nail on the head with that paragraph. Every time I visit the little town I where I grew up in New England it's the same thing...nothing's changed. I left when I was 18 for school and aside from a few months of financial difficulty which forced me back into the parent's house, I've been gone ever since. It's difficult to relate to relate to old friends...you have these ambitions, dreams of travelling you share with them but they don't have any interest beyond what car accessory, gun or expensive toy they want to buy next. Which of the same ol' bars to go to next. Which dumb girl we watched from afar in high school is back on the market. I tell them about my plans to quit and travel and most of them can't wrap their heads around it. This topic alone deserves it's own thread.

Back on topic- OP- you've had an amazing travel experience, which I would think by default makes you the most interesting person in the room 9 times out of 10. That is an asset that cannot be measured in money.

I would focusing on saving and networking right now, pick up whatever work you can find in the meantime. Check out that supplemental income/hustles thread. Right now I'm selling stuff on cragislist and just signed up for a bartending course. When I get back from my own SA trip, this will be a good skill set to have, since they are always in demand.

While traveling in Italy I met a Canadian girl who worked in a hotel in Australia. There is a big demand there English-speaking workers in hospitality because all the young people go for the higher-paying mining jobs. Minimum wage is around $18 USD/hr down there. Told me she saved up a nice chunk of change (no rent since the resort provided housing) and used it to travel. Not a bad deal.

[wolfpack]

(08-13-2013 03:07 AM)shibby Wrote:  

Here's my little dilemma..

After graduating from university I worked for 3 years as a business and tax consultant for a large multinational advisory firm. After the 3rd year and passing all my professional exams I was promoted to senior and was earning around $60,000 p.a. (probably around $45,000 take home) at age 24. Where I'm from this was considered to be one of the more respected and promising career paths.

However I wanted to shoot myself every day for those 3 years and waking up each morning to head to the office just felt like a big f**king waste of life. About 3 days after my promotion I just decided my life wasn't supposed to go like this, so I just said 'fuck this shit' and resigned. I had about $50,000 in savings (from living at home and saving aggressively during my working years). This was my adventure fund. 1 month later, just after turning 25, I flew to Argentina which was the start of a 2 year journey across South America, Asia and Africa. I had many good times. If I had to spend all that money all over again, I wouldn't change a thing.

But now, money is an issue. I'm coming to the end of my little adventure fund and am a little lost in choosing a new career path. I have no problem in working again, and taking a paycut to enter a new career path. I just know that if I head back to my old career I will most likely fall into a depression and shoot some people. Had I not quit my job 2 years ago I'm sure I'd be earning over $100k p.a. now. But to me spending every day holed up in a shitty office kissing arse just so you can travel during your annual 4 weeks of holidays is a no way to live, no matter how much you're earning.

I'm 27 now, and realize I need to put my suit and tie back on. As much fun as it is living out of airports and seeing new parts of the world every day, you can't do it forever. You need money.

I guess what I'm asking for is just some input from other guys here who have followed similar paths. I am very much learning towards moving to a third world country and doing a short gig at an international firm to get my feet set, and then gradually phase into my own venture. Moving back to the first world seems difficult now, it's hard go back to paying $3 for a bottle of water, I'm too used to getting them for $0.30. Where am I thinking? Africa is where most opportunities lie, in my opinion. I've spent about 6 months in East Africa, where they are stuck in the 60's - there is not even a McDonald's in East Africa yet. In fact, many educated people I met don't even know what McDonald's is. However, interestingly enough, they have fantastic cellphone and internet service (better than many first world countries I've been to) and quite a high quality of living in certain wealthy, developed neighbourhoods. I think Africa is where the big money is to be made for the coming generation. Also, every day is an adventure when you're living in Africa.

Did you quit a well paying career at a young age to travel/change career?
Did you eventually go back to your old career?
Do you regret it?
What are you doing now?

And for the older guys here, if you could go back to age 27, what would you do differently?
What do you wish you could tell you 27 year old self?

I'm sure there are many guys here who have followed so called 'unconventional' lives/careers after giving up on the corporate world. Roosh seems to be a prime example. I'd be really grateful for anyone else who cares to share their story and help me spark some ideas.

Thanks

Well Mr shibby if you was in East Africa were ya at kenya or dijibouti? well although i am currently stationed here, the u.s contractors are in a HIGH demands for young gifted contractors. so... if you want to set some sort of foot hold, i think you can try to apply for contracting jobs at U.S bases (hell if you speak french, more chance of you getting hired here)

[LeightonBlackstock]

15 months ago (aged 21) I was offered a starting salary of $37,000 from the Engineering company I was doing summer placements at.

This was a good salary compared to a lot of my friends, but I absolutely refused to take it. Why?

Well, I originally chose Civil Engineering as a career path because I wanted to see the world and LIVE in the countries that I was travelling to (I personally absolutely hate just being on vacation somewhere, I don't find it as interactive.)

But, after a lot of research and reconnaissance, I found that most engineers in my field only really go abroad when they have achieved chartered status. This takes a minimum of four years to achieve, and that's only after you've done a fourth year at university.

In addition, the countries that I would've been be looking at would've likely been the U.A.E, Saudi Arabia or Qatar. It's incredibly unlikely that an inexperienced kid would get an engineering job in Thailand, Vietnam or Taiwan (i.e the places I wanted to go) without some extraordinarily good fortune.

Thus I would have burnt the best five years of my life sat in an office in Southern England, in the blind hope that it might all come good by the time I hit 27. The only respite I would have had would've been a two week holiday in Spain or something.

Furthermore, I just fucking hate doing a 'proper' job, I hate sitting in a glass and metal cage all day in front of AutoCad software with a bunch of grey, Brave-New-Worldian Deltas, who are dead behind the eyes.

My mind used to do crazy things in order to cope:

I used to break the nine-hour day into three three-hour segments. Then each twenty minutes that passed was a third of the way through a one-hour period, which - after two-thirds more of that period - was a third of the way through the three-hour period!

Hence, after another twenty minutes, I was just two-thirds away from being two-thirds of the way through the three-hour period!

Which then meant I was only one hour away from being three-thirds of the way through the three-hour period!

Which then meant I could begin the second three-hour period!

Which meant i could count down the twenty minute segments again, until I was one hour through that period! and after some more counting, I was two-thirds of the way through that period, which meant I only had an hour to go of that period, until I had completed the second period!

Then I could begin the third period! Which was easy!

After just three twenty-minute counts, I would be a third of the way through that period, which meant i had just six twenty-minute periods left to count for that day!

Yes I really used to do this. And yes, I literally did develop depression, as I thought this was where my life was going.

So I terminated my 4th year of university. Left with a Bachelors degree. Got a teaching position in South Korea. And 15 months on, I'm about to arrive in my third country, after an awesome 7 months in Taiwan.

After a spell in Bangkok, I plan to head to Vietnam, then Guangzhou (China), then Indonesia, and eventually to South America.

Teaching English gets too much hate in my opinion. You won't be making amazing money that's certainly true (well, sometimes it's not actually), but you earn WAY more than the locals and have complete freedom to change country whenever the fuck you want. And it's something that will get you a paycheck in a foreign country right. now. You don't have to worry about a start-up period. (Hell, you could even just do it until your online business is stable).

And tbh it's a piss easy job. I work from 3pm to 9pm. This is completely conducive to drinking/game. I was going out four times a week at one point, and it's even more fun than university because the girls are Asian

[JayJuanGee]

(11-15-2013 10:09 AM)NovaVirtu Wrote:  

........... It's difficult to relate to relate to old friends...you have these ambitions, dreams of travelling you share with them but they don't have any interest beyond what car accessory, gun or expensive toy they want to buy next. Which of the same ol' bars to go to next. Which dumb girl we watched from afar in high school is back on the market. I tell them about my plans to quit and travel and most of them can't wrap their heads around it.

Personally, I believe that when in high school, if we grew up in a similar place as our peers, then there were a lot of points of commonality between guys that would come through that common growing up experience. Additionally, many guys in their youth will be torn about what they want to do exactly, yet some of this would be based on direction and guidance from family member role models. The less that the role models fit with the teens ambitions (or exist), then the more likely the guy will devise and project his own plan.

In this regard, it seems that a lot of young guys will be allured by the idea of travel, and a major differentiator will be between those who act on their impulses and those who do NOT. Yet, travel may NOT be the right plan for everyone, especially for example if a guy were to have an inherited fortune or something like that, which would require him to stay Local.

In sum, I am disinclined to agree that travel is best for everyone and disinclined to agree that kids who end up staying local all of their lives are NOT inclined to travel. If the assumption is that some of these guys are similarly situated and do NOT have any real guaranteed benefit to staying locally, then some of these guys are going to make different choices based on willingness to take risk versus the easier plan to just stay in place and reap some of the benefits of staying in place – which may NOT be good in the long term, even though they may feel good in the short term.
Accordingly, in my view, some of those guys who end up NOT really having a reason to stay Local chose NOT to travel b/c they hesitate to pull the trigger and to plan some course of action that is more risky with potentially more reward in the direction of life experiences. Nonetheless, frequently, these guys will fantasize about travel but do NOT travel because they do NOT pull the trigger.

(11-15-2013 10:09 AM)NovaVirtu Wrote:  

Back on topic- OP- you've had an amazing travel experience, which I would think by default makes you the most interesting person in the room 9 times out of 10. That is an asset that cannot be measured in money.

I would focusing on saving and networking right now, pick up whatever work you can find in the meantime. Check out that supplemental income/hustles thread. Right now I'm selling stuff on cragislist and just signed up for a bartending course. When I get back from my own SA trip, this will be a good skill set to have, since they are always in demand.

While traveling in Italy I met a Canadian girl who worked in a hotel in Australia. There is a big demand there English-speaking workers in hospitality because all the young people go for the higher-paying mining jobs. Minimum wage is around $18 USD/hr down there. Told me she saved up a nice chunk of change (no rent since the resort provided housing) and used it to travel. Not a bad deal.

Even though over all i agree that travel makes a person more interesting, nonetheless, it seems that guys should attempt to establish goals that would NOT potentially trap him into having to take marginally interesting jobs. Surely those jobs are good temporarily and even good while a guy is in his early 20s; however, in my humble opinion, a guy also needs to consider engaging in activities that build his skill sets and/or financial assets for the long term to have some control over his destiny - including work life. So in that regard, if a guy continues to partake in jobs at the lowest end of the payscale just for the sake of taking anything, he may find himself in a position of NOT developing skills that are going to get him decent work when he gets older and less attractive to hire into those lower positions. And, frequently there will need to be some stability to be able to accomplish both the development of skill sets and financial security.

(11-15-2013 10:38 AM)LeightonBlackstock Wrote:  

Furthermore, I just fucking hate doing a 'proper' job, I hate sitting in a glass and metal cage all day in front of AutoCad software with a bunch of grey, Brave-New-Worldian Deltas, who are dead behind the eyes.

My mind used to do crazy things in order to cope:

I used to break the nine-hour day into three three-hour segments. Then each twenty minutes that passed was a third of the way through a one-hour period, which - after two-thirds more of that period - was a third of the way through the three-hour period!

Hence, after another twenty minutes, I was just two-thirds away from being two-thirds of the way through the three-hour period!

Which then meant I was only one hour away from being three-thirds of the way through the three-hour period!

Which then meant I could begin the second three-hour period!

Which meant i could count down the twenty minute segments again, until I was one hour through that period! and after some more counting, I was two-thirds of the way through that period, which meant I only had an hour to go of that period, until I had completed the second period!

Then I could begin the third period! Which was easy!

After just three twenty-minute counts, I would be a third of the way through that period, which meant i had just six twenty-minute periods left to count for that day!

Yes I really used to do this. And yes, I literally did develop depression, as I thought this was where my life was going.

So I terminated my 4th year of university. Left with a Bachelors degree.

HOLY COW - LeightonB –
You make the career choice of working in partitions sound so grueling, and really, it need NOT be as bad as you are making it out to be. Frequently, guys choose career paths and partitions based on having interest in the stimulating nature of those various careers and the line of work. It can take years and years to learn the skills and theory behind carrying out some jobs and there can even be a lot of reward in working in an area for several years, and then being given additional challenging tasks to lead other guys who are upcoming in the career and even NOT speaking of the many potential interesting aspects of getting caught up in office politics or getting involved in various ways in the community that may also be opportunities that come based on a guy having a stable job in a certain area and even having a title that gets that guy access to circles that are NOT achievable for an outsider. Therefore, in my way of thinking, I have never considered 9-5 work in partitions to be boring or monotonous because it is what a guy makes of it, and frequently, I have been thrilled by the various challenges that can come with even a quasi-stable partition existence. Accordingly, it should NOT be considered as a prison term to carry out one's job, unless the guy mentally makes it into a prison term. If a guy is interested in his job, the job and a lot of its ups and downs becomes a sort of obsession and the hours fly by without enough time in the day to accomplish everything.

To each, his own, but in my humble opinion, getting some university or technical school under one's belt is frequently gonna play out A LOT better in the long run, rather than if a guy had skipped it entirely. There may be on the job apprenticeships that accomplish similar type training, but in the end, we are generally going to be advantaged by getting some further formal training after high school.

[nomadicdude]

I quit a career making 200k a year to travel abroad long term. I figured I'd never go back to that career as I was incredibly miserable so it was an easy decision. After traveling two years or so I came back and realized with the crap economy I had no other options but to go back to that career.

I'm back but I started my own business doing the same stuff as before and it's 100 times better. I don't regret leaving earlier cause traveling was such a solid experience.

Overall just remember not to be a bitch to society. Your friends and family and society want you to just be a working lemming indoctrinated by this idiotic idea of working 40 hours a week for some dickhead just to get a monthly paycheck. You are a slave until and unless you control your own existence.

[Frost]

My story is very similar to yours, except I've been back at a desk now for a year now after a lot of traveling.

I know there were definitely times when I felt disappointed as hell that I was going back to the old grind. I've also had (and continue to have) moments of regret for 'wasting' a year that I could have spent making money and advancing my career. Some of the guys above talk about coming home to friends whose lives suck, and feeling no regret or envy whatsoever, but it's different when most of your friends are doing well in their careers, making a ton of money, and leading generally awesome lives.

Do I have regrets? Absolutely. I don't think I'll ever scrub the grime of India off my hands. I shouldn't have assumed that traveling with my sister for a month was going to be fun. We still haven't spoken since I've come back. Mostly, I regret the 'frivolous' legs of my travels (just backpacking, partying, sightseeing) and have no regrets at all for the weeks and months I spent accomplishing something (training muay thai, surfing, hiking 800km, meditation).

So my advice to people contemplating a similar trip is always, build a trip that lets you grow and build your life. But, all I can say is that's what worked for me. And you've got to try things to figure out what works for you.

As for OP, I was in your exact same position a year ago. When I first moved back to Canada, my birth country, I was worried that life here wouldn't be enough to impress me after a year on the road. But I think life is what you make of it wherever you are. Think of being back home as a new adventure, as corny as that sounds.

Sounds like you'll be able to walk into a job fairly easily, especially since your old network has spent two years advancing and will now hopefully have pull in hiring decisions. Be choosy and find a job that you don't hate. They're out there.

Build relationships in your city, make money, advance your career, get hobbies, get laid. Start planning the next step, but enjoy life in the moment until that day comes.

Good luck.

[DaveR]

(11-15-2013 01:29 PM)JayJuanGee Wrote:  

To each, his own, but in my humble opinion, getting some university or technical school under one's belt is frequently gonna play out A LOT better in the long run, rather than if a guy had skipped it entirely. There may be on the job apprenticeships that accomplish similar type training, but in the end, we are generally going to be advantaged by getting some further formal training after high school.

I usually recommend the opposite if the kid is planning to pay for the education with a loan. That's probably the most risky financial decision many people will make in their lives. At 17 years of age, not many people are prepared for it.

I always tell them to get some work experience first and if they happen to like it then do the degree part-time while working. In this economic climate, it's risky to just assume that it will work out in the end. The 'occupy Wall Street' protests were all about young people making reckless financial decisions which came back to bite them after they graduated.

[WestCoast]

^ 100% correct.

People believe that a degree or an institution is simply going to land them a job. Complete bullshit. You need to have significant work experience as well.

Most universities are not worth attending at all. If you're not getting into a high end institution with low to zero debt or a scholarship you're better off in the trades. Run numbers.

It sucks but every generation has it worse than the previous from a maturity/decision making standpoint. I would not want to be 18 today.

The kids who go to college to "party and bang chicks"


Life is now next to ruined.

[JayJuanGee]

(11-19-2013 09:52 AM)DaveR Wrote:  

(11-15-2013 01:29 PM)JayJuanGee Wrote:  

To each, his own, but in my humble opinion, getting some university or technical school under one's belt is frequently gonna play out A LOT better in the long run, rather than if a guy had skipped it entirely. There may be on the job apprenticeships that accomplish similar type training, but in the end, we are generally going to be advantaged by getting some further formal training after high school.

I usually recommend the opposite if the kid is planning to pay for the education with a loan. That's probably the most risky financial decision many people will make in their lives. At 17 years of age, not many people are prepared for it.

I always tell them to get some work experience first and if they happen to like it then do the degree part-time while working. In this economic climate, it's risky to just assume that it will work out in the end. The 'occupy Wall Street' protests were all about young people making reckless financial decisions which came back to bite them after they graduated.

Certainly based on life experiences and even projections about whether or NOT others have made good decisions, guys are going to come to differing conclusions about what kinds of circumstances may trigger going to school or NOT and what kind of school to chose. And, certainly, each of us is placed in a position to ACT on incomplete information – because frequently when guys who are younger, including myself, are reluctant to learn from the experience of others and act accordingly based on the incomplete information that had been their world, up to that date.

Definitely, I am NOT suggesting that there is any one-sized fits all approach concerning when a guy may be ready and able to profit from college. I come from a very working class back ground.. and even kind of anti-intellectual to some extent; however, college converted me to some degree in recognizing value in learning for the sake of learning – rather than the learning translating directly into a job or money. Certainly, I had different beliefs when I was 17, when I was contemplating my life – in which at that time, I recognized little to NO value in going to college, so accordingly, if I would have gone to college at that time, then I would NOT have been ready. In any event, my thinking continues to be that guys are going to come out in various ways on this question and have varying levels of receptivity and non-receptivity to advice, when they are in their younger years.

(11-19-2013 10:29 AM)WestCoast Wrote:  

Most universities are not worth attending at all. If you're not getting into a high end institution with low to zero debt or a scholarship you're better off in the trades. Run numbers.

WC:
If we are talking strictly direct, numbers then you may be correct, and there is some value to considering direct numbers. However, direct numbers is NOT what motivates each of us, and I am of the OPINION that we are all different and some guys are going to be more motivated by direct numbers than others and other guys are going to make decisions based on intangibles… There also may be regrets later, but ultimately every guy needs to chose for himself, and sometimes, they guy may be able to adjust courses later in life Other times,the fork in the road will have passed, and the guy will NOT be able to go back – because he is older and circumstances have changed and sometimes you only get the one chance to decide which way to go and to be ever changed because of it.

(11-19-2013 10:29 AM)WestCoast Wrote:  

It sucks but every generation has it worse than the previous from a maturity/decision making standpoint. I would not want to be 18 today.

I am NOT of the belief that every generation is worse of as compared with the previous, NOR am I of the belief o some kind of projection of constant improvement, that optimists frequently try to project to say that we are continuously progressing in our societal developments. I cannot remember the expression exactly, but I consider ideas and development and life cicumstances to be circular and repetitive and to have movements up and down. History is like new wine in an old flask or old wine in a new flask or that history may NOT repeat itself but it surely does rhyme.

Anyhow, I think that you and I are surely in similar conclusions with your ultimate conclusion that being 18 today brings some truly shitty future prospects based on recent robbings of the treasury and various extremely negative politics. We are all, and especially the youth going to be much worse off, if the system collapses, but even if it does NOT, various prospects seem to be very challenging for young people these days.

[worldwidetraveler]

For those that gave up your career to teach English, what is your exit plan? Do you plan on teaching English for the rest of your life?

I would say if you plan on throwing everything away, you should at least have some type of plan in place for when you get older. It seems some of you guys are only living in the now and have no plans for tomorrow. There needs to be a balance unless you want to be a guy who can't quite teaching English in shitty countries for the rest of your life.

[DaveR]

(11-19-2013 12:20 PM)worldwidetraveler Wrote:  

For those that gave up your career to teach English, what is your exit plan? Do you plan on teaching English for the rest of your life?

I would say if you plan on throwing everything away, you should at least have some type of plan in place for when you get older. It seems some of you guys are only living in the now and have no plans for tomorrow. There needs to be a balance unless you want to be a guy who can't quite teaching English in shitty countries for the rest of your life.

If you want to be in the language teaching business, start a language school of your own. You *don't* want to be competing salary-wise with gap year and college students who are just doing it for the experience. Private language schools won't pay more for your qualifications or experience.

There's a reasonably good living to be made out of it if you choose the right location and keep an eye on your costs.

[LeightonBlackstock]

(11-19-2013 12:20 PM)worldwidetraveler Wrote:  

For those that gave up your career to teach English, what is your exit plan? Do you plan on teaching English for the rest of your life?

I would say if you plan on throwing everything away, you should at least have some type of plan in place for when you get older. It seems some of you guys are only living in the now and have no plans for tomorrow. There needs to be a balance unless you want to be a guy who can't quite teaching English in shitty countries for the rest of your life.

Yeah, there probably will come a point where I start to feel 'too old' for teaching TEFL. When this happens I plan to do one of three things:

a) Do a PGCE/Masters in the UK, and then look for employment abroad at International Schools. These pay much more money than TEFL gigs and they look for experienced older teachers. (I would do the PGCE now but I just don't want to give up a year of my life at this age). I have the option of going into Maths teaching too, as I did an Engineering degree.

or

b) Take up a job in the Middle East. These also pay extremely well, but they don't necessarily require a master's degree. In theory, I could have a boring year in Saudi Arabia, and then holiday in The Philippines the the year after, or something.

or

c) The least likely option: Start my own school. This would probably require a Russian wife or something. (I don't think this will happen as I don't want to get married).

[JayJuanGee]

(11-19-2013 12:32 PM)DaveR Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 12:20 PM)worldwidetraveler Wrote:  

For those that gave up your career to teach English, what is your exit plan? Do you plan on teaching English for the rest of your life?

I would say if you plan on throwing everything away, you should at least have some type of plan in place for when you get older. It seems some of you guys are only living in the now and have no plans for tomorrow. There needs to be a balance unless you want to be a guy who can't quite teaching English in shitty countries for the rest of your life.

If you want to be in the language teaching business, start a language school of your own. You *don't* want to be competing salary-wise with gap year and college students who are just doing it for the experience. Private language schools won't pay more for your qualifications or experience.

There's a reasonably good living to be made out of it if you choose the right location and keep an eye on your costs.

Great point WWT. Some guys may be o.k. with teaching English in various places around the world for the rest of his life... but as long as he knows what he is getting into. A problem is, however, that sometimes, we guys do NOT realize the intensity of the negative ramifications of our earlier choices until later... and that could apply to any job and/or in activity that we pursue.

This mistake can frequently be made by young people (and I was more of that thinking too) to have some feelings of immortality and/or thinking that we are always going to be treated in a certain kind of way. And sometimes, we may NOT realize that we had been receiving preferential treatment and deference and even access due to our good looks, energy and future potential. Once those good looks, energy and future potential fade away, so does the preferential treatment, that we had NOT realized that we were getting... and that is when things get tough if a guy is approaching his 40s and he has NOT put various safeguards in place.. then really the guy may begin to receive the opposite.. which is NOT just neutral, but disrespect for NOT being in a certain place at a certain time and for failing to adequately plan and/or prepare.

Any of us could end up in this kind of situation also, even if we did prepare with the happening of the unexpected.. and NOT being sufficiently hedged in our bets. Accordingly, I attempt to NOT blame guys or to label them as losers when they are down and out and on the streets in their older age.... b/c I recognize that could be me under slightly changed circumstances. In that respect, we cannot prepare for every eventuality, we gotta take some risks, and also HOPE for some luck.

[bacon]

(11-19-2013 12:20 PM)worldwidetraveler Wrote:  

For those that gave up your career to teach English, what is your exit plan? Do you plan on teaching English for the rest of your life?

I would say if you plan on throwing everything away, you should at least have some type of plan in place for when you get older. It seems some of you guys are only living in the now and have no plans for tomorrow. There needs to be a balance unless you want to be a guy who can't quite teaching English in shitty countries for the rest of your life.

You underestimate the mentality of most people in that they think long term. Many long term travelers/english teachers I have met are kind of overly optomistic about the future and really live in the now. You kind of need that mentality as so many things can go wrong with travel and living overseas. I have met some that have large student loan debts and just put it off to make peanuts teaching english in Latin America and others who knock up a local chick with little thought on the long term ramifications of making that work. I have read through tesl forums and a lot of older teachers there are complaining about not having retirement benefits included in their paycheck. Some want to unionize teachers to improve benefits but they also are annoyed at young backpackers (see thailand tesl) lowering the wages of experienced teachers since they will work for much less.

The more I look into it I think english teaching can be profitable long term if you get the right qualifications, local hookups and do it in certain countries. Asia and the middle east seem to be the best bets for making decent scratch in the english teaching world.

That said the ones I have met that tend to stay longterm abroad usually are men and typically they are married to a local girl and have kids with her. Their marriage allows them a legal means and local connections to start their own business. Other older guys abroad have told me that they traveled to a specific country when they were younger and that motivated them to work hard and save so they could move there at a young age 40 or 50 for retirement. I met a few guys that told me they stayed in the Military for as many years as they did for the sole purpose of retiring early in the philippines since they fell in love with it many years ago on a military stop over.