Have you decided to teach ESL in a foreign country? Great! You’ll soon find that it’s a stimulating experience for you, both in terms of how eye-opening a travel experience it’ll be and for your professional development.
Transferring knowledge to people is one of the best professions and most meaningful experience you can have, but logistics are involved any time you’re going to pick up and move to another country. If you’ve decided to teach English in Korea or in another faraway country, here are a few tips you can keep in mind to make sure your trip is as smooth as possible.
Get the Right Support
Moving abroad to work is an intrepid decision; there are definitely more simple life paths available to you. But that doesn’t mean you need to face every challenge alone or make them as difficult as possible.
If you engage the right travel recruitment company, they can help you sort out a lot of the important logistical concerns that are a headache to do by yourself. Having experienced help in this regard can be invaluable.
The right company will book and pay for your flights, and they’ll help you secure clean lodging in a convenient and safe area — how would you even know which neighbourhood to look for an apartment if you’ve never been to cities like Seoul or Ilsan?
They’ll also sort out your Visa paperwork, help you assimilate to your new environment upon landing, and prepare you for your work teaching students how to speak, write, and understand English. It’s good to be bold in life, but there’s no need to go abroad without the right support.
Travel in Spare Time
In your down time you’re going to suddenly find yourself located very close to incredible travel destinations that are usually very away: travel to them! It’s a wonderful opportunity, because the flights aren’t only exponentially less expensive, they’re also way shorter.
If you’re leaving from North America, it’s not worth it to pay for an overnight flight to go to Japan or Thailand for only a few days. But if the flight is cheaper and shorter, it’s a different story. Working abroad presents you great travel opportunities, either to foreign countries which are suddenly within reach, or for further travel within the new city you’re currently living in.
Your New Friends are Guides
Working abroad puts you in contact with many local people, and soon you’ll have a network at your disposal that tourists would kill for. Spending time with them will inevitably show you a side of this new place you’d probably otherwise never see.
It’s better to be guided by a friend than a professional guide, anyway. Always offer to host them one day if they should ever travel to your hometown! That’s what hospitality is all about.
Working abroad is an impossibly enriching opportunity, and you’ll likely come back one day a different person. Just remember these tips, and you’re sure to have an incredible time.
