Yeah! It's Friday. Yesterday was the big job interview. I was kind of worked up and nervous on Wednesday. Surprise! When I took the company name down over the phone, I spelled it wrong by a couple of letters. Remember, I was barely awake when I got the call and did the short phone interview. He didn't offer the spelling of the name and I wasn't thinking clearly enough to ask. Besides, I thought it sounded simple enough. So it was not an aerospace company that offered language training to pilots and traffic control workers. It was an insurance company and they are looking for sales people. I got through the first in-person interview and then they asked me to return in half-an-hour to sit in on an informational meeting about the company and fill out a candidate profile test. The profile test was questions about what motivates me, would I lie, would I steal, what are my strengths and weaknesses, etc. I decided that it wasn't the opportunity for me and told them so later in the evening when they called me back to see if I would come back for a final interview.
Today I applied online for two more positions- a Marketing Specialist- Writer, and a Merchant Investigator. The second job is for an online retail company, so I'd be checking out the merchants that are participating to make sure they are serving the customers properly and checking for fraud. It sounds like it could be challenging and fun. I don't expect to hear back from them because I don't have all the experience that they want in retail and don't know anything about fraud prevention. I made my quota to file for unemployment, so that is the most important thing. Next week I'll finish the series of workshops. I hope I'll learn more good stuff and really get prepared to market myself in some new areas and make this a successful career change.
August 18th, next Thursday, will be the two-year anniversary of my return to the United States to start my new life. I should find some way to mark the occasion. My life here is still under construction, but I am full of hope. God has good plans, and I'm trying to follow His path.
What Not to Wear will be on soon. Better go now.
August 12, 2005
August 10, 2005
Teaching in Korea
A couple of people have asked what it was like teaching in Korea. They were thinking of going there and teaching themselves. I thought I'd post my answer in case more people were interested in hearing what it was like.
I had a great time in Korea. As long as you have a bachelor's degree (in any subject) you should be able to get a job. The language schools really want native-speakers who can teach conversation and listening. Research your school before you go because there are lots of bad ones that don't treat people fairly and aren't honest. Try looking in the forums at Dave's ESL Cafe. Ask the representative of any school you are considering if you can have the e-mail of a foreign teacher working there who can vouch for the school and give you information about the local life. I recommend the experience of teaching overseas. The culture shock will be substantial and you will have lots of challenges. Any kind of teaching training you can get before you go would be helpful. The university jobs are better (fewer teaching hours, better pay, and better working conditions) but you generally need a master's degree. Most schools in Korea pay for your housing and the wages are fair, so you can save money or pay down debt. I made good progress on my student loans while I was there.
Seoul is a large, very crowded, fast-paced city. It was both exciting and stressful. When things got really overwhelming, I would go to Gyungbok Palace and walk around. It is a spacious, tranquil oasis in the middle of urban mayhem. Walking through the gate, I could breathe deeply again. For interesting reading on this palace, Minsoo Kang wrote a very descriptive though scholarly essay on its long history.
I also lived in Kwangju, which is far South of Seoul. It was very interesting to see another part of Korea. Seoul is the business and population center of the whole country. Literally almost 1/3 of the total population lives in the city or in the surrounding suburbs. Kwangju is a small, provincial city that has a history of being a conservative holdout. It was the site of famous labor protests. The pace was slower and the people more relaxed and friendly. There was traffic, but it was still easier to get around. After you had been there a while, it felt like a small community; you recognized many faces when you walked around the downtown area. The surrounding countryside is very pretty. About 50 minutes away are the Bosung Green Tea Plantations, neat rows of tea bushes terraced into the mountainside. Just outside the city is a Confucian scholar's garden, Sosoewon, which is about 600 years old.
As far as the experience of being a foreigner, it was both fun and difficult. I didn't know any Korean language before I went. It was hard to adjust to being helpless in some situations, but I had people at my school helping me. The most basic, necessary things you learn pretty quickly. Thankfully, the writing system is very easy to learn, so you can sound things out and start to read subway stops and things. A lot of those signs are also written in Roman alphabet, which helps. The Korean culture sometimes keeps foreigners at a distance, but they are also hospitable and kind. Occasionally bouts of anti-Americanism break out because of political things, but I never felt unsafe.
It was a hard decision to make, leaving Korea. I was torn because I had become so comfortable there, liked my job and had good friends. At the same time I had been living far away from my family for a long time. I finally decided that it was time to return to Washington State and live near my family. The longer I stayed in Korea, the harder it would have been to leave.
I had a great time in Korea. As long as you have a bachelor's degree (in any subject) you should be able to get a job. The language schools really want native-speakers who can teach conversation and listening. Research your school before you go because there are lots of bad ones that don't treat people fairly and aren't honest. Try looking in the forums at Dave's ESL Cafe. Ask the representative of any school you are considering if you can have the e-mail of a foreign teacher working there who can vouch for the school and give you information about the local life. I recommend the experience of teaching overseas. The culture shock will be substantial and you will have lots of challenges. Any kind of teaching training you can get before you go would be helpful. The university jobs are better (fewer teaching hours, better pay, and better working conditions) but you generally need a master's degree. Most schools in Korea pay for your housing and the wages are fair, so you can save money or pay down debt. I made good progress on my student loans while I was there.
Seoul is a large, very crowded, fast-paced city. It was both exciting and stressful. When things got really overwhelming, I would go to Gyungbok Palace and walk around. It is a spacious, tranquil oasis in the middle of urban mayhem. Walking through the gate, I could breathe deeply again. For interesting reading on this palace, Minsoo Kang wrote a very descriptive though scholarly essay on its long history.
I also lived in Kwangju, which is far South of Seoul. It was very interesting to see another part of Korea. Seoul is the business and population center of the whole country. Literally almost 1/3 of the total population lives in the city or in the surrounding suburbs. Kwangju is a small, provincial city that has a history of being a conservative holdout. It was the site of famous labor protests. The pace was slower and the people more relaxed and friendly. There was traffic, but it was still easier to get around. After you had been there a while, it felt like a small community; you recognized many faces when you walked around the downtown area. The surrounding countryside is very pretty. About 50 minutes away are the Bosung Green Tea Plantations, neat rows of tea bushes terraced into the mountainside. Just outside the city is a Confucian scholar's garden, Sosoewon, which is about 600 years old.
As far as the experience of being a foreigner, it was both fun and difficult. I didn't know any Korean language before I went. It was hard to adjust to being helpless in some situations, but I had people at my school helping me. The most basic, necessary things you learn pretty quickly. Thankfully, the writing system is very easy to learn, so you can sound things out and start to read subway stops and things. A lot of those signs are also written in Roman alphabet, which helps. The Korean culture sometimes keeps foreigners at a distance, but they are also hospitable and kind. Occasionally bouts of anti-Americanism break out because of political things, but I never felt unsafe.
It was a hard decision to make, leaving Korea. I was torn because I had become so comfortable there, liked my job and had good friends. At the same time I had been living far away from my family for a long time. I finally decided that it was time to return to Washington State and live near my family. The longer I stayed in Korea, the harder it would have been to leave.
Interview Preparations
Tomorow I have an interview for a teaching related position. It may actually be teaching, but I won't find out any details until tomorrow. Preparations for the interview: printing out fresh copies of my resume and contact information of past employers. I also bought a new top to wear to the interview. I'm also going to use some notecards and write down some important things that I want to include in my answers to those delightfully fun interview questions. My personal favorite, "What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?". My answer to that one is, "My strengths are listening to people, thinking creatively to solve problems, and cooperating with others as a member of a team. My weaknesses are being particular about details and putting pressure on myself to meet other people's expectations." The company is over an hour away. If I get the job, who knows how I'll get there. I don't have a car and can't afford one. But that's getting too far ahead, since I don't actually have the job yet. Dad is really excited for me. He wants to know that I have a good job and I am well provided for. Well, I wouldn't mind that, either.
I had a good night's sleep last night, so I have some energy back. Haven't done any exercise this week, though. Not good. Tomorrow afternoon I will do the walking tape.
I had a good night's sleep last night, so I have some energy back. Haven't done any exercise this week, though. Not good. Tomorrow afternoon I will do the walking tape.
August 09, 2005
Undivided Heart
I’m still really tired. It was very nice to see my aunt last night. Didn’t sleep too well. Mom woke me up and handed me the phone. Good morning, time for an impromptu phone interview. I guess it didn’t go too badly, though. I was invited to come to their office on Thursday for a face-to-face. I had no idea what the company was, so I googled them. They are an international aerospace tech company that also offers language training to pilots. Wow, a teaching position. It seems like it will be a very corporate atmosphere. I’ve been advised to “dress for success” when I come to the interview. Not that I don’t usually wear nice clothes to an interview, but I have never worked in a corporate setting and most of my clothes are not quite that formal. I’m glad that I bought that blazer! Took a long nap this afternoon. I’m still making progress in Ezekiel. Here is one of my favorite verses.
Ezekiel 11:18-20
“They will return to it (the land of Israel) and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.”
I have heard this verse many times and read it quoted here and there. I love this verse. It is so easy for my heart and my attention to be divided so many ways. There is another similar verse.
Jeremiah 31:33-34
"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
Ezekiel and Jeremiah were prophets at the same time. They lived right before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian empire. I like these verses because it is describing such a close relationship between God and believers. God did keep his promise to bring the exiles back to Israel. Nehemiah came back with a group of exiles and descendents that had been born in Babylon. Together they rebuilt the city in the face of opposition and threats from their neighbors. The temple was also eventually rebuilt. These verses offer hope in the middle of a dark time. God’s purpose was not to annihilate Israel, but to cleanse and restore His people. These verses also look forward to the new covenant (or contract) God would initiate with all people through Jesus. Now believers have the spirit of God living directly inside them, to guide and help them. We can have the same closeness with God described in these verses.
Ezekiel 11:18-20
“They will return to it (the land of Israel) and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.”
I have heard this verse many times and read it quoted here and there. I love this verse. It is so easy for my heart and my attention to be divided so many ways. There is another similar verse.
Jeremiah 31:33-34
"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
Ezekiel and Jeremiah were prophets at the same time. They lived right before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian empire. I like these verses because it is describing such a close relationship between God and believers. God did keep his promise to bring the exiles back to Israel. Nehemiah came back with a group of exiles and descendents that had been born in Babylon. Together they rebuilt the city in the face of opposition and threats from their neighbors. The temple was also eventually rebuilt. These verses offer hope in the middle of a dark time. God’s purpose was not to annihilate Israel, but to cleanse and restore His people. These verses also look forward to the new covenant (or contract) God would initiate with all people through Jesus. Now believers have the spirit of God living directly inside them, to guide and help them. We can have the same closeness with God described in these verses.
August 08, 2005
Back Home Again
I got home about 8:45 PM last night. It was a great weekend. I worked hard and had a lot of fun. Today I’ve been taking it a bit easy. There was an e-mail from an insurance company inviting me to an informational interview. I called and RSVP'd. I also took care of miscellaneous business- phone calls, gathering laundry, etc. A pretty routine day, not too hectic. I needed rest after the weekend. As usual at church retreats, we didn’t get a lot of sleep. My aunt is coming to spend the night. She couldn’t get on the flight tonight, so she will leave tomorrow. Instead of going back to stay near Grandpa, she’ll come here and stay with us. Her husband is a pilot, so she flies standby. It's always a gamble whether she'll get a seat. I’m glad, because now I’ll get to see her. More tomorrow, she’ll be here soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
