The sham
(updated 21Jun08)
So I had the phone interview with the recuriter for Teaching English in Korea.
First word from them was “I don’t see your degree on your resume.” I told him I had an Associates in Computer Graphics.
“Unfortunately for the visas from the countries they want people with four year degrees.”
“Does it matter what degree you have?” I asked.
“No it doesn’t.”
“Ok. So you’re saying that a person with a four year degree in PE, right out of college, would be chosen over a person with an AA and six years in the classroom as a teacher?”
“Yes. It doesn’t make sense to me either but that’s how it works. I’m sorry.”
“So am I. I think they are missing a lot of great people because of this policy. Thank you for calling me though. Have a good day.”
And there it is. I will never be able to teach overseas unless I go back to school and get two more years of college in “something”, and the real agenda - go further in debt to Sallie Mae.
On to the next position.
My hardcore (Oo there’s an idea) job searching will be in July. Right now I’m just getting my feet back in the pond and splashing around. (Although there is one job with the city that if I don’t at least get an interview after the favors and contacts associated with the job will cause me some serious concern about this economy and my chances to find employment. I mean really - I know two people who work for the orgranization - not the same department but associated who have forward their recommendation for me, I had a recommendation forwarded to the Mayor of the City and a good friend of mine is drinking buddies with the Boss who will eventually be making the decision for who gets hired. I don’t think any of those connections will automatically get me the position ( It’s up to me to land the job.) but an interview as a favor to them, heck yeah! at the least.)
Until then …
(update: I’m looking into those online degree programs. As Marcus Cole said to Susan Ivanova -
Marcus: I’ll teach you to speak Minbari.
Ivanova: I can’t learn Minbari. It’d take a year.
Marcus: Ok. So where would you be in a year if you didn’t even try?
We’ll see how it goes.)
(Update II (21Jun08): It’ll cost about 12,000 per year to get a BA in Information Technology through Phoenix Online. It’ll take about 3 years to get a MA in Information Technology/Security. So that’s 36,000 dollars, approximately, to get a higher paying job that pays maybe 50-80k per year. That’s if the degree helps any with getting the job. It at least makes sure they don’t toss it out because that magic number “4″ isn’t on my degree. It’s only student loan debt right? Can student loan debt be transferred over to your children? Can they take your home/land/assets to pay off the student loan when you die before disbursing the rest of your will to your family? Did congress pass that law yet? Maybe I shouldn’t give them any ideas? :-?)