Please give me advice! D:

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Hey guys,

So as many of you may remember, I taught in South Korea for a year.  I returned at the beginning of March, so I've been home for about eight or nine months now, searching for work.  There has been nothing to show for all the resumes and cover letters I've written.  Zip.  Nada.  You know that statistic that for every nine resumes you submit, you'll get one response?  That's total B.S.  I've sent out hundreds and only had one response, which turned out to be a dead end.  I even moved out of state to find work, but all I managed to do was use up what money I had saved while in Korea.  My financial situation is getting uncomfortably low, and there's no sign that work will be coming my way any time soon.  Not even part-time work.  Believe me, I've looked and NO ONE is hiring, which is weird to me, since it's the holiday season.  I do have one part-time job to add a bit of a buffer to my bank account, but I'm still living in a deficit.

Anyway, this has sort of been leading me to the idea of going back to South Korea for a year, maybe more.  One of my friends that I made in South Korea transferred to a different school about the same time that I came home, but she's thinking of going home after her contract is up, meaning there will be an open position at her awesome school!  If I managed to get my application through to the right person (which is fairly simple), I could perhaps take over her position when her contract runs through.  And believe me, that is a HUGE perk, knowing about your school before you leave.  For example, that same friend transferred schools because her last one was so bad that elementary school students actually kicked her in the face, and did not receive any sort of punishment for his actions.  People with weaker resolves than her would have pulled a midnight run (where you vacate your apartment and school with absolutely no warning, using the funds you have to go back to your home country).  So, like I said, she has told me that her school this year is amazing, in a good location, with excellent co-teachers, good administration, and reasonable hours.

The pros to actually doing this would be that I am already familiar with the Korean culture, I understand the language a little bit, I can find my way around pretty easily, and I can navigate the subway system, which is huge.  Also, since I've taught before in Korea, I would be paid a higher rate for my experience.  The cons would be that I would, once again, be leaving my family for a full year, missing out on my sister's college graduation and one of my best friends' weddings (unless I could get time off, which is EXTREMELY rare to happen when working in SK, who values your constant attendance, even when classes are not in session, or even if you're sick as a dog).  Another con is that I know there is a reason that I left Korea, instead of renewing or transferring to another school.  By the end of the contract year, I was tired, and completely fed up with my school.  But my school had a unique system that required more work from me than I was able to provide and it led to many stressful situations with my administration.  Since I understand the structure of my friend's school (assuming that I may be able to work there) I can tell that it wouldn't be quite so strenuous and there is a chance that I could actually spend time appreciating the Korean culture, rather than cursing its educational system.  It's still a bit of a toss-up, but the chances of me actually enjoying my time in Korea might be much higher.

So, I don't know.  I'm really, really torn.  I need the money and there's no employment opportunities for me here in the States.  If I didn't go to Korea and raise some money, I would just be sitting in my mother's house, writing resumes with little hope that they would actually be seen by human eyes, while I watched my bank account dwindle.  That terrifies me more than you could imagine, to be stuck like that.  In Korea, I could actually save money, and start over when I returned.  But at the same time, the reason you get paid so much is because it's a huge sacrifice to leave your loved ones for so long.  I remember how genuinely happy I was to be able to hug my mother, and see her in real life, rather than on a computer screen.  But at the same time, if I don't do something soon, I'm not going to have enough money to even make it to Korea, if that's the path I really want to take.

Any advice?

Peace. 

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