Designing an effective career exit strategy.

An unbiased 7 page look into how to get yourself out when all hell breaks loose. We all know how to go about getting a job. But, how many know how to get out, especially when you are 10,000 miles away from what you call home. If there's one article that you read - it's this one!

Nobody likes the thought of being unemployed. Fewer want to think about the possibilities of getting fired. This is even truer when you are at the stage of trying to find a job.

However, if you find yourself in either of these categories (not thinking about getting fired) then it’s time to come down from that sleepy utopia you’ve been floating in. Start to think about the possibility now, not tomorrow.

This is a must read for anyone considering a new career in teaching EFL/ESL abroad in unfamiliar circumstances. Veteran teachers shouldn't neglect this guide either - more than 60% of teachers who have taught more than 3 years have no exit strategy in place.

Exit strategies. Don’t let the door hit you on the butt.

There are endless sites that provide information on how to enter the EFL/ESL teaching industry, and an equal amount of sites that instruct you on how to get a job. But how often does a recruiting site, or a job board for that matter, offer you information on how to leave your job, or what to do if you get fired from your teaching job? What steps to take, what things you should consider, and how to do it with your sanity intact.

Nobody likes the thought of being unemployed. Fewer want to think about the possibilities of getting fired. This is even truer when you are at the stage of trying to find a job. However, if you’re in either of these categories then it’s time to come down from that sleepy utopia you’ve been floating in. Start to think about these possibilities now, not tomorrow.

You need to think about the prospects of getting fired or being suddenly unemployed now because the reality is that the EFL/ESL teaching industry is a highly transient one. People constantly come and go. Sometimes it is by choice, other times it’s not. One consistency among transient industries is the neglect they place on valuing their human capital. Supply always exceeds demand in this industry. Huge streams of fresh new teachers are always waiting in line for the opportunity to teach abroad.

Now that you know that you are an expendable quotient, spend as much time and energy planning your exit as you did planning your entrance. If you spent hours everyday looking for a job, reading forums, posting questions, and more – then you owe it to yourself to at least spend at least a fraction of your time on your exit strategy.

What is an exit strategy?

In a short and simple definition – an exit strategy is your A and B plan to get out the hell out of C. It is a series of well defined preplanned steps and options to follow if you are un-expectantly terminated or voluntarily resign from your teaching position. It acts as your guide and provides you with concrete options previously realized when you were not under stress.

An effective strategy can be segmented into three main parts:

1. Pre-employment, what should you do before you accept your job and depart for your exotic location.

2. Present, steps to follow while you still have your job.

3. Post, what to do immediately after you’re terminated or resign.

We present for you the definitive guide tailored specifically for a teacher who is working in unfamiliar circumstances:

A. Pre-employment

Do your homework on the company. Wait. Let’s say that again. Do your homework on the company. Find out as much as you can about the company that you are looking at joining. Read everything that you can about them. Make enquires into the reputation and dependability of the company. If you can’t find any information, then make solicitations for it. While the absence of information is not a negative sign, it is not a positive one either.