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Three months before completing my degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I was miles away from where I had been as a high school senior. But I was also very close. Miles away, because I was almost done with four years of the most incredible liberal arts education I could have imagined. Close, because I had no better idea of what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go than I had at 18.

One thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to travel. Six months spent studying abroad in Paris as an undergraduate convinced me that traveling would be a significant part of the rest of my life. But while skipping the country during College is as easy as filling out an application,  

Working Abroad

  as a college graduate is not so simple.

I had heard of people going abroad on grants, but they all had projects planned and some expertise in a field. I couldn't imagine where my bachelor's degree in English literature could take me besides, well, England. I've been to England. It's great, don't get me wrong. But I was looking for something more challenging.

That's when I found Dave's ESL Cafe, an online discussion forum for English teachers working abroad that includes a collection of jokes and stories ... and a Job board. It turned out to be the golden ticket that took me from Wisconsin to South Korea.

A Few Facts
While Americans and other native speakers are teaching English on almost every corner of the globe, some countries are easier to access than others. In Western Europe, for example, it is extremely difficult to find work without a Teaching English as a Foreign Language degree. Even then, jobs are mostly reserved for citizens of European Union countries.

Japan hosts hordes of native English speakers, almost solely through the state-sponsored Japan Exchange and Teaching program. The interview process is done on a strict timeline and applicants have little say in where they are placed. But participants teach in state-run schools with near complete job security.

Schools elsewhere in Asia and in Eastern Europe advertise job vacancies in privately maintained online English Academies. South American jobs are commonly filled by word-of-mouth. Getting these jobs involves buying a plane ticket and then looking for work after arrival. Not for the timid. Applicants begin the process with a few tools: a resume; a cover letter stressing teaching and teamwork experiences, language skills, and time spent abroad; a scanned copy of your passport and college transcripts; and a scanned photo.

The Journey East
I learned as much during my year abroad in Korea as I did in any year of college. Living and working in a vastly different country was a constant rush of new experiences, which seemed strange at first, then understandable, and finally so familiar that my day was not complete without them.

One of the things that struck me most about my time in South Korea was how rapidly it has become a modern country. On any day in a park in central Seoul, I saw men and women in their 70s who could have passed for 90, bent literally in two from osteoporosis, a product of malnutrition during and in the aftermath of the 1950s Korean War. In that same park were businessmen in their 30s wearing expensive suits, and 10-year-olds on cell phones.

It was shocking how seamlessly tradition and modernity merged in South Korea. I attended folk dances in the shadows of nearby skyscrapers, and ate traditional food at low tables while listening to a World Cup soundtrack. Every day was a new adventure.

Getting Ready to Go
Once you've decided you're ready to start working abroad, it's important to pinpoint your motivation for going. Adventure? Learning a language? Money? A chance to change your perspective on life? Having a clear idea of your goals is key to having a successful year abroad. For example, if your desire is to pay off your Student Loans, then going to South America is probably not the best option, because salaries tend to be minimal. Instead, look to countries such as Japan and South Korea, which pay your airfare, housing, and a generous monthly salary. But if you want to teach only a few classes a week and spend the rest of your time immersing yourself in the area's language and culture, then South America may be a perfect fit.

Joe and Joy Sandor chose to spend a year working abroad because they wanted to learn what daily life was truly like in Eastern Europe. They traveled to Poland as college graduates and found the cultural differences shocking. "Elderly people the age of our grandparents worked on the streets selling eggs or shoelaces to make a living," recalls Joy. "Their pensions had been wiped out with the fall of communism and this was their way of life."

But, she says, the challenges of being abroad were worth the rewards 10 times over. "I would do it again in a heartbeat," she says. "I'm more laid-back and relaxed about things. I cherish moments with my family and friends more. I readily adapt to situations [now]. And all of a sudden I'm interesting to more people!"

The British Universities North American Club (BUNAC) allows college graduates or students taking a break from school to work for up to one year abroad for any employer that will hire them. Amanda Rucci, who worked, played, and traveled in Australia through BUNAC, agrees that her time abroad changed her for the better. "It really made me grow up," she says. "I feel much more independent and I also learned how to be more outgoing. You had to be if you wanted to meet people."

Amanda took advantage of cultural differences, too. "Australians are much more laid-back than people in the USA," she says. "They never seem to be in a rush and so I had to slow down at times, which was nice."

All Things Considered
Time spent living and working abroad can be every bit as important and rewarding as time spent in the classroom. It opened my eyes to the different ways people live, work, and feel. I learned more about communicating with people and respecting different opinions during my year abroad in South Korea than I had during the rest of my life. My advice? Take your degree and turn it into your passport.

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