In the last few years the economic caused many Americans to lose their jobs. But a bigger problem may lie ahead: the education crisis.

“Many employers cannot find qualified Americans to fill their job openings,” cites this well-researched though somewhat depressing infographic. Many careers require at least a high school education. However, more than 25% of American students drop out before they graduate.

The dropouts are only part of the problem. Many stay in school but don’t seem to be learning anything, judging from slipping Math and Science aptitude scores, and even poor basic reading skills. In fact, 70% of eighth graders are reading below their age level.

The infographic also presents some clues on why this problem is happening, from the percentage of students versus teachers. Read the rest of the entry to see the infographic.

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As we discussed in Part I of this series, the experience of teaching abroad is one that has rewards and life lessons on many levels. Thus far, we’ve explored how the combination of working abroad can affect you personally and in your future career endeavors, whether or not they involve education. Now we’ve reached the third and final installment of our series, in which we’ll discuss the effect your experience teaching abroad has upon your students. There’s no question that the situation is one favorable to both student and teacher, as demonstrated by a new program in the U.K. that matches college-level education students with specific Thai classrooms. We’ve explored some of the personal benefits to teachers. What are some that apply to their students?

First You Have to Get There

The point is moot unless you can actually cross the country’s borders to reach the school where you’ve been contracted to teach. There are a number of bureaucratic requirements from both the nation you’re leaving and the one to which you’re en route. You can use everything to your advantage to learn more about your destination and its culture. You’ll need to purchase a teach abroad insurance policy in addition to scheduling an appointment before you leave to see a doctor—preferably a travel specialist or infectious disease physician—for required immunizations. Ask her about the health risks of your destination and how you might best protect yourself.

The time spent at the country’s embassy to obtain a provisional work visa can be used to converse with the embassy staff or fluent citizens about how you can best instruct the children of their country. In other words, to be a better teacher in a foreign environment, you must begin to be a student—again and at every opportunity.

How Do ESL Teachers’ Students Benefit from a Foreign Teacher?

If you’ve taught in a first-world country as a teacher or a substitute teacher, you need to first eliminate the assumption that the classroom experiences will be similar. Many of the “smart boards,” automatic AV equipment and personal tablet computers seen in the U.S. and other developed nations are simply not going to be available to you in most foreign classrooms.

Instead of limiting you and your teaching abilities, however, the removal of many of these technologies can provide you the opportunity to truly connect with the children in your classroom. A great deal of ESL teachers’ job descriptions typically emphasize conversational English—a skill that requires only that you open your mouth and begin to speak.

Teaching Language & Culture

Whether you realize it or not, you’re teaching bits and pieces of Western culture to the children in your classroom through ways you may have never dreamt. Wearing a sleeveless but modest blouse, calling on a girl to answer a question before a boy, even your explanation of having your own apartment before your departure are all means by which the two cultures exchange mini-lessons and emphasize the difference between young adulthood in the U.S. and Korea, for example.

An Experience of Many Rewards

Teaching abroad can be as much of an education for you as it is for your students. Not only will you learn about another culture and perhaps even pick up the language, but you’ll also learn many lessons about yourself, positively prepare for your future career and (possibly) be an even better teacher to your current and future students. Bon voyage!

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After exploring some of the personal benefits one accumulates while living and teaching abroad, we’ll now turn our attention to the benefits that such an experience can lend to your future vocational endeavors. Your time as an EFL teacher at XYZ English Academy in the country in which you’ve chosen to teach is more than filler material for future job applications or resumes. Rather, it can demonstrate those skills, which employers are specifically seeking in their employees. While you can emphasize this on your resumé or in a cover letter, most of the positives are best communicated during your interview.

So, What Does Your Year Abroad Teaching ESL Demonstrate to Potential Employers?

It Demonstrates Your Self-Reliance

“When I was unable to find a position in my field here in the U.S., I accepted a position overseas to teach ESL at XYZ Academy” sounds much more positive and take-charge than “When I was unable to find a position in my field after graduation, I returned for another degree to wait out the economic downturn.” You can sell yourself as a self-starter and not as someone who waited for the job market to improve. Indeed, you were so willing to work that you traveled halfway around the world to do so.

It Demonstrates Your Organizational Skills

It requires a great deal of organization and attention to detail to even leave the U.S., much less to teach in a new school in a different country. You need to update your passport if it’s scheduled to expire during your year abroad, obtain a visa from the country where you’ll be teaching, visit your doctor for any necessary immunizations and purchase a teach abroad insurance policy.

It Demonstrates That You’re Open-Minded

If you’ve vacationed in Vietnam, then you have exotic tastes as a tourist. If you’ve lived and taught there for at least a year, you’re open-minded. With that degree of tenure, you would have had to either accept certain situations—cuisine, clothing or customs—or arranged an acceptable alternative. In fact, this latter situation would demonstrate three highly desired skills: open-mindedness, problem solving and communication in order to relay your necessary deviation from custom, such as in a food allergy.

It Demonstrates That You’re Willing to Try New Ideas or Experiences

As in our first example, living abroad demonstrates to potential employers that you are open to new ideas and new ways of problem solving. If you’re able to find restaurants or homes without addresses in nighttime Korea, you’re aware of how drastically a change in perspective can affect problem solving. The easily located old red house and its blue door, by day, are completely hidden in the outrageous neon display that takes place every night in that country. Your ability to consider that there might be a temporary factor blinding you to a solution can save time and frustration.

It Demonstrates Your Communication Abilities

Your ability to live abroad can demonstrate to potential employers your ability to communicate by language and culturally, a particularly important aspect in our multicultural nation.

It Demonstrates Familiarity in the Country’s Language

Your time abroad should allow you to demonstrate a significant familiarity in the country’s language, if not a relative fluency.

Employees able to speak two or more languages are highly desired.

In the next part of this series, we’ll discuss the influence that a year teaching abroad can have upon your students.

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The experience of teaching abroad is one that has rewards and life lessons on many levels. It brings to mind that old remark about enlisting in the military: “See the world and get paid to do it.” This method of experiencing foreign cultures, however, doesn’t require uniforms or side arms. Instead, what’s primarily required is an open mind.

This series of three articles is meant to help you explore some of the ways in which this combination of work and travel can affect your life personally, in your future endeavors as documented on your resumé and secondarily through your students’ experiences.

Types of Personal Enrichment

Personal enrichment is usually the furthest thing from a would-be teacher’s mind once she decides on a destination. Nor is the ability to teach or even an interest in education necessary. Instead, most people can sign on with a school holding only a bachelor’s degree in any subject, a valid passport and a visa with which to enter the foreign country of choice. You’ll also need to get your personal affairs in order, including obtaining a teach abroad insurance policyand visiting your doctor for necessary immunizations. Money, adventure and the relative proximity of exotic locales figure more prominently in many young college graduates’ minds.

First, Monetary Considerations

Many individuals, particularly those who teach in Asian countries where the cost of living is low, can save a considerable amount of money during a year’s contract time. Any time there’s a significant economic downturn in a given western country, an increase in its young men and women is easily projected, and these individuals can be seen each payday wiring money home.

If queried, they’d cite the ease of finding employment in their teaching country as compared to their home country. However, even if monetary considerations first led to their temporary emigration, they’re not above experiencing the country and the culture on a more personal level.

Increased Self-Reliance

It’s difficult to recognize the many social ties that bind you to a community until you opt to leave, especially for a foreign country. Further, it’s impossible to recognize how much we rely on others and our shared culture and language. While the old cliché that expats are everywhere and will seek you out within days of your arrival, they’re still strangers—as is everyone you’ll meet. Schools may orient new teachers to the community, but you’re still the one who has toexplore the neighborhood on your own, find a desk lamp, buy something to eat or find an Internet café. Once you’ve experienced this type of self-reliance in one or more foreign countries, taking a wrong turn in downtown Milwaukee will no longer register on your scale of “What am I going to do?”

Value System

When you arrive overseas, it’s without most of your wardrobe, your styling car, your great apartment and all the enormously fabulous people who know and like you. In other words, suddenly people will like you—or not—for you, and not for any social cachet or attractive possessions they’d like to play with, too.

Likewise, the expats you meet will be evaluated with the same naked scrutiny. Who are you without all your stuff? You’ll learn the answer after a year teaching overseas.

A Wider Perspective

The cultural immersion that takes place when you move into a community to be a teacher or when you travel around a foreign country on your days off quickly impresses upon you that your expectations are tiny, limited, rigid little things. When brand new foods, words, courtesies, fashions and simple weirdness come your way, day by day, you learn to take more things in stride and widen your perspective.

In the next part of this series, we’ll discuss the influence that a year teaching abroad can have upon your future working career.

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Infinite Advancement Opportunities

As part of their career, teachers are required to attain further education. Through this added education, and their experience in the classroom, teachers can be promoted to leadership roles within their school district.

Often times these promotions come with higher salaries.

Ability to Work Anywhere

No matter where you move whether it is across the United States or within your current state, teachers can relocate very easily. Teachers may need to fill out paperwork and apply for different types of licenses, but they will likely not have a problem finding a teaching position in virtually any area they move to.

Spending Time with Children

Usually when it comes to children, both young kids and teenagers, some people feel energized by working with kids and others feel depleted. In addition to the noise and chaos that can ensue when working with children some people enjoy it, and others are annoyed by it. For people who thrive when working with children, teaching is the perfect career choice.

Schedule Perks

Teachers have more time off than virtually any other profession. In addition to summer vacation, teachers get holidays off, inclement weather days, and their work day usually ends in the late afternoon. This career choice is perfect for professionals with school age children because it means that their kids also have the same days off of school.

Variety of Career Choices

When someone decides to become a teacher, they aren’t tied down to one particular job. In fact, teachers have the ability to customize what they would like to teach. If someone wants to be an art teacher, they can gear their career towards that goal. Teachers can also choose the age group they would like to work with. Individuals who want to work with young children can choose a teaching degree in primary education. Others who want to work with older kids can choose a secondary teaching degree, or choose to work with adults instead.

Teaching is a Rewarding Career

Teachers have the ability to change lives. Watching young minds embrace learning and thrive is a reward that is only found in teaching.

Many teachers don’t choose to educate young minds because they are hoping to become millionaires someday. Instead it is their drive to change lives and watch kids develop that lead them to a teaching career path. Teachers are also highly regarded in the communities where they are employed. If you think that teaching is a great career choice for you, do your homework to find out what type of degree you would need to make your dreams come true. Following your dream of teaching will give your life meaning, and you will likely impact the lives of many children through the duration of your career.

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Computer Forensic Investigator

Computer forensic investigators find, identify, and analyze information from computer systems to help win court cases. They’re involved in forensic evaluations that vary from simple information retrieval to reconstructing a series of events.

They investigate a wide variety of computer crimes.

Computer forensic investigators look for evidence in computer hard drives and storage devices including cell phones, flash drives, tablets, video game consoles, smart phones, PDAs, MP3 players, electronic notebooks, and other electronic devices.

You can enter this field with an online degree in computer forensics, cyber security, or information security. At some schools you can enroll in an information technology program and take a concentration or extra coursework in digital forensics.

Cloud Architect

Cloud architects, as you may expect, manage a cloud infrastructure. They also create solutions for companies seeking to relocate their IT services and infrastructure from on-premise servers to a cloud solution. They’re often responsible for ensuring private and public clouds properly interface. Cloud architects determine the cloud structure for a company.

They also collaborate with business analysts to ensure that the architecture adheres to business requirements.

Cloud architects need at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, or a related technical field.

Applications Architect

Applications architects guide projects from beginning to end and make sure software projects fit a company’s business strategy and technology infrastructure. They usually work for large companies with a diverse set of applications that need to be incorporated with many new application development projects.

An online bachelor’s degree in computer science or in information systems qualifies you for a rewarding applications architect job. Some applications architects jobs require a master’s degree.

Cryptographer

Cryptographers specialize in cyber security. They look for software vulnerabilities that hackers can take advantage of. They also help create solutions, including inscription to prevent hacking.

Usually crypto analysts participate in research and they also develop new mathematical concepts and methodologies. Crypto professionals also work in the digital forensics field. There’s a demand for cryptographers in the growing data encryption and security field.

A lot of cryptographers have degrees in mathematics or applied mathematics.

Biostatisticians

Biostatisticians design studies and analyze data related to health concerns. They use statistical theory and mathematical principles. Biostatisticians working in the pharmaceutical industry help develop new medical technologies and new treatments through research and clinical trials.

Many biostatisticians have online bachelor’s degrees in statistics or math. Master’s degrees are common in the occupation, but they are not required.

These folks work in an array of human health and environmental fields. Many biostatisticians with advanced degrees work in government agencies, industry, and academia. Biostatisticians are in demand due to the booming pharmaceutical industry and the increasing awareness of environmental and human health issues.

Biomathematician

Biomathematicians often use their mathematics skills to create biological system models to solve biology problems. Their results are applied to areas such as cellular neurobiology, epidemic modeling, and population genetics. Biomathematics also includes bioinformatics.

The federal government is the largest employer of biomathematicians. There are also jobs at universities, biotechnology firms, pharmaceutical companies, biomathematical research groups, public health organizations, hospitals/medical centers, and at scientific and technical consulting companies. According to Rutgers University, the booming field of theoretical/mathematical biology provides promising possibilities for mathematicians.

You can get into any one of these rewarding, exciting, and high-paying jobs with an online college degree. So start researching degree programs and choose one that is right for you!

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I was so anxious to get out of high school and get to working that I did not think college was necessary. And in the seventies it was not as necessary as it is today. However looking back it would have been the better choice and a lot less of a struggle. Times were hard for me back then because at age eighteen, right at the end of my senior year my dad decided to leave the picture. Mom had never worked and had to go out and get a minimum wage job and everything changed drastically. I knew I had to work and that was that.

I was a hard worker and it got me pretty far in the days when there was still such a thing as working your way up in an organization, even if you didn’t have a college degree. Things are no longer so easy. So at the age of fifty I decided to go back and get my degree. I really had a desire to study and learn new things at this juncture in my life. I think had I gone to college at eighteen I would not have done as well in college because I really was not as interested in learning as I am now.

I started out in community college taking some classes on campus and some online. In the beginning it was a little strange going to classes with mostly eighteen and nineteen year olds as classmates. They gave me a few odd looks now and then but all in all they were supportive and receptive. Some even valued my opinion because of my experience. Many of them were very smart but had little life experiences to go on. They would often come to me for my opinion on different subjects.

I would often ask them for help with some subjects that were harder for me such as math! It had been a long time since I had been in math and a lot of the ways they were teaching it were foreign to me. Everyone in general was very nice and extremely helpful.

I not only wanted to go back to school to keep up in the workforce but because I had a fifteen year old son who was telling me he was not going to college. He pointed out that I did not go and I was doing fine so why should he. Well, that was not acceptable. I challenged him and said if I go back then you have to go, okay? He grinned and said “sure”! He did not know mom very well because I meant it. Not too long after that I enrolled in classes but he still was not too worried because he did not think I would follow through. Little did he know.

I did have a few experiences with some of the young people that were interesting. I was in my first English class with a professor that was around my age. The assignments were mostly writing and grammar related. I worked very hard on my papers and had been in an office environment for over thirty years at this point. If I could not write a descent paper by this time I could not have made it all those years! The professor had us check each others papers for errors and to make suggestions and what not. I could not believe some of the papers these kids were writing! I don’t necessarily mean the grammar as much as the subject matter. Boy I had been out of school for a long time! Anyway, when we got our papers back everyone wanted to know what grade everyone else got and I started to get criticized. I got A’s and they got B’s and C’s and they were making observations that it was because I was the same age as the professor and he was showing me preference! Oh my goodness. This was the first time I had ever gotten preferential treatment for being old! Oh well, I thought, I was not going to try to defend myself. I knew how hard I worked.

I was thrilled to be learning new things whereas when I had been in school years earlier it was just a requirement that was turning into drudgery. I found that I loved learning about our history which I had always found boring in the past. I even loved science and I am not a science person but I found most of it fascinating. I discovered things about myself that I did not know before going to college. Weaknesses I did not know I had and strengths. I had a wonderful time in speech class this time around.

I found my age to be a benefit because I was no longer afraid of speaking in public. I even enjoyed math after getting over the fact that they put numbers and letters in the same equation. How in the world can this be a math problem with if it has letters? Well, I found out and on occasion even had fun with it.

Some of my classes I took online when I had time constraints. I understand from talking to other students it is hard for some people to do. I had a few difficulties at first but found most professors to be very supportive and helpful when you had troubles. I also had some extra help at home when I needed it as I had a twenty two year old daughter who had just completed her bachelor’s degree and was working on her masters. That was a big plus for me! The kids helping the parent in school, nice!

The did not realize that the science classes all had labs attached and I had not been in a lab situation since high school biology thirty-three years prior. I was not a science person and so that was quite an experience for me. My daughter was a science major at the time and knew that I was terrified. Having the wonderful daughter that I have she enrolled and took these classes with me. I was not up for biology which was her forte or chemistry so I ended up in geology which I found intriguing. She had never taken a geology class so she thought she would just add it to her portfolio. With her there I felt much better because I had absolutely no lab experience and was just a little overwhelmed. I had a great time! I loved being at a lab table and sharing information. It was a great experience for me.

It took me about three years to complete my associate’s degree because I was not going full time but that is okay because I was in no rush. It was such an enriching experience for me at this time in my life. I learned so much and met so many great people. Not only other students but I had some wonderful, personable instructors that I thoroughly enjoyed. One of my instructors I still get together with from time to time. I am so happy that I had the opportunity to go back to school. I think everyone should give it a try for at least a semester and see how it can enrich your life!

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On lesser occasions, you have a problem creating sentences that make sense because they tumble to you.

Fact is, the ability to write well is great. This is because, if you know how to write, you will never tumble with anything that comes your way. Writing enables you express their feelings, make yours case and sometimes, even save lives. George Orwell is one of finest English writers of all time and states the following writing rules. These rules are also perfect for college level, essay writing.

1. In as much as possible, don’t use informal language, colloquial and similes when writing an essay. This is because, such use does not sound or look serious the way college essays should be. Moreover, using colloquial language is subjective because the meaning can be distorted in the process, misleading the readers.
2. Where necessary, when you are writing your essay, the best strategy is using simple, shirt words and sentences. Where you can say something in a short word or sentence against a longer one, just do it.
3. If you can cut words out, go ahead and do it
4. Don’t use a foreign or scientific language where a simple word fits. Many people don t understand scientific or niche based words and statements. To reach out to them, at best, try to keep the words simple and less technical. If there is a simpler, more common term, then use it.
5. Try to keep the works or essay free of passive voice. In most cases, passive voice slows down the message and reading tempo. Instead, opt for an active voice with more direct action words and verbs. This makes the works more vibrant and interesting to read.

These are some of the rules you can rely on when writing the college essay. Even then, following the above rules doesn’t guarantee a perfect essay. The essay idea and its content is also critical to the impact it will create in the reader.

1. Choose a subject you care about because that’s the only way you can get the best to the readers and other interested parties.
2. Don’t ramble on and on. People who ramble on and on about a subject get little or less attention.  Instead, ensure that the way you go about the topic exposes you as a sharp and knowledgeable person.
3. Keep it simple
4. Have the guts to cut the story short
5. Maintain your personal sound throughout the essay
6. Say what you mean and the readers will take cue
7. Pity and reason with the reader

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However, it is important to know that online learning does require some additional study strategies in order for students to be successful. For this reason, the following ideas are offered to help online learners get the most from their courses.

1. Follow a schedule - Success in an online classroom depends upon a student’s motivation to study. For this reason, it is important to make sure that a regular schedule is followed for attending classes. This can be done by outlining a basic routine for when a student will log into their courses as well as when they will study.

2. Utilize technology - In a virtual environment, knowing how to use technology becomes very important. Knowing how to email, upload assignments and navigate through a course’s website is essential for being able to access course materials and complete assignments. Additionally, the use of technology will enhance the learning experience by offering the capability to turn learning into a multi-sensory experience.

3. Emphasize communication - Many times, students in an online environment feel disconnected from their peers and teachers. This can be avoided by making sure that the student is engaged with their classmates and educators by using a variety of methods. Many online schools encourage communication through emails, discussion forums and specially designed web chatting software that can create a very interactive experience for students.

4. Create a study space - Learning online has the advantage of being able to be done from home. Unfortunately, many homes have a lot of distractions such as televisions, telephones and the constant coming and going of other family members. For this reason, a special area for studying should be set up that is quiet and comfortable for the student.

5. Explore the benefits - One of the greatest advantages of online schools is that they offer flexible formatting. This can be used to adapt an educational program to a student’s learning style. For example, a student who has difficulty focusing can take frequent breaks in order to avoid frustration. Additionally, real-life opportunities, such as visiting a museum or zoo, can be incorporated into a student’s study program so that they have a chance to apply their new knowledge in a real world setting.

When a student enrolls in an online school, they enter an environment that is full of possibilities. Therefore, it is important to establish some basic study strategies, such as following a schedule, learning technology and communicating with their peers, so that they can get the most benefits from the flexibility that an online program provides.

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If you are thinking about a career in hospitality you might wonder why this industry would be a good fit for your career plans. In fact, there are several great reasons why a job in hospitality is a great career move. First, the hospitality industry is diverse. It involves several different kinds of service-oriented careers in fields from tourism to fine dining. Second, it is a large and growing industry. It is easier than ever for people to travel for business and leisure and that leads to an increased demand for services and products offered by the hospitality industry. Then there is the opportunity to work in exciting locations worldwide. You can work in great cities and exotic locations depending on the job and company you work with. Last but not least, you have the opportunity to start a career that has competitive pay and the opportunity to grow.

Diverse Industry

The Hospitality industry is one of the most diverse industries in the world. It includes hotels, resorts, tourism, restaurants, spas, and countless other types of businesses that cater to travelers for business and leisure. This gives you a wide option of careers to choose from. With such a selection it is easier to find a job and career that best fits your talents and interests and still be in the hospitality industry. It is also a great reason why people from different majors and backgrounds all find hospitality an appealing field to work in.

Hospitality is Large and Fast Growing Industry

Even with the effects of a global recession, more people than ever before are traveling for business and leisure and this increase in travel creates booming demand in hospitality services and goods. Even in bad times business from major events, seasonal business travel, and summer vacation destinations drum up a regular flow of business that means steady work and businesses ready to hire.

Work In Exciting Locations

One of the best perks of working for hospitality companies is the opportunity to see the world and work in exciting destinations. Depending on the job you have, you can work in major metropolitan areas like New York, Dubai, or London. You can also work in your dream vacation spot in places like Malibu, the Caribbean, or the French Riviera. At the same time you’ll be exposed to an international staff and clientele that bring diverse viewpoints and cultures that help enrich your job.

Competitive Pay and Benefits

Hospitality provides some of the most competitive jobs in the service sector. Even an entry-level job will pay above minimum wage on average. Jobs with the proper education such as management and sales provide competitive salaries. In addition further opportunities for growth and advancement can arise since many hospitality facilities and businesses are part of franchises and hotel chains.

As you can see there is a lot to recommend the hospitality industry. It is a growing industry that offers opportunity to be part of a global community and do work you love.

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