After getting the degree

[nykorn]

Graduated from Sweden. Moved to Japan, Taiwan and the US after graduation.

I speak C1 Japanese but it's still almost impossible to find your first decent job there - most foreigners any company hires are on spouse or student visas so the companies never actually do anything in the visa process and they refuse to try and get someone a work visa, despite saying in the job ad that they're "foreigner friendly". The companies that do give visas usually treat and pay you like dirt but they get away with it because they specifically aim for young stereotypical foreigners who don't speak Japanese, will never read the labor laws, etc. I have gotten rejected from jobs because they specifically want English teachers who don't know a word of Japanese. I speak Japanese but to any job outside of English teaching that means nothing because the entire country speaks it better than you, it's not a special qualification, it's a bare minimum most of the time.

You can pay money to use a recruitment service that will fix up and spam out your resume and teach you how to pass job interviews for Japan. This may cost ＄1,000 or more.

Taiwan was terrible, entire job duties, location, living costs and living quality was a lie from the company, which was doing illegal activities and among other things trying to lie to foreigners getting them to live in Taiwan illegally. Human rights violations such as physical abuse at the workplace. Animals chained up in the street with literal iron chains bolted into the ground. Coworkers all doing drugs to cope. That's another risk you take with a foreign job.

It's been easy to find jobs in America and unlike in Europe, most Americans don't have degrees so a Bachelor's or Master's really stands out. As a dual citizen I don't need a visa. However America is inconvenient (no busses where I live) and dangerous (most people whether coworkers or clients are drug addicts or former drug addicts. We find hard drugs or drug injection/smoking/inhaling tools at work left by clients all the time)

You need to consider a lot of small stuff like money, public transportation, high percentage of apartments that refuse to rent to foreigners, healthcare costs without insurance (before work starts or after getting laid off), time needed to find a new job before you lose your residency permission and get deported after you get laid off...

I personally will try going abroad again after I get my Master's.

[LevelUP]

Graduated from Sweden. Moved to Japan, Taiwan and the US after graduation.

I speak C1 Japanese but it's still almost impossible to find your first decent job there - most foreigners any company hires are on spouse or student visas so the companies never actually do anything in the visa process and they refuse to try and get someone a work visa, despite saying in the job ad that they're "foreigner friendly". The companies that do give visas usually treat and pay you like dirt but they get away with it because they specifically aim for young stereotypical foreigners who don't speak Japanese, will never read the labor laws, etc. I have gotten rejected from jobs because they specifically want English teachers who don't know a word of Japanese. I speak Japanese but to any job outside of English teaching that means nothing because the entire country speaks it better than you, it's not a special qualification, it's a bare minimum most of the time.

You can pay money to use a recruitment service that will fix up and spam out your resume and teach you how to pass job interviews for Japan. This may cost ＄1,000 or more.

Taiwan was terrible, entire job duties, location, living costs and living quality was a lie from the company, which was doing illegal activities and among other things trying to lie to foreigners getting them to live in Taiwan illegally. Human rights violations such as physical abuse at the workplace. Animals chained up in the street with literal iron chains bolted into the ground. Coworkers all doing drugs to cope. That's another risk you take with a foreign job.

It's been easy to find jobs in America and unlike in Europe, most Americans don't have degrees so a Bachelor's or Master's really stands out. As a dual citizen I don't need a visa. However America is inconvenient (no busses where I live) and dangerous (most people whether coworkers or clients are drug addicts or former drug addicts. We find hard drugs or drug injection/smoking/inhaling tools at work left by clients all the time)

You need to consider a lot of small stuff like money, public transportation, high percentage of apartments that refuse to rent to foreigners, healthcare costs without insurance (before work starts or after getting laid off), time needed to find a new job before you lose your residency permission and get deported after you get laid off...

I personally will try going abroad again after I get my Master's.

There can be a lot of pitfalls in teaching English overseas, though some can do really well and make 6 figures.

You need to treat it like a business and position yourself to make the most possible. Only sign a contract written in English.

Ben's YouTube channel on teaching English is pretty helpful
https://www.youtube.com/c/benteachesenglishoverseas

[rachel83az]

Only sign a contract in English if that contract is legally enforceable in the country. In more than one country, the contract must be written in the country's official language. They may provide you with a translation, and even have you sign the translation, but it's the non-English one that's enforceable. They may or may not tell you this. If the translator didn't get the nuance right, you can expect to be hit with a nasty surprise in the future.

When in doubt, hire legal representation to check the contract for you. In many countries, this may only be a few tens to a couple hundred dollars, but it's worth it to be sure of what you're signing.

[LevelUP]

Only sign a contract in English if that contract is legally enforceable in the country. In more than one country, the contract must be written in the country's official language. They may provide you with a translation, and even have you sign the translation, but it's the non-English one that's enforceable. They may or may not tell you this. If the translator didn't get the nuance right, you can expect to be hit with a nasty surprise in the future.  

When in doubt, hire legal representation to check the contract for you. In many countries, this may only be a few tens to a couple hundred dollars, but it's worth it to be sure of what you're signing.

Yeah, that is the problem. Even a contract written in English is hard enough to understand with all the nuances.

Ben's advice is never to sign a contract written in any language other than English. Avoid translation versions as well, as they may be incorrect or hide important details.

He has worked in South Korea, China, and Spanish-speaking countries, and he makes six figures doing it.

They love to exploit wide-eyed new teachers who think they are on vacation while in another country and might accept whatever low-ball offer is given.

[ArielB74]

Taiwan was terrible ... Coworkers all doing drugs to cope. 

... dangerous (most people whether coworkers or clients are drug addicts or former drug addicts. We find hard drugs or drug injection/smoking/inhaling tools at work left by clients all the time)

Gosh what industry are you in that you're finding all of these drug addicts?!  I've been working for over 25 years and I haven't even encountered one.