Don't you think that EIE teachers have always been English teachers? Actually I
thought so because, in Korea, changing jobs is very hard and unusual, and we
spend a lot of time (more than 10 years) to study for preparing for a job. So, we
usually have just one job and couldn't change easily. But in foreign countries,
changing jobs occurs more easily and people often do many part-time jobs from a
young age.
So EIE teachers had many jobs in the past and have had a lot of
experiences before coming to Ewha. We interviewed 4 EIE teachers about their
past jobs and got useful advice.
Bruce Barnes
Q1. What is the worst job you have ever done?
A1. When I was a high school student, I worked at a farm
during one of my summer vacations. I picked up potatoes from the
ground and I got a dollar for each large sack I filled. I started this work
because I wanted some experience of farming. However, the sun was
scorching and there's no shade at all. So every day, I had to go
under the truck during lunch time to hide from the sun. I quit this job after
one week because the task was very tiring. Also, I felt like a slave for a
week. T^T
Q2. What is the best job you have ever done? (Except teaching
in EWHA :D)
A2. I was a teacher at a camp in Australia for
seven years. The camp was in a forest so I taught environmental
education to students who stayed at the camp. However, I was
lonely since there were only three people who worked for the camp.
Also, the camp was situated away from the city so I left the camp every
weekend.
I think this job is one of the best jobs I have ever
done because I like teaching and nature.
Q3. What is one of the unusual jobs you have ever done?
A3. One vacation when I was a student, I worked in a medical
research facility. There, my job was feeding mice. In the medical experiment
rooms there were rooms full of mouse cages, each with a mice food tray and
water bottle. There were so many cages, so when I finished feeding them, the mice in the first cage had already eaten their food, so I had to feed them again without
taking a break. I didn’t like mice but I did it to earn some money. However, I
became used to them after a while.
Q4. Give some advice to EWHA students about working life.
A4. When you start a new job, you often have to do things that
you don't want to do.
That's how life works, so you have to accept that. Be patient.
Also, get along well with the people who you work with. If the job
is horrible but you work with people who are really nice and you like them, it
makes your job enjoyable. However, if you don't like the coworkers,
you'll have a hard time with them. Thus, relationship with your coworkers is
very important.
To do this, have a joke! Socialize!
Q5. What do you want to do in the future?
A5. No comment.
Sue Yim
Q1. What is the best job you have ever done?
A1. I am coordinator of Samsung Art & Design Institute
(SADI) teaching English now and I think my current job is the best. 60% of SADI students are older people who want to change their career late in life. But
they are wonderful and unique because they are artists. I love my students, I
love administration, I love the professors and I even love my pay. Looking
around me, my friends feel a lack of something. But I am satisfied with
everything. I regard myself as a very fortunate and lucky woman.
Q2. What is the worst job you have ever done?
A2. When I was a university student in Canada, I did a sales
job trying to sell subscriptions to a discount electricity company during summer vacation. I had
to knock on doors of unknown houses door to door to convince the people to
change their electricity company. I had to lie a little to sell the electricity
discount. It was terrible for me because I hate lying. But in my view, the
product was the same and the price was almost the same. So I had just one day training
and quit the job even before the first day ended!
Q3. What is the most unusual job you have ever done?
A3. There was a very expensive show describing medieval times
of the 16th~18th century. I was a part-time cashier for the show while I was a
university student. But there was a big problem. All the clerks had to wear
ridiculous pink fairy dresses like ladies of a castle. However, the dress only
came in one size, and it was too small for me and I couldn't breathe. The job
was ok except for the ugly pink dress. I did the job for one summer.
Q4. Can you give us some advice for choosing a job?
A4. First, choose a job you love. Don't be miserable for
pursuing money because your whole working time is more than your whole sleeping time. You
should work 8-10 hours for 30 years. If you do not choose a job which you like,
your life can be stressful for a long time.
Second, try a lot of jobs. Sometimes you don't know what to do. To
me, it's same. I taught physical health education originally, but now I teach
English very happily. There are many chances to experience many jobs, like
internships.
Third, parental advice is always right because they love you most.
Their thinking can be wrong because success is different to different people. But their
hearts which want your success most, are real. In cases, where you want to do
something that parents don't like, if you are happy, make them agree later by
showing your happy life with the job.
Q5. What do you want to do in the future?
A5. I plan to go back to Canada someday. I wish to have
different careers like a businessperson or buyer and seller of property. But
now, I want to teach more.
Thomas Webster
Q1. What is one of the best jobs you have ever done?
A1. I worked as a life guard for one year in Saint Thomas
Island down in the Caribbean Sea. I sat on a life stand in the sand, looking
out at people in the water. Also, I had a whistle and a rescue board which was
about 12 feet long. It was a demanding job because it is related with life, so
I had to pay attention. As a life guard, I saved two and a half lives. I saved
two people by myself and one with another coworker. Actually I had plenty of
time to do other things. Therefore, I could read many books and talk with
friendly people at the beach. I liked this job because I enjoy being outside.
On the beach, the scenery was really beautiful. There were aqua marines, nice
water, white sand and palm trees.
Q2. What is one of the worst jobs you have ever had?
A2. Ummmmm..... I want to tell you some factors that can make
your job bad.
First, a job is difficult when the boss doesn't know anything
about the job that you are doing. For example, let's imagine that you are an
English teacher and your boss doesn't know anything about teaching. Your boss
can make wrong or ineffective decisions because he or she doesn't know anything
about teaching English..
Second, a job is unpleasant when the boss doesn't listen to
their coworkers. It might happen that the boss doesn't know about the job or
makes wrong decisions. The boss can get some helpful information from their
colleagues who guide their boss to make right decisions and should do that..
Third, your job can be bad when your opinion doesn't matter.
In other words, you cannot improve the job because you are blocked from
changing the job. All you can do is just say nothing and do the things that
only the boss made you do. It happens not only because of your boss, but also
sometimes because of the work system.
Q3. What is one of the unusual jobs you have ever had?
A3. I have had an experience as a golf player. I worked at a
bar called 'Berry's Farm' in Saint Thomas Island, as a bartender and waiter.
There was a golf tournament which many local restaurants and bars sponsored.
There was a golf team of 'Berry's Farm' which attended the tournament. Each
team needed four players. But the fourth player in this team was not that good
at playing golf. So, the rest of the members of the team asked me my golf score
and suggested that I be a golfer. My total golf score is not that high but the team
realized that I was good at two golf skills. The team borrowed very expensive
golf gloves for me. They paid me about a hundred dollars and gave some
gifts. Also, I could enjoy some foods served by the sponsor restaurants.
Q4. Do you have some advice to EWHA students when they have a
job?
A4. I want to advise the students to be open minded from now
on. Students need to open their minds for many opportunities. People who have
their favorite jobs got their jobs by chance. Sometimes people get jobs which
have nothing to do with their studies at all. Therefore, do not just focus on
studying and getting a job. Enjoy your life and have fun. Enjoy going out,
seeing live concerts, or traveling even though you don't have money. Also,
follow the opportunities that were given to you naturally. Don't forget to pay
attention to every opportunity you have!
Q5. What do you want to do in the future?
A5. Everything! I mean, I hope to do everything as I can.
Greg Skwarok
Q1. What is the best job you have ever had?
A1. Teaching in Ewha has been one of the best jobs I have ever
had. I really enjoy teaching in the summer Ewha Intensive English program,
because, first, all the students are good and they are here because they want to be
here. So the students are really enthusiastic, energetic, and smart, so it is a
lot of fun to deal with good students. Also, unlike the regular semester
courses, the afternoon teachers can teach anything they want, so we have
complete freedom to teach things that we like and are good at. And so that
makes a wonderful experience. That is the reason teaching is one of my favorite
jobs.
Q2 & 3. What is the worst job you have ever had?
A2 & 3. That’s difficult because I have had so many
different jobs since I was 10 years old! The strangest job and worst job to me
may be the same job. In Canada, when I was 21 years old, one summer, I worked
in a gold mine. I filled a hole made by a drill with water so stones were
falling on my head and it was wet, uncomfortable, and very boring. And also,
one of the strangest jobs is also in the gold mine. I went to eat lunch
bleeding from cuts caused by breaking the rocks. And that was the only time
when I had big muscles because I worked with a 10kg hammer. But the pay was
excellent. I bought a car and paid my university tuition with that pay.
Q4. Please give us advice for students when they choose a job?
A4. I think all students should work, and should travel. Even my father, who was a doctor, well educated and made a good living always said we should work and travel. Travel and working part-time jobs is more important than university education. I think students should learn through life. I think no matter how rich your family is, you should work a part-time job and during the school year, and you should work full-time jobs during the summer and winter breaks. And I don't mean just in jobs tutoring your major or helping your professor. I mean getting out, and meeting many different people and experiencing as many different kinds of jobs as possible, such as working at gas stations, making food in McDonalds, and meeting people who are older than you or younger than you from different countries. Because the more people you meet, the more experience you have. Work experience makes people better at dealing with all kinds of circumstances and with other people. Plus, the feeling that you get from being successful based on your own ability is wonderful.
Q5. What do you want to do in the future?
A5. More of this, I really love teaching, and I spent 14 years as a manager with the Telecom company in Canada before I decided to change careers and become a teacher. I love to teach and I'd like to do more of it.
But I have some other dreams too: playing music, recording music, performing music, writing a book, not just about teaching. I'd like to travel more places. But for my career, I would like to stay in education, maybe do some research and write articles as well. But I'm quite happy with my job here. That's another thing that I say to students who work in a job, who are looking for work so competitively. I always say, "Don't look for a job for the money." Go on to something that you really like. And if you do what you really like, you'll be happy to work hard and because you like it you will work hard and be good at, and because you are good at it, you will be rewarded for it. And my only regret is that I didn't quit the Telecom company much earlier and come here, but I never regret coming here and changing careers. I really like it. And if you are happy with your job, it really makes you happy, and makes you feel healthier and younger. That's something I really like about teaching.
While we were doing the interview, we were very amazed at their various jobs and their enormous experiences. And we can get very useful and helpful advice from our professors. Many Korean students tend to just have high paid jobs at once. We hope everyone changes their mind with these interviews. Don't you think so?
Thanks to professor Bruce, Sue, Thomas and Greg for their sincere answers of our interview! Also, we are sorry that we couldn't interview all of the teachers in EIE because of the time limit. T^T
A4. I think all students should work, and should travel. Even my father, who was a doctor, well educated and made a good living always said we should work and travel. Travel and working part-time jobs is more important than university education. I think students should learn through life. I think no matter how rich your family is, you should work a part-time job and during the school year, and you should work full-time jobs during the summer and winter breaks. And I don't mean just in jobs tutoring your major or helping your professor. I mean getting out, and meeting many different people and experiencing as many different kinds of jobs as possible, such as working at gas stations, making food in McDonalds, and meeting people who are older than you or younger than you from different countries. Because the more people you meet, the more experience you have. Work experience makes people better at dealing with all kinds of circumstances and with other people. Plus, the feeling that you get from being successful based on your own ability is wonderful.
Q5. What do you want to do in the future?
A5. More of this, I really love teaching, and I spent 14 years as a manager with the Telecom company in Canada before I decided to change careers and become a teacher. I love to teach and I'd like to do more of it.
But I have some other dreams too: playing music, recording music, performing music, writing a book, not just about teaching. I'd like to travel more places. But for my career, I would like to stay in education, maybe do some research and write articles as well. But I'm quite happy with my job here. That's another thing that I say to students who work in a job, who are looking for work so competitively. I always say, "Don't look for a job for the money." Go on to something that you really like. And if you do what you really like, you'll be happy to work hard and because you like it you will work hard and be good at, and because you are good at it, you will be rewarded for it. And my only regret is that I didn't quit the Telecom company much earlier and come here, but I never regret coming here and changing careers. I really like it. And if you are happy with your job, it really makes you happy, and makes you feel healthier and younger. That's something I really like about teaching.
While we were doing the interview, we were very amazed at their various jobs and their enormous experiences. And we can get very useful and helpful advice from our professors. Many Korean students tend to just have high paid jobs at once. We hope everyone changes their mind with these interviews. Don't you think so?
Thanks to professor Bruce, Sue, Thomas and Greg for their sincere answers of our interview! Also, we are sorry that we couldn't interview all of the teachers in EIE because of the time limit. T^T