Question by CT: Anyone had a job teaching/working/living overseas after college?
I’m a soon-to-be senior in college majoring in music education and music therapy. I just recently toured Europe with my choir, and I absolutely LOVE it over here!!

I’ve decided after college, I want to move and work somewhere other than the US – or at least get outside the Midwest (originally from WI). I don’t have any obligations back home – no boyfriend, minimal student loans, and a very supportive family who will still be there when I get back.

I’ve looked a bit into the Peace Corps – love it, but parents think otherwise. And it may be a bit too big of a commitment for me, and there’s no guarantee of my preferred country/job

Anyone have any experience overseas? Where do I start looking for a job? How easy are jobs to get? I’d prefer answers from people who have experienced this firsthand – I like the insider’s perspective! =)

Thank you!!

Best answer:

Answer by L
It depends on what you’re looking for and are willing to settle for, honestly.

Lots of people teach and thoroughly enjoy. There’s a site called Dave’s ESL something or another that has a lot of jobs. They’re all over, but mostly in Asia.

It’s easier in most cases, I think, to get a job first — unless you’re going to waitress your way around the world, which is possible. Work visas are different than tourist visa, and you often have to go through a legitimate employer to get one.

WWOOFing might work for you for a couple ofo eyars.

I did Peace Corps, then I worked a month in my PC country and now I work in Indonesia at an English-language newspaper.

If you have skills, there could be jobs. And speaking English is a skill. If you are willing to settle for low wages in a non-English speaking country, it’s not a bad way to go. (The cost of living is less, so the salary goes more.)

When you get to talking about high-skilled jobs, though, you start to compete with local candidates. You really have to stand out to encourage an employer to bring you in from overseas.

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Question by Michelle: Can anyone please explain to me about the retirement procedure of the Army after he is medically retiring??
My husband was injured in Iraq and he was put on this program and awaiting to be medically retired. Now, I just married him, and I am new to this whole thing, but he was supposed to be retired a year ago and he keeps saying they are postponing it over and over. He says they are getting his paperwork ready and then he gets close to the date he is supposed to go then he says he gets a call and that they postponed it. Not only that. but I asked him the time limit of how long he will be gone because he will have to go to his base he was stationed at, (which is Colorado) and first he said a few days ..maybe a week now he says 2 months…I am confused!!! Is this normal is there something about him and this that I am not being made aware of?

Best answer:

Answer by Mrsjvb
perfectly normal. medical retirements can take a year or longer before all is said an done. the Board has to go through everything and with all the people being injured and similarly separated it can get backed up fairly quickly.

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Question by : Anyone live overseas on a duty station? If so, is it difficult to get stationed overseas again?
My husband and I have two more years left it Okinawa. We would like to go somewhere like Italy next. I guess it doesn’t matter we would just really prefer to stay overseas.

I have heard that it’s both very difficult to get another overseas station but I’ve also heard it’s easy or just luck.
Thanks!

Best answer:

Answer by LarrySmile
Hello Natalie.

No. It is in-fact easier to go COT – Consecutive Overseas Tour. Your major household goods are already in storage in the States. The service will just extend it.

I am going to presume your husband is Air Force. Ask him to go to personnel and fill out his AF Form 392 Airman Assignment Preference sheet (the Dream Sheet) and list Italy, Germany, England, Azores, Turkey Belgium, Spain for his overseas countries and check the “volunteer” COT box.

Depending on his rank, his AFSC, and his skill level, when his last 3 months on The Rock is to end his volunteer choices in the computer will see if it can match him up. Of course, there are less SSgt/TSgt “7″ levels at any base/work center than there are airman who are “3″ and “5″ levels. But, surprisingly, not everyone sitting in the states are willing to “volunteer” for overseas. Most family people want to remain at their base while their kids go to school and their wife has a local job.

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:SYQS2pnA3LIJ:www.usa-federal-forms.com/us-air-force-forms-pdf-optimized-version-a/af392.pdf+air+force+form+392&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShl7S6HFoeqBPlT1s979sjZoWKvX7tsZ5f8agzzv811gVayLW31f-TuQ0kHagtjH3LWfKAsHMH_51qlYZAf-f3AwVqGwLiX6oI4yGe09NZdP2JhdGkXUr7ribMYXjs62eg8u83H&sig=AHIEtbTsebzzZPe2QjOXdAsfx5qThTc6zQ

See the form:

In the Volunteer Status box:

Put code “A” for a COT to Long Tour (36 months)
Put code “B” for a COT to Extended Tour (48 months)

Of course, do put down your US base preferences in case your husband doesn’t get a COT.

But, remember this: Even if he and you do return to the states; 90 days after he gets to his new base he can go to personnel and fill out a new AF Form 392 and Volunteer for Overseas.

I did this and only stayed in Florida 1 year to the month that I left Okinawa (Naha AB) on my 2nd Okinawa assignment and returned to Kadena AB for my 3rd Okinawa assignment. All in all I served 9 years on Okinawa. I extended twice on Kadena to make my 36 month tour a 5 year tour. I was able to finish my B.S. degree with the University of Maryland.

Remember, if the AF didn’t want to send people COT they would not have that volunteer box and volunteer code. AF likes to send volunteers first because it makes it easier on the people who don’t want to volunteer so that they don’t “gripe” when they get tapped for overseas.

But, at the same time, when I was at Eglin AFB, FL for that one year before going back to Okinawa there were people in my shop that were complaining why they had 6+ years there and could not get moved somewhere else.

Answer: They were too cowardly to volunteer for overseas. And, as long as there are enough volunteers for overseas tours the non-volunteers will sit and rot at their base. I never pay attention to the rationale that the kids will be disrupted in school and have to make new friends. That is pure bunk.

Kids love to move somewhere else. They make new friends the day your household goods arrive and you shoo them out of the house while the movers are unloading your stuff. When we got to Chanute AFB for my final assignment my kids disappeared in the houses of the neighbor kids and they made instant friends in 20 minutes!

No kids ever get left back because they changed schools. That’s a mother’s myth.

OK. Have fun.

[I made SSgt, TSgt, and SMSgt while assigned on Okinawa! What does that tell you? Be were the "action" is and your performance report will reflect it better than being in the states in a shop that has 20 "SSgts" just like you.]

Best wishes,

Larry Smith
Senior Master Sergeant, USAF (Ret.)
First Sergeant

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Question by THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE !!!!: Has anyone ever really stayed retired after having a retirement match?

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Answer by Nick
not sure, we all know what happened with flair! rofl,

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Question by tziamin: does anyone know of any us health insurance companies one can purchase if you are us citizen living overseas?

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Answer by lyn
THINK YOU JUST BUY STOCK IN THE CO. CHECK WITH YOUR INVESTMENT PERSON.

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