ELT Post-Graduation: Teaching's The Only Option?

ELT is one of the most advantageous fields, in my opinion. You get to learn English (duh),
how to write academic papers (both in English and your mother tongue), how to analyze the
properties of a language, and last but not least, how to be a teacher. In a field that teaches you
various information, no wonder one would expect to have a variety of job opportunities after
graduation. And those job opportunities could be divided into these categories: dealing-with-
the-kids jobs (a.k.a. teaching), lay-low-and-be-at-ease jobs (a.k.a. translation and other
freelance jobs), and go-on-a-world-trip jobs (a.k.a. tourism-related jobs).

Let's talk about the first category, the dealing-with-the-kids jobs. This category -which is
the main focus of the ELT field- requires not only the utmost patience and attention to the class
but also a good sense of guidance. It's not a job everybody can do, not even all the students that
are graduated from this field, but once you get the hang of it, it's only a matter of time that it
gets easier. Of course, unlike how the category implies, you won't always have to deal with
"kids," you'll be teaching to various age groups. It's a job that pays you very well, especially if
you're a certified teacher in the state schools.

Moving on to the second category, the lay-low-and-be-at-ease jobs. Now, personally,

translation-related jobs aren't a reliable source of income. There might not always be any job to
do, and even when there are some, translation companies take them first generally. When you
get a job though, it's pretty easy to get it done, because you'll be at home and be comfortable.
Translation jobs have a variety to them as well, ranging from e-mail translation to legal
translation, from proofreading to subtitling. You'll need to improve yourself and learn many
things. In my opinion, ELT graduates should consider translation jobs only as an optional way of
income.

And here comes the last category, the go-on-a-world-trip jobs. Tourism-related jobs, or
more specifically being a tour guide, requires a long time of devotion and communication skills.
Not to mention, you'll need to learn about the places you'll show to people. It's a tiring job, to
say the least, but depending on where you work for, you may get paid better than you expect.
Traveling and seeing new places is also a big plus.

Of course, these categories only scratch the surface, but they are the most common jobs
for ELT graduates (if you don't count the cliché fast-food jobs). What do you think? Which
category suit you the best?