Help me brainstorm how to launch my daughter

[Jann in TX]

My middle dd is turning 25 in a few weeks.  She just completed a master's degree (Linguistics) and has a BS in English/Spanish.  Her masters was completed in the UK and she recently moved back to the states.  She moved in with us due to other health issues that came up while she was gone-- a tumor on her foot (removed this week) and a seizure disorder (partial).

 

She will not be able to walk for at least one month due to the surgery-- she was sharing a house with her older sister (who is without a roommate at the moment) but that house has stairs which are a no-go for now.

 

The seizure disorder (just diagnosed since her return) will have her unable to drive for MONTHS (Dr says at least 6 months).

 

We are RURAL so no public transportation or ride-shares. DH and I work full time-- and having youngest dd in public school means we do a fair share of driving her around after school.

 

There are NO jobs in our area that middle dd is qualified for.  She was wanting to work at a university but they hire mainly in the fall.  There are part-time jobs at our closest community college (above minimum wage) but that is a 45 minute drive each way-- no way DH or I could drive her back and forth.

 

DH and I work online from home-- our internet barely supports this-- no way dd could work online too.

 

We have zero family/friends in big cities with public transportation.

 

My only thought is to have her try to get on as a substitute teacher in our local school-- at least I could get her there and back since I drive her sister.... Middle dd is not excited about this but so far it is the only option that might work-- but our district has a LONG list of subs so no telling how often she would work.

 

Anyone have any creative thoughts about how to get this dd launched?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Twolittleboys]

What does she want to do?

 

Given that she just completed her masters I think it would be best if she could do something in that area/to make herself more employable.

 

Otherwise I would either try to upgrade your internet so she can work from home (or maybe a friend's house etc.) - that would be easiest while she is limited in her movements. 

 

Or try to find her a place to stay in a larger city. Does she have friends from college etc. she could stay with? I know you said that you have no friends in large cities but maybe someone she knows from college wouldn't mind a roommate for a while?

 

[Guest]

Do you need to have her work? Can she volunteer somewhere, enough to keep her busy, plus maybe in-kind for "room&board"?

 

Can she work on career/personal development perhaps at the library while younger sister is at school? Does she have access to any resources from her undergrad still?

 

Can she move back in with older sister after the month?

 

Do your definition of "launch" and hers mesh?

[Carol in Cal.]

My feeling is that she needs some margin at this point.  She has just discovered that she has a major, debilitating illness that will keep her from driving for no less than 6 months, and that will need to be managed for the rest of her life.  

 

I don't know that I would focus too hard on paid employment right now.

 

I think I would expect her to do a combo of taking classes and working on the house/property/family stuff for at least 6-7 hours per day, and not push on the career thing until the driving issue settles down, if I could afford to support her on that.  

[EMS83]

What Carol said.  If you can afford it, let her work for you until she can hire on where she wants in Fall 2018.  She can start applying to universities in the meantime, right?

[PeterPan]

Personally, I would rather use Uber than public transportation in a big city. You might have her go through a normal job search process, see if she can find a job in her field (since she's clearly qualified for something) and then pick the job that has the best convergence of Uber and pay.

 

Does she WANT to work right now? If she feels well, I would encourage her to launch out. You can never assume seizures will be controlled enough to drive. It would be nice if they were, but that may not be reality. So she plans on Uber and a scooter for her foot (if needed) and she goes forward and takes the job she is well enough to do in the field she enjoys. I wouldn't keep her home if the accommodations (Uber, scooter, etc.) will allow her to leave.

[PeterPan]

How does she feel about her seizures? Some people have seizures once and never again. They can be due to stress, etc. I've known people like that. And some people deal with them all their lives, not necessarily controlled by meds. It's just going to vary. 

 

Don't pause life for it. Whatever she feels up to doing, she should go do anyway. She might find some support groups online, on FB or something, and chat with them about how they do it.

[Jann in TX]

Margin--

This is what DH and I are thinking right now-- DD is feeling STUCK-- she has 4 medical specialists she is currently juggling right now-- moving 4-6 hours away to a big city would take a HUGE effort especially without friends/family support.

 

Older sister lives an hour away-- her town is larger (university town)-- but no public transportation in her neighborhood.  That university requires experience and a teaching degree.. plus they do not offer classes in her area of specialty (reason why dd looked abroad for masters program). 

No college friends still in area (most of her friends were international students).

 

Absolutely NO WAY to upgrade our internet situation-- at the moment we have THREE providers plus DH can use his work phone... with juggling it can only support 2 of us at one time.

 

Before the seizures were noted DD had grand plans of teaching English in some place like S. Korea, China or Japan.  She had excellent contacts... but her medical issues are tipping the scale right now (did I mention that she has a boat load of food allergies now-- ONE sesame seed and she goes into immediate anaphylactic shock-and her favorite place- S. Korea- LOVES sesame!).

 

Our best thought is to encourage her teach for a few years in a public school-- maybe in a big city (for transportation). I taught in an inner-city school one year-- personally, I don't see her surviving that-- but she may surprise me...still it would be next fall before she could move out.

 

 

 

[EmilyGF]

My feeling is that she needs some margin at this point.  She has just discovered that she has a major, debilitating illness that will keep her from driving for no less than 6 months, and that will need to be managed for the rest of her life.  

 

I don't know that I would focus too hard on paid employment right now.

 

I think I would expect her to do a combo of taking classes and working on the house/property/family stuff for at least 6-7 hours per day, and not push on the career thing until the driving issue settles down, if I could afford to support her on that.  

On one hand, I agree with this. On the other hand, I could see taking time off spiraling into depression. I could see myself seeing time off as an admission that I was unemployable and then assuming I'd never be employable again. But that's how I think.

 

I live in a major walkable city. Many of the churches around here have message boards that young twenty-somethings use to rent out rooms in shared apartments. I also know that it is currently impossible for me to hire a sitter - because every young person I know is gainfully employed. So there are many opportunities to work. Some work career jobs, others do things ranging from running tutoring centers to nannying to working at small shops. 

 

Emily

[EmilyGF]

Sorry, you posted while I did. 

 

How about teaching English remotely to Chinese students? The hours tend to be really early - maybe she could finish teaching before you and DH start your online jobs?

[MedicMom]

I don’t know about your state or what she has available, but a teaching credential sounds like it would be valuable. Maybe she could look into post baccalaureate teaching certification options or alternative credentialing?

It honestly sounds like a job is just not in the cards for her this year. And that’s okay, especially if she’s academic and further schooling is possible and beneficial.

[Jann in TX]

Sorry, you posted while I did. 

 

How about teaching English remotely to Chinese students? The hours tend to be really early - maybe she could finish teaching before you and DH start your online jobs?

 

She has looked into this-- she is so not a young-child teacher-- most opportunities are for working with younger children.  Her degree and associated volunteer work was centered around adults so high school and older...

 

 

[Jann in TX]

On one hand, I agree with this. On the other hand, I could see taking time off spiraling into depression. I could see myself seeing time off as an admission that I was unemployable and then assuming I'd never be employable again. But that's how I think.

 

I live in a major walkable city. Many of the churches around here have message boards that young twenty-somethings use to rent out rooms in shared apartments. I also know that it is currently impossible for me to hire a sitter - because every young person I know is gainfully employed. So there are many opportunities to work. Some work career jobs, others do things ranging from running tutoring centers to nannying to working at small shops. 

 

Emily

 

I think potential depression is a VERY real concern (she has had past struggles with it).

 

I don't think that taking a random nanny job (especially since she is NOT a young child person) would be a good match.  She has worked in retail-- but would feel like a failure if she went back there after getting her higher degree.

 

Keeps sounding like teaching (getting her certificate) is the way to go-- keeps forward progress and can lead to more opportunities.  Her thoughts are to teach provisionally while getting the certification classes (online)... but then still hard to do until next fall.

 

 

[linders]

Tutoring? Maybe with kids coming to her, or meeting in a nearby public place?

[PeterPan]

With her credentials, what about a job with the CIA? Something in an office, with a consistent schedule, not stressful with kids. Moving to a major city, once it's DONE, could actually be really good because she'd have proximity to better medical care. Large cities are set up to handle people with no cars. She'd fit in and be normal there.

[EmilyGF]

How about translating English/Spanish online? It wouldn't make her rich, but at least it'd use her degree.

 

FWIW, I've started translating in the past four months and you can PM me if you want to know more. 

 

You do need some internet connection, but a lot can be done when not connected.

 

Another idea would be remote medical interpreting (is that just phone or does that require internet; I'm not sure since I don't do that). 

 

Emily

[Andromeda]

Does it need to be teaching at the  university?

 

With her degree, she can promote her excellent communication skills, which are highly valued.

 

She could look into jobs in curriculum design, academic advising, enrollment management, communications and marketing, institutional research, department secretary/executive secretary, billing/procurement, etc. Keep looking on the university's career site for staff rather than faculty, or look on higheredjobs.com .

 

There are many non-teaching jobs at universities, which could be hiring year-round. If she gets a full time job, even if it is not an ideal job, she may have benefits as well as possible tuition remission for a teaching certificate or a PhD or whatever else she likes. She can build contacts by attending various department and campus-wide functions. Some jobs are open to internal candidates only, so getting one job doesn't mean she has to stay doing it for a long time.

 

She could also look for online/remote adjunct positions in General Education that does not require a degree in English as Composition courses may.

 

ETA

 

She can teach herself analytics tools such as Tableau (very visual and tons of YouTube videos available) and add it to her resume. People who can do analytics and understand higher ed can also be needed. There is a lot being done with tracking student learning outcomes, course objectives, attendance, etc.

Edited November 11, 2017 by RosemaryAndThyme

[Catwoman]

If your internet was better, I would suggest that she apply for jobs teaching online college courses. That way, she would be able to work from home if she isn't able to drive.

[bolt.]

I think the basics are that, (1) If she must recover, her work (if any) must be within what is healthy for her physically and mentally. (2) If she won't be driving long-term she must be urban or local to her place of employment.

 

Campuses seem promising. She should network hard, as well as apply 'cold' to as many institutions as possible. Do colleges / universities still have any staff housing? Or a network of known rentals that frequently rent to the staff, facuslty and students? What about being a dorm adult inside a residence: is that still a thing?

 

Has she considered any overseas destinations that might have excellent healthcare for 'upper classes and foreigners' even if they don't have a great standard of living for most residents?

Edited November 11, 2017 by bolt.

[mommyoffive]

What do you and your dh do from home?  You are using 3 internet providers? 

 

This sounds odd to me.   Dh works from home and all 4 kids go to an online charter school, plus I surf and do things online.  Our normal internet works for 6 computers online all day. 

[TechWife]

Can she move back on with her sister? Most people can manage stairs while on crutches. If she did that and had a better internet connection, she might be able to find work with an online interpreting company, such as the ones used by hospitals.

[Pippen]

I think the basics are that, (1) If she must recover, her work (if any) must be within what is healthy for her physically and mentally. (2) If she won't be driving long-term she must be urban or local to her place of employment.

 

Campuses seem promising. She should network hard, as well as apply 'cold' to as many institutions as possible. Do colleges / universities still have any staff housing? Or a network of known rentals that frequently rent to the staff, facuslty and students? What about being a dorm adult inside a residence: is that still a thing?

 

Has she considered any overseas destinations that might have excellent healthcare for 'upper classes and foreigners' even if they don't have a great standard of living for most residents?

 

I had a young adult child with a major illness that took him off his expected path for a year and a half. What was absolutely critical during that time period was that he kept moving forward in some way towards his goal.

 

I'd be framing up with immediate, intermediate, and long-term goals. ie. For the next number of weeks she recovers at home while exploring places to relocate where she can be independent. And while she's in the home, she tries out UBER so she has transportation independent of you.

 

Intermediate, she either lives at home and works an alternate job (online off hours from yours, retail, or whatever is available) OR she relocates and finds employment more suited to her skills while looking for the job she really wants. I know you said that retail is going to feel below her skills, but real life is that sometimes we do that either because we have to or because it's best due to circumstances in our lives. I just spent 5+ years substitute teaching because it was best for my family. It definitely wasn't my dream job.  

 

At least in a city, she'd have many more options available, including working as a translator, tutor, etc. 

[AmandaVT]

What do you and your dh do from home?  You are using 3 internet providers? 

 

This sounds odd to me.   Dh works from home and all 4 kids go to an online charter school, plus I surf and do things online.  Our normal internet works for 6 computers online all day. 

 

In more rural areas, Internet speeds can be terrible. We ran into that situation a few times when looking for a house a few years back. I have friends that live 20 min from here that have 2 different ISP's somehow rigged together and they still get barely fast enough internet to stream. Meanwhile, we have a different provider option (cable) here and regularly get over 150 Mbps. Another friend lives about 25 min south of me and the only ISP she can get offers satellite with maybe 1-2 Mbps speeds. They use their cell phones as hotspots. It's frustrating.

[kiana]

Is there anyone locally that you know (possibly through homeschoolers) who would be interested in tutoring? It would not be full-time work, but it would be something to keep her brain engaged and have money coming in for her that's not a gift from you. It can be utterly demoralizing when even something like ordering a new book is with money that you know is really a gift from your parents. 

[Lanny]

@Jann  Question #1:   With the degrees and experience she has now, if she was not recuperating from the foot surgery and did not have the seizure disorder, what type of position(s) is she qualified for, today, and where are those positions?

 

I believe she should try to advance towards that. What's her fastest path to employment where her education is valued by the potential employers?

 

Question #2:  I don't know how to phrase this properly.  Will her Masters from the UK be recognized (that's not the correct word) by universities and other potential employers in the USA or will she need to have some kind of Certification or Accreditation for that, since it is from overseas? (I suspect it may be that the education she received in the UK is superior to what she might have received in the USA, but I am not positive about that).

 

Trying to work as a Tutor, or overseas in a school that is accredited in the USA, as an English language teacher, they will probably limit the candidates to those with Teaching experience.  In a "Language Institute", they may be more flexible about credentials and prior teaching experience, but pay much less.

 

There is a web site called FlexJobs.com that I would pay to join if I had any recent working experience.

 

Your Internet situation at home obviously limits what she might be able to do via Internet, since you and your DH are using the Bandwidth you have available now.

 

Much good luck to her!  Recovery from the surgery will be quick.  Managing the Seizure Disorder is critical to her.  

 

ETA: If you had more Internet Bandwidth (we went from 2 Mbps to 50 Mbps, 6 months ago, which changed what we can do on the Internet) possibly she might try to find a way to get a  Teaching Certificate, Online, from Texas Tech University, or some other university, however, I suspect that to get a Teaching Certificate one needs to have some practice experience teaching in a classroom.  I hope so... There are people who have transitioned, with Business and Engineering degrees, into Education, so possibly with the degrees she has she can do that and get a Teaching Credential via an approved, alternate method, for people who don't have a B.A. from the College of Education?

 

ETA #2: I googled (search results limited to Monster.com) for the word Linguistics. This is the URL:

https://www.monster.com/jobs/search/?q=linguistics

Edited November 11, 2017 by Lanny

[Jann in TX]

What do you and your dh do from home?  You are using 3 internet providers? 

 

This sounds odd to me.   Dh works from home and all 4 kids go to an online charter school, plus I surf and do things online.  Our normal internet works for 6 computers online all day. 

 

Our basic internet (from phone company) is NOT reliable-- as in hit or miss EVERY day-- joys of rural living.

 

I run my business off of a wireless broadband provider but speed is only 2 Mbps (as in TWO)-- my dd in the city complains if hers is less than 60!  It can only handle one user at a time.  It is reliable and I pay $150 per MONTH for it.

 

DH has his phone and uses the basic.. we are trying a new provider with a wireless hotspot--  VERY fast but it is metered-- not enough data to use for a job PLUS it does not handle voice very well (pretty much only good for cruising websites that do not use video).  DH and I cannot use it for our work unless we do audio via phone.

 

Again we live VERY remote like not inside the city limits of anywhere.  We are close (like a mile or two) from better internet-- but we have been waiting YEARS for them to extend it to our neighborhood (everyone has 10 acres or more so we are spread out).

Edited November 11, 2017 by Jann in TX

[Jann in TX]

Can she move back on with her sister? Most people can manage stairs while on crutches. If she did that and had a better internet connection, she might be able to find work with an online interpreting company, such as the ones used by hospitals.

 

Not until after her foot heals- then she still has transportation issues-- her sister works odd hours  but at least ride sharing is available.

 

 

[Jann in TX]

@Jann  Question #1:   With the degrees and experience she has now, if she was not recuperating from the foot surgery and did not have the seizure disorder, what type of position(s) is she qualified for, today, and where are those positions?

 

I believe she should try to advance towards that. What's her fastest path to employment where her education is valued by the potential employers?

 

Question #2:  I don't know how to phrase this properly.  Will her Masters from the UK be recognized (that's not the correct word) by universities and other potential employers in the USA or will she need to have some kind of Certification or Accreditation for that, since it is from overseas? (I suspect it may be that the education she received in the UK is superior to what she might have received in the USA, but I am not positive about that).

 

Her dream job would be to work a few years teaching English (adults) in S. Korea then moving back to states to work towards a PHD.  She would like to do research and perhaps design curriculum for teaching English (or a foreign language to English speakers)... her linguistics degree was in cognitive linguistics and she is also dyslexic-- so has thought about working towards dyslexic research and curriculum (maybe being a dyslexic specialist in a school).

 

Her masters was at one of the top universities in the WORLD for linguistic studies.  No issue with the degree being accepted in the USA.  One of her advisors is considered one of the leading dyslexic specialists in the world (can't remember her name at the moment)... it was a great opportunity (and cost effective too!).

 

--

DD is currently on SEVERAL medications-- even living in the UK, she had issues getting her meds (and getting appropriate medical treatment).  She is concerned about adding yet another med (anti-seizure) and at the same time dealing with her increasing food allergies!

[elegantlion]

Are there any jobs at the university, perhaps with ESL programs or dealing with International students? I would think that getting her back with her sister and at least in that type of environment would be beneficial, both career and emotional wise. 

 

 

[almondbutterandjelly]

What about private school substituting or teaching?  Do you have any nearby?  They don't generally required certification, and they would be thrilled to have someone with a master's.  Yes, the pay is probably not as good as at public, but it is employment and a nice job for a resume.  

[Jean in Newcastle]

My opinion:

 

Taking a short vacation for foot healing isn't stopping the launch process.  It's a vacation.  That said, lots of people who have stairs break bones and manage to  navigate them with crutches or just on their bottom. 

 

The seizure disorder sounds like a lifelong one even if the driving restriction might be for only six months.  If the sister is in a less rural area, I would still advise your daughter to move in with her. 

 

The food allergies also sound like a lifelong thing to manage.  Are the food allergies new?  I've found that after a month or two, I start to get in a rhythm of cooking and food management with new food allergies.  I would not do all of the food managing for her.  She's going to have to manage her own food needs. 

[Miss Mousie]

Can she get reasonable internet time at the library, and is transportation to/from the library feasible?  She could maybe do a few hours a week of online tutoring from there.

 

Can she self-study Korean without internet?  Maybe get the reading/writing down until she can find a native speaker to work with.

 

[Jann in TX]

My opinion:

 

Taking a short vacation for foot healing isn't stopping the launch process.  It's a vacation.  That said, lots of people who have stairs break bones and manage to  navigate them with crutches or just on their bottom. 

 

The seizure disorder sounds like a lifelong one even if the driving restriction might be for only six months.  If the sister is in a less rural area, I would still advise your daughter to move in with her. 

 

The food allergies also sound like a lifelong thing to manage.  Are the food allergies new?  I've found that after a month or two, I start to get in a rhythm of cooking and food management with new food allergies.  I would not do all of the food managing for her.  She's going to have to manage her own food needs. 

 

She is trying to ward of depression by seeing this as a 'vacation'-- her master's program was a 1-year intensive and it was INTENSE!  (Dr thinks it may have caused the current cluster of seizures but evidence seems to point to her having this most of her life)-- I would NOT be comfortable being in a car with her driving un-medicated.  Her pauses are for 20-30 seconds and come on without warning!

 

She cannot rest her foot on ground for at least 1 month-- stairs are not an option- too much of a risk.  She is in a 'walking cast' but even putting that down for a few seconds can cause permanent disability.  I had an injury to the same place (plantar fascia) a few years ago and I went 10 months without putting my foot down!  A broken bone in a cast would be less of an issue. 

 

She may well move in with her sister after the holidays if the room is still available...but this may not be the best option for the big sister!  We (she and I) do much better if she is not living at home.

 

She is great at handling her food issues-- the trouble comes when eating out.  Even after giving wait staff detailed instructions her food is often contaminated-- most people see food 'allergies' as OK lets move it off of the sesame bun onto a regular bun and it will be ok to serve-- this happened two weeks ago and she spent several hours in the ER!

 

[Twolittleboys]

The more I think about it the more I feel that at 25 the decision should mostly be hers. I don't mean that you should not be supportive - of course you should! But it sounds like she has been quite independent before so I really would concentrate on what it is she wants to do / thinks best and help her achieve that. So much depends on personality - for some taking six months to heal/adjust/take a break is great, for others it might cause depression or make it difficult to get back out there.

 

Once her foot heals she should be fine as long as she doesn't have to drive, right? So any midsize/larger city with public transportation would be good. 

[JessieC]

I'm wondering if she could start an at-home tutoring business for children with reading disabilities, or work at a tutoring center. Experience with dyslexia is high-need right now. Perhaps she could start working toward a reading specialist certficiation.

[Jaybee]

This may be way out of her interests, and she would have to be back in a more populated area to do this--but what about adult education/literacy type work?

[OneStepAtATime]

While you and she work out the details of what to do, what about seeking tutoring of adults or high schoolers with reading issues like dyslexia?  If she could afford the cost she could get something like Barton Reading and Spelling as her spine and her background could help her modify as needed.  She would only need the first three levels initially (since nearly ALL students, regardless of age, start with Level 1) and could pay for the remaining levels as her students advanced into them.  I live in a relatively low cost of living area and tutors here charge at least $50 an hour and are in high demand.  There are so few they are always booked solid.

 

She could advertise through something like Wyzant, plus post at the local CC/Uni.  Maybe start with just one or two students twice a week, then add more as she feels able to.  Perhaps with help she could meet them at the local library or somewhere similar.

[GoodGrief]

Hugs to all of you. Having a new, possibly chronic, health condition sprung on her just when she was all set for the next big adventure must have been such a shock. And I am thinking you want to have her fairly close by or in a place with some support until you have reassurance that she is stable.

 

I assume moving the family to a location where you could better support her is probably unrealistic?

 

I do think, given the uncertainty of her diagnosis and a possible need for reliable medical support plus public transportation. I would be strongly encouraging her to look to a move to a major city. That doesn't need to happen immediately, of course. Are finances an immediate concern? Does she really have to work right now?

[elegantlion]

Congratulations to her for completing the UK program. I considered applying to UK schools for my master's and look at several course of studies. It is intense! If nothing else, she has earned a few months of a break even without health issues. 

 

I do hope she is able to reconsider her international options at some point. I have a friend who went to teach English in Taiwan several years ago, he has since stayed, teaches full-time, doesn't have to worry about a car, and as acclimated to the culture. 

 

Are there any cultural groups in the nearest city where she could look for jobs or offer tutoring. 

 

I would also suggest doing some heavy self-study in languages. That would definitely be a step of progress and is something I hear advised regularly in my field for students taking time off from studies. 

[RootAnn]

This may be way out of her interests, and she would have to be back in a more populated area to do this--but what about adult education/literacy type work?

 

This was what I thought of. Could she volunteer to teach English to non-native speakers in the area and/or help local people prepare for whatever your state's version of the GED is?

Our local library has volunteers who do the latter, and we live in a very small town. It would help her to have "teaching experience" even without money coming in.

[Lanny]

@Jann   I haven't read all of the posts in this thread. I think it was in post #30 you responded to me...  Dyslexia, I don't think that was mentioned in post #1.  Interesting...  Years ago, I worked on Avionics for a Civil Turbojet. The young Engineer I was working with (he was an employee, I was a contractor) had Dyslexia.  He had I'm certain, had very tough issues to overcome, to make it out of the College of Engineering, but he did it.

 

With regard to her Medical problems. The Seizures are the #1 priority and the food allergies are also very important, but way below the Seizures on the priority level.

 

Dream job is teaching English to Adults in South Korea.   If she is willing to do that for low pay, I assume there are Language Institutes there, as there are here in Colombia, where they might be very happy to hire someone who doesn't have Teaching experience and a Teaching Certificate.

 

Higher salary is probably going to require a Teaching Certificate and some classroom experience and if she had that, she could do Online Tutoring, if she had High Speed Internet available.

 

Here, there's a U.S. Accredited K-12 school (DD went there for K4, K5 and First Grade and then more than 50% of my income stopped and we had to pull her out of there).  Let's assume that your DD wanted to teach here and that she would prefer to teach Adults.  Let's assume she wanted to teach in their High School. Almost Adults...  I do not believe they would hire someone without Classroom teaching experience.  I do not believe they would hire someone without a Teaching certificate from some state in the USA.  I believe if they did that, it would be a big problem with their Accreditation in the USA.  Probably it would be the same, with a U.S. Accredited K-12 school in the USA.  But, if the school isn't accredited in the USA, they wouldn't have that problem...

 

I wonder if she might look at openings in universities in South Korea. Also, with the South Korean government.  Possibly with one of their Armed Forces, teaching English to the troops or officers. Something like that.

 

It will probably be VERY tough for her to get the first job and get the first experience on her resume. Once she has that, it's much easier. That's the same in any profession.  

 

Is there any chance that where you live that Terrestrial Internet is available?    I have a childhood friend in UT who is very rural and he has that.  WiMax? Something on that order?

 

Your DD sounds pretty "disabled" with the foot, but that's very temporary. Have her concentrate on the Seizure Control and Food Allergies and she will be OK.  Is her Drivers License OK with the Seizure problem?

[katilac]

I apologize if I'm repeating suggestions, but I don't have time to read the replies now and I wanted to post while I was thinking about it. 

 

How about online tutoring? My college kid is an online tutor for Chegg, and she makes $20 an hour (which is more than her mom makes, lol). You can change your availability day by day, so she doesn't have to work if she's having a bad day. If she gets some regulars with scheduled times, she wouldn't want to constantly  reschedule, but it's online and thus easier than actually getting up and going to work. 

 

Skype-style video is available, but most of dd's students don't want it. 

 

Her school lets out quite early in December and again in May, so she's hoping to make a fortune when the late-release schools are in finals! 

[Hannah]

For my husband, it took a long time for the side effects of his seizure medication to subside.  He was extremely tired for the first few months.

Also, watch out for the depression as they are a side-effect of some of the medications. 

After the tough academic year, I'd definitely consider this a vacation.

[DawnM]

I am sorry.  I know when I finished my schooling, I was chomping at the bit to work and get on with things......and I would not have considered this any sort of vacation.  Vacation is relaxing and fun and this sounds like neither.

 

If internet options are out

And public transportation is out

And you and DH driving her to the city are out

And living with her sister is out for sure or just not preferred?  

 

That leaves very little and I don't know what your area has to offer.  Are there any easy retail jobs she could do in the meantime?  Subbing sounds like the best option to do what she wants to do eventually, but then how will that work with her meds, seizures, and foot issues?  Teaching requires quite a bit of walking around.

 

Is there a tutoring center near you?  That would allow her to get a good reference later on.  And it is usually in the afternoon/evenings.

 

Does the sister get better internet?  Maybe she will need to live with sister and figure out how to make it work so she would work from home on the computer?

[Lanny]

If and when she can get a good Internet connection, post #46 which mentioned Chegg Online Tutoring is awesome.  Chegg is traded publicly (NYSE) so it is a huge company and one shouldn't have trouble getting paid by a company like that for work they do.  

[leeannpal]

Is there any way she could start on her PHD now? One of the things I regret most is putting off a PHD because I never got back around to it. I realize it would have to be after her foot has healed, but a PHD program at a larger university could offer a living environment in which driving is not necessary. 

[wendy not in HI]

In our very small town, there is a nonprofit organization that runs the language tutoring at the library. I believe their focus is literacy - they focus on grade level reading initiatives in the schools and also tutoring for adults (at the library). I think they are working out of the united way offices here, but funded by a separate grant.

 

As she is recuperating, have her start looking into nonprofits that serve those transitioning to america. Or those who teach ESL classes to adults. Or literacy groups, etc. There may be an organization in your town or her sister's town where she can volunteer occasionally and keep her resume growing. Even if it's less than once a week and arranged around everyone's driving and working schedules it would still be an opportunity to grow in the direction of her degree.

 

Researching PHD programs is another great idea.

[J-rap]

It sounds like the two biggest reasons for her staying home are because of her foot healing and her need to see medial specialists in your area (at least for now).  The inability to drive does pose a small problem, but I know of a lot of young people who don't have cars and can make it work.

 

Assuming she's feeling good and motivated, she could work at doing something from home for now that is interesting and makes her feel like she is still working toward her career goals in some way, while at the same making "next step" plans for six months from now, which will help her to keep looking forward and feeling excited about her future.

 

As far as what to do now, has she considered becoming an official translator?  I don't know what the process is, but if she's fluent in Spanish, that might be a possibility and could be something she could do at home.  (Lots of documents, etc., require an official translation.)  Or, would she be interested in taking a TEFL course online?  If you have a local public library, perhaps they have computers with good online service that she could use for that.

 

Then for next step plans.  Once everything is under control, will she feel comfortable going abroad?  I'm thinking she could begin right now looking into teaching abroad for next fall.  My dd did that for a couple years in France, and I believe the deadline was in February.  Your dd could always apply now, assuming her health will be stabilized by then.  I'd look into cities that have a good medical system.  She could also apply at graduate schools for next fall to get her PhD.  I know she wanted to take time off before doing that, but maybe she could just jump into it next fall instead.  

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 12, 2017 by J-rap