I work in tech and have since my teens. I've done contracting for web dev, I worked for a systems integrator, and I've been a sysadmin in my current position for six years. In the past six years, I've dodged several (at least three) layoffs, losing coworkers and getting more overworked each time. There are rumors of another round of layoffs happening in the next couple of months, and I can't help but feel like my luck will have finally run out.
It's something that I constantly think about at this point.. it's always in the back of my mind. To add to the stress, I'm the only earner in my relationship. My partner is more than willing (and would try) to get a job if something happens, but the current thing we've got going works very well. They take care of the house, do a large part of the household chores, and take care of our pet family. I am able to focus on work, and in the end we both have free time and are able to spend that time together.
Anyway, that's not to say that it isn't stressful to have everything financially on me, especially given the current tech job market. I'm worried that I'll lose my job, not be able to find a new one by the time unemployment expires, and then starve or lose our home.
When I was younger, I was very interested in being a national forest employee. Of course, they also haven't been paid and have been getting canned just the same, but I can't help but feel that I would've been more fulfilled doing that work. I'm still relatively young and probably would be able to switch to a different industry if it came to it, but I'm also not in the same physical health as I was before working in tech. I broke my leg three years ago and lost most of my leg strength, so I think working for state parks would be out.
Being honest, I don't know what to do. I'm so tired of possibly getting laid off. It's ruined most of my passion for tech. But I have no other marketable skills. I feel trapped
Cool, welcome back, I'm glad to share the current pay scale with you!
TEFL pay varies by country more than any other factor, and China pays the most on average per hour that I’ve experienced.
At that site above, the most popular classifieds section from the biggest magazine in China, you'll see that all the current jobs are offering well above $3000 a month for 25-30 hours a week, especially for TEFL certified teachers.
I made much more than that per hour in China ten years ago, and there is a higher demand for TEFL teachers now than when I was there, so that pay range is normal. When I visited last year, I was offered closer to $5,000 a month more than once to start teaching again(TEFL cert plus native English speaker plus experience plus already in Beijing).
A decade ago, the average starting pay in China for TEFL was closer to $2000, five years later in 2020 starting pay was about $2500 in 2019, and now, another five years later, it's $3000 per month.
Be careful in any situation, but English has almost 2,000,000,000 students globally and a maximum of only 250,000 english teachers worldwide right now. The demand for English teachers is real.
Relevant here, China does not require a degree for a work visa.