... Now what?

So, I've completed the TEFL course.
I loved it! Anyone thinking about doing a TEFL? I would definitely recommend it. I'm sure a longer course would be even better. The one I did was only a 20 hour intensive, but I feel like I learned a lot from it and the professor was fantastic.
To be honest though, if I didn't have some experience in dealing with groups, I don't know if I would feel completely prepared to stand in front of a classroom tomorrow. The other people in my class seemed to feel pretty confident though, and everyone seemed really happy with the course. I'm excited about all the job possibilities now.

I was really happy to get my little certificate and I got extremely excited when I realized that I was finished and had just acquired new marketable skills.
...
Then panic hit me.
Now what?
...

http://irishlawforum.blogspot.com/2010/09/funny-eu-maps.html

The past few days have consisted of job searches, soul searches and generally trying to figure out what I want to do/can do now. And WHERE? The EU seems like a great place in terms of environmental projects.

Ideally, I would find a TEFL job in a city that has some interesting environmental projects/water projects going on. That way I could support myself by teaching and then volunteer with an organization and gain some field experience, without going into too much debt.

http://irishlawforum.blogspot.com/2010/09/funny-eu-maps.html

The problem with the cities that have the most interesting water projects (i.e. Berlin and Paris) is the whole... "I don't have an EU passport" hiccup.
France and Quebec are supposed to have easy-ish-to-get working holiday visas. The problem would be that I'd likely have to go home to get ther visa at the embassy.
With Germany, it seems that Canadians have an easier time getting working holiday visas and you can get one after you arrive.



As for finding work in other places, like say... the coast of Italy for the summer ;) Italy has tons of complicated red tape and language schools are very hesitant to hire people who don't have their visas already. Spain as well seems to be a difficult place to get a working visa for.
Spain also has a ~40% unemployment rate for people my age. France isn't far from that either.

Friends and family keep telling me to just take a break and enjoy being on vacation. I don't know if I can... I'm too excited about the next step! All I know right now is that I'm heading to Oxford on Saturday for A's belated birthday celebration.

I've started research on the GIFTS (http://giftsofhealth.org/) related project, which, it turns out is confidential and I can't actually talk about. Top secret and all that jazz. I'm on a need to know basis ;)
Bond, Jane Bond.

So, here is my list of priorities/wants
1- Live in a different country than Canada
2- Gain field experience in Environment, preferably something water or food related
3- Make money
4- Teach english somewhere warm and sunny where I can chill
5- Teach english to support myself while working on environmental projects in my spare time
6- Keep enjoying life

I just have to figure out how to go about getting what I want...

A cool woman I met on the TEFL course, V, has set me up with a recruiter for a company that seems ideal for people who have just graduated and don't know what they want to do and want to make money.

For anyone out there looking into an interesting sounding job after University where you can live abroad and work, check this out: http://www.mediaplusapplicant.com/
It's definitely not for everyone, but V worked there for 2 years after she graduated and said I have the personality for it. I took that to be a good thing!

I think I'll apply for it as an exercise in interviewing skills. I still don't really understand what they do, but it might be a good way to make some money over the course of a few months.  It would also allow me to meet some government officials in a professional environment and gain more skills.

OY.
Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.