Teaching without a degree (again)

Legal Legal - Work
1

Now I realise this topic has come up numerous times, and you’re probably fed up with seeing yet another new thread on the subject, but I’d really appreciate it if you’d take the time to read through my particular set of circumstances and my ideas. Of course I’ve used the search function and have found some useful information, but I also realise that things change and perhaps some of the older posts on this topic aren’t as relevant anymore.

So, I don’t have a degree though I do have CELTA. I’ve worked in Japan for a year with a working holiday visa and it’s always been my ambition to work there once I have three years of teaching experience (three years of relevant experience is an alternative to holding a degree as a requirement for a work visa in Japan). So I have a year of experience already, and I plan to teach somewhere like Australia or Canada for a year whilst I do my DELTA. That just leaves this year, and my heart is set on Taiwan. I see three options available to me:

  1. I forge my own degree certificate. I sincerely apologise to the people who find this idea offensive, but even you should realise that my year of experience and CELTA surpasses the majority of degrees as an indicator to my teaching ability. I think I could produce a pretty good copy of a certificate with an embossed seal on watermarked paper, from a reputable London university that I studied at for a year (I gave up due to disinterest). I’m only willing to try this however if I have a least a 50% chance of not being caught. So the question is, how likely is it that they’ll check the authenticity of the certificate by phoning the university? They’d do this when I apply for my ARC, right? Are some places more likely to check than others? Perhaps I’m better off applying in a smaller city? Or is there an express service I can ask for whereby the likelihood of them checking is less due to time limitations? Whatever knowledge or experience anyone might have of this, I’d really appreciate hearing it. Okay, next option…

  2. Work without a work visa and either overstay or fly in and out of the country every so often (I’m British. How often would I need to do this? 90 days?). I guess a lot of people do this but my main concern is the money. How difficult will it be to find somebody willing to employ me, and how much less would I be likely to earn compared with if I held a work visa? I don’t mind doing this but being able to save money is a priority for me. Is there anyone here that’s doing this? Please PM me if you prefer to retain your anonymity. Final option…

  3. Teach somewhere else. Obviously my least preferred option, but this is for the people who think I just shouldn’t teach in Taiwan. So is there anywhere in Asia where I don’t need a degree to teach? Or where teaching without the relevant visa is a more done thing and I’d be less likely to be found out? Remember, being able to save some money is important, though I realise beggars can’t always be choosers.

I know this is a bit of an essay, but any comments, thoughts, advice or opinions are greatly welcomed and appreciated. I just want to be able to make an informed decision as to how I spend the next year of my life!

2

3)Vietnam. CELTA is all you need.

3

Where are you from? As a South-African I had to have my degree stamped at the SA embassy here because so many people are trying to come into the country with fake degrees…or trying to pass college degrees off as University degrees.

4

Firstly, thanks for the quick responses.

Really?? I didn’t know this. And i was considering Vietnam, also, for a while. Perhaps I can have Vietnam as a back-up for if I get caught in Taiwan…

From the UK. And the university is University College London. I’d be hoping that they’d take one look at the university on the certificate, see that it’s reputable and be a-ok with that, not making any further inquiries.

5

It’s not offensive. It’s just selling yourself short. Why stay in Taiwan and resort to petty fraud, forgery and counterfeiting – not even making the back pages of the Taipei Times – when you can teach in Cambodia, Vietnam or Thailand, become a famous pedophile and make headlines worldwide? Have some balls, mate. Set your goals a little higher.

Hope that helps.

6

Yes indeed, you are paragon of helpfulness. Thanks.

7

Yes indeed, you are paragon of helpfulness. Thanks.[/quote]

MT was a bit sharp, but I agree with him and his sharpness. Can you tell me, please, why you’d rather spend the next three years pissing around in low level, semi legal jobs? I mean, I can respect the adventure factor, but you could spend the next three years finishing that degree and still have plenty of adventure with real, or at the least, legal jobs. Then, when you get to thinking that you want more from life, you’ll at least have something to start from. Your plan sounds like a waist of life to me.

guess I should edit to add that I don’t think your life is worthless if you squander the next few years. could have sounded that way. Not what I ment.

8

And spending 4 years getting a useless Liberal Arts degree seems like a waist of life to many of us.

9

And there’s no guarantee that a liberal arts degree would ensure you could spell waste, either.

10

Ah, cum on, I hav a repyootation four bad speling that I hav to upholde. And I never said that my lib arts degree was useful.

11

Either that or it was a subliminal slip because you’re fixated on the waist of that guy in your avatar.

12

You got it MT!! Ha, my spelling is indeed terrible, but I do know the difference in this case… Just couldn’t keep my eyes off that avatar this time.

13

Either that or it was a subliminal slip because you’re fixated on the waist of that guy in your avatar.[/quote]

:howyoudoin: yes. :howyoudoin:

14

Yes, and so for people like you, stay in the useless jobs that don’t require that silly useless degree thing.

15

Yes, I could, but I’m not going to as that’s not what I’m here for. Perhaps if you return to my original post, read it a bit more carefully and also overcome your own short-sightedness, you might come to understand, if only a little, the choices I have made. I’ve put a lot of thought and consideration into those choices and kindly ask that you and others respect them and refrain from judgement, or, at the very least, keep those judgements to yourselves.

Now, please, if we could end these digressions and return to topic. If there is anyone else who, after reading my original post, has some relevant knowledge or advice, I’d love to hear it. Perhaps somebody knows someone who used a fake degree recently and got away with it, or perhaps, didn’t?

Thanks.

16

Yes, I could, but I’m not going to as that’s not what I’m here for. Perhaps if you return to my original post, read it a bit more carefully and also overcome your own short-sightedness, you might come to understand, if only a little, the choices I have made. I’ve put a lot of thought and consideration into those choices and kindly ask that you and others respect them and refrain from judgement, or, at the very least, keep those judgements to yourselves.

Now, please, if we could end these digressions and return to topic. If there is anyone else who, after reading my original post, has some relevant knowledge or advice, I’d love to hear it. Perhaps somebody knows someone who used a fake degree recently and got away with it, or perhaps, didn’t?

Thanks.[/quote]

You just don’t understand Forumosans.

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:laughing:

18

To the OP:

I have no idea about what you can get away with these days. I knew people who did it years ago, but apparently it’s different now. Making your own certificate, as opposed to buying one in Thailand that looks really authentic, may not be a great idea. You may find it easier to get a job in Thailand anyway.

The job market seems to be pretty tight in Taiwan right now. So wages are low. Vietnam looks more attractive if you’re contemplating making a move. Or you could investigate options on the mainland?

I agree that spending several years, and a whole lot of money, on getting a degree would probably be a ‘waist’ of your time. You can already spell, already communicate effectively, and the experience you could gain instead would be far more useful - except that in the modern world people want pieces of paper.

Teaching illegally may not be ‘verifiable’ experience, so it may not count towards requirements for visas in the future. You have to document what you’re doing. Have you thought about starting a blog about your work where you post examples of classwork, projects, student compositions, and so on? If done right it would also be a good advertisement for your services too.

Many universities in Taiwan offer degree courses taught in English, with scholarships available or at least free tuition. You might look to see if you can find a relatively undemanding degree course that is free, reasonably useful or interesting for you, and a means of obtaining a visa. Work would still be illegal, but you wouldn’t have the hassle of visa runs.

19

[quote]
Yes, and so for people like you, stay in the useless jobs that don’t require that silly useless degree thing.[/quote]

To me there is no such thing as a useless job, and one thing I was always taught was not to say shit I do not know for sure or risk looking like a complete ass… I guess you weren’t taught this since in this case you have no fucking clue what you are talking about.

I don’t boast about my accomplishments, but in this case it seems I must. I wasn’t allowed the luxury of going to college, my father passed away my last year of high school leaving my family with nothing but debt. Therefore instead of pursuing my desire to become a doctor (the only reason I wanted to attend university in the first place), I opted out of college to join the financial field and I have never regretted it once.

That useless job you are talking about was an executive at one of the leading financial firms in the world. That useless job allowed me to save $1million US by the time I was 28 years old which was two years better than my projected goal of 30. That useless job that didn’t not require a degree gave me the chance to interview and reject 20 ivy league graduates for every single position that was open. That useless job allowed me to advise and many times just chat with some of the world’s most influential and successful entrepreneurs… And guess what? I didn’t even have my liberal arts degree, I got there by starting at the very bottom, busting my ass, and learning what I needed for the position, not what some liberal arts degree would teach me, such as spelling and grammar which my team of assistants with the said degree took care of for me.

As well that useless job and impeccable experience I gained just landed me a position as VP of Asia for another one of the world’s leading financial firms. A job that I leave this island for next week.

:raspberry: :raspberry:

To the OP, sorry for straying off topic, but I believe it was warranted in this case and what Loretta told you is much better than what I was going to fill you in on so good luck.

Good reply Loretta! I don’t know you, but you always seem willing to help when other fuckheads on here do nothing but act like fuckheads. So cheers to you. Best of luck to you OP, and everyone else on here. c-ya!

20

[quote=“iamjkk”][quote]
Yes, and so for people like you, stay in the useless jobs that don’t require that silly useless degree thing.[/quote]

To me there is no such thing as a useless job, and one thing I was always taught was not to say shit I do not know for sure or risk looking like a complete ass… I guess you weren’t taught this since in this case you have no fucking clue what you are talking about.

I don’t boast about my accomplishments, but in this case it seems I must. I wasn’t allowed the luxury of going to college, my father passed away my last year of high school leaving my family with nothing but debt. Therefore instead of pursuing my desire to become a doctor (the only reason I wanted to attend university in the first place), I opted out of college to join the financial field and I have never regretted it once.

That useless job you are talking about was an executive at one of the leading financial firms in the world. That useless job allowed me to save $1million US by the time I was 28 years old which was two years better than my projected goal of 30. That useless job that didn’t not require a degree gave me the chance to interview and reject 20 ivy league graduates for every single position that was open. That useless job allowed me to advise and many times just chat with some of the world’s most influential and successful entrepreneurs… And guess what? I didn’t even have my liberal arts degree, I got there by starting at the very bottom, busting my ass, and learning what I needed for the position, not what some liberal arts degree would teach me, such as spelling and grammar which my team of assistants with the said degree took care of for me.

As well that useless job and impeccable experience I gained just landed me a position as VP of Asia for another one of the world’s leading financial firms. A job that I leave this island for next week.

:raspberry: :raspberry:

To the OP, sorry for straying off topic, but I believe it was warranted in this case and what Loretta told you is much better than what I was going to fill you in on so good luck.

Good reply Loretta! I don’t know you, but you always seem willing to help when other fuckheads on here do nothing but act like fuckheads. So cheers to you. Best of luck to you OP, and everyone else on here. c-ya![/quote]

[color=indigo]Hey mr. jkk,

Let me say how very impressed I am to meet someone as rare and special as yourself! Indeed, everyone does have a hard luck story, and it’s not that uncommon these days for someone to write a description of the chip on his or her shoulder, but you, my good sir, have the honorable distinction of being the first I’ve ever known to have a hard luck story about how he became a millionaire before he turned 30!

So, let me be the first to congratulate you on having all the collecting and hording prowessness of one hundred thousand squirrels, who also must work hard and diligently for all their bounty, and not the sense of a pidgin to keep his mouth shut while carrying his treasure.

Sincerely,

housecat the fuckhead[/color]