From graduation to emigration
With the UK’s shrinking economy flooding national discourse and narrowing career prospects, graduates might find themselves floundering. For some, broadening their horizons overseas could act as a lifeline.
When Hiba completed her postgraduate teacher training in 2021, leaving the country was the last thing on her mind, she told me. “I could just about bear thinking about leaving London, let alone the country. My thinking was very much contained to local primary schools.”
Had her housemate Jessica not picked up Korean on Duolingo as a lockdown pastime, their idea to move to Seoul may never have come about. “We always wanted to visit, but as we researched more and more we realised that working there started to feel more tempting than scraping by in London.”
Hiba, 25, says that the lack of experience she had teaching here in the UK meant that being undervalued was inevitable.
“When you’re training to become a teacher full time, you always hear about how thankless the job is. I don’t think that occurred to me and Jess until I was actually in it.”
Reports demonstrate that teachers are among those resorting to skipping meals and not heating their homes amid the cost of living crisis. It was revealed by the Independent last month that nearly 1 in 5 teachers in the UK are forced to work second jobs in order to survive.
This is not to mention the impact on classroom conditions, with widespread equipment shortages and cuts to teaching staff. Given all these obstacles for graduates to consider, it’s no surprise that teacher vacancies have virtually doubled since before the pandemic.
South Korea has a higher cost of living index than the UK, at 70.4 to the UK’s 61.5. But these numbers don’t seem to reflect on Hiba’s experience.
“I got the teaching job in Korea through an agency. As a country, they really value English speakers and I’ve been lucky enough to have my accommodation provided by the school, so I keep most of the money I make. Transport is cheaper than London, my groceries are more or less the same.”
This goes to show the discrepancy in incentives for graduate jobs. Some companies in the UK offer entry level incentives such as relocation bonuses or transportation allowances, but nothing to the extent that Hiba enjoys in Seoul.
“Even where things cost more, the security I feel makes it worth it.”
On whether or not she would recommend that graduates seek out careers in new countries, Hiba says not without research. “Because things feel bleak at home, it’s easy to feel like moving anywhere would be utopian. Jess and I spent a year working in retail and hospitality saving money and preparing so we both feel like we made things easier for ourselves settling in.”
Whatever cultural adjustments and challenges Hiba has faced so far appear to have been worth the move, as she expresses no regrets about her decision.
The UK is forecasted to narrowly avoid recession and experience subdued growth this year, and leaving university and entering the workforce doesn’t feel any less daunting. While it’s not as easy as just packing up and taking off, graduates may find that their qualifications and skills dwarf the value the UK can currently offer.
Featured image via Sava Bobov on Unsplash