teaching english is not bad if young i think. a friend got into a good mba school after 3 years teaching. Poker has lost its luster its pretty hard to find a set of interviewers that respect it.

1 year unemployed isnt bad depending on profession.

maybe thailand isnt bad as long as u get a guy reviewing the resumes, but it seems front line recruiters are 80%+ female

If it was me I wouldn't mention that I lived in Thailand for 2 years on what was basically an extended holiday. I would make up something else.

I don't think it's as black and white as what you are saying. I think a youngish guy can say he took a gap year and and taught English there and it wouldn't be a problem. If an older guy said the same I think eyebrows are more likely to be raised.

Yeah well, beats having bar girls writing **** all over your FB page that family can see. One of my mates wives started questioning me about Thailand by virtue of just normal holiday pics of temples/beaches n chit.

And yes you are right about the bragging, I've got one girl on my other FB page that has been in Singapore for 5 or 6 days and is posting pics of her eating lobster and oysters every night lol. Don't think she even has a 'job', pretty sure she just has a bunch of mugs sending her money and works FB for new customers a bit too.

Billgstar -- Do you actually want to leave Thailand and head back to work in the Western world? Or are you just doing it for the money?

for the money as I can save a lot in a few years or so and my main game which is O8 the games are terrible atm and steadily dying and I cannot leave it much longer to go back to my previous profession so feel like it may be the best thing to do.

have a business here and making a small coffee shop/bar kind of thing but for the time being that wont generate enough income to live off so my options are limited. If poker was what it was a few years ago it would be a no brainer but the way things are going I need more options and make money elsewhere.

I'm sure it will be a shock going back to a 9-5 job though :/ see how the next few months go is my short term plan I guess.

While I also got some sketchy looks from a girl/guy or two after Thailand, I think this 'suspicious' attitude is much more prominent in UK/EU, and I guess Australia.

In the US a lot fewer people have any perceptions or ideas about Thailand. A friend of mine went there (and Vietnam/Laos) for his honeymoon and they seemed pretty clueless and still are. Most people don't know and don't care. "Bangkok nightlife" is usually a euphemism for prostitution/etc, but most people I know interpret it as Bangkok being a great party town, like Ibiza or something.

Anyway, what do you guys actually think when some single guy who has barely traveled to adjacent states and NYC keeps going to Thailand - and no where else - with some regularity for long stretches? Unless they're a chef or a hippy, I'm not too convinced by their food and temple stories.

HR people first and foremost are looking for employees who are a good risk. This means someone with no criminal/shady past and someone who will actually show up each day on time, 5 days per week, 50 weeks per year. Anyone who hasn't been showing up to a regular job with regular hours is a very questionable hire. This is why long-term unemployment often sinks people and HR won't even look at resumes of people unemployed - for any reason - for more than 6-18 months. (depends on the industry, obviously)

Furthermore, employers are looking for people with a skill set. "Being worldly", "quick to adapt to new situations", "comfortable in a multicultural environment" is not a hard and marketable skill. It's a baseline for not being a complete screw-up. This sort of stuff is not going to help with anything but the most basic and menial (and poorly paid) jobs.

A skill set is something that is job dependent. Do you know software X? Do you know X auditing practice? Do you know X financial fundamentals? If you have been out of the industry for a while, you're at best rusty, and at worst completely out of touch with current reality in X industry. This is also industry specific and for some industries skill atrophy can be very devastating. If you want to make sure you continue to be employable, you need to figure out how to continue practicing - and hopefully improving - your hard skill set.

I am pretty sure I can get a well paid job in the gaming industy as there are not many with my skill set with gaming industry knowledge. And I still have a decent number of contacts.

In the main data warehouse sector it will be hard to get a similar position I had a few years ago. That's ok though as i'm not looking to start in a new industry apart from possibly a previous employer in Australia who have semi offered me a position later this year when they move databases and change ETL tool as a ETL developer so that gives me 1 possible option and gives me time to decide what I want to do and see how business here is going.

They are still using much the same systems/software/tools. Doesn't change as much as you may think in some sectors of IT. Yes I will be rusty but that wont stop me getting a job with my experience. As I said though I'd prefer to stay here so i would prefer some time but unfortunately i have to start applying now.

Much of what you say is true in many cases though.

If I was to go back to work I fancy Sydney again and crown are setting up there so i'm sure there maybe opportunity there. Don't fancy the US or macau so my options are limited. But if it comes down to it and I have to leave here and save I will get what ever I can and I will 100% get something.

Oh but the thing doesn't concern me 1 bit tbh and i don't need it on my cv to show i'm 'worldly' as you put it as I've worked in quite a few different countries. Not meaning to sound like a wanker.

appreciate the post...sound advice.

Oh and yeah some1 that always goes to Thailand...a bit obv ha

what about like oil field jobs in montana/wyoming or working on trains? jobs that are desperate for employees and pay big? would they look down on someone with a long (like 8 year with a lil part time work in teh middle) gap on their resume?

Yes. And I think you'll find oil field jobs are quite sought after, just like any job that pays well.

Those jobs are entry level hard labor jobs. You could just lie on your application that you were a working on a lawncrew for the last 8 years they wont even bother to call the number you write down. They want bodys not brains.

The question is are you gonna be able to do labor that hard? There's a reason those jobs are available and pay decent. It's hard work and terrible weather for 6 months of the year.

The train jobs wont be possible. Working on the railroad is a very hard job to get in the USA.

Actually whats hes talking about is being a laborer. Theres tons of jobs in the USA right now in the oil fields in North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. It's backbreaking work with long hours and its dangerous.

The question for k2d wouldn't be the employment history. It will be does he even look strong enough to work there. I'm guessing he wont pass the look of a laborer.

It's definitely better to make up a job rather than leave a gap in your resume. For any position.

It's easy enough to just ask a family friend who operates some kind of business to say you worked for them if asked.

Obviously you don't want to make up skills you don't have because you'll get found out, but there's not much to lose by saying you were sweeping floors at x factory for those years instead of living in the Philippines banging teenage girls.

Right cuz sweeping floors sounds better than being able to provide for yourself by playing online poker

yes it does

The problem is the person you're gonna say that to is gonna think your a gambling junkie. People don't hear poker and think provider. Same as the minute you mention Thailand alot of people think ladyboys/sex tourist.

Saying you worked as a manager in a business that closed from the economy being bad and using a fake reference works out much better then telling the truth in alot of cases.

K2d is talking about entry level labor jobs. Jobs that 18 year olds coming out of high school can work at. You get on the job training while you work if they want to hire you. When you have a 8 year gap on your resume and you're 30 they think you have been in prison.

LOL, great line.

I totally agree with this. If someone hasn't built up a skill set through years of previous employment (like billygstar has already done), then I think they'll be at a disadvantage (unless they went abroad for a few years right after undergrad). That's why I recommend trying to build up some marketable skills while abroad. I think someone would be alright if they can come home and say in an interview: "I was in Thailand for the last three years. While I was abroad, I got interested in developing websites. I taught myself Ruby on Rails and here's a portfolio of sites I've built." Sure, not every employer will treat them seriously, but enough will to lead to a job.

this is some ****ing boring ****

Yes please continue this rambling in the wage slavery thread

LOL, that's because you've already made it. You got a good job abroad, so you're set. Many of us are still trying to figure it out so we can follow in your footsteps.

vice documentary about the political situation in thailand

This documentary has moved me deeply, That guy has a lot of guts not getting a red Ferrari, he's so brave

and of course its important that his friend grew up in the UK to a very rich family and is 22 years old.

the editor must be a thai chick.

We are going to speak out against corruption by speaking of our lavish lifestyle. solid plan.

Coming to Pattaya 28th to see my friend who come to honeymoon, living Trad currently. Looking backer because countdown busto. Have decent record from stt's and hu cash. Unfornately grinding micros currently for living. I will be there 28th to 4th on next month so if anyone interest pm me.

I think its the way corruption works....people need to impress on other people they are important and influential, otherwise corruption fails.

This guy just thinks he can do corrupt better