True Swag Tuesdays

Dear BFDiary,

Meet DOMINICDINKINS

AGE 25

HOMETOWN Detroit, MI

BACKGROUND Hampton University '08: Graphic Design

HOW HE PAYS THE BILLS Middle school English teacher in Seoul, South Korea

GRIND Blogger, creator and producer of detroit-travel-gruide.com, photographer

When the job market doesn't seem to be working out, you have the option of changing your job or switching to a new market. Graphics trained Hampton University graduate-turned-English-teacher, Dominic Dinkins, did both. After landing a short-term job in his dream industry that didn't quite match his career vision, the 25-year-old traded the lacking industry in Motown for Seoul-town in South Korea. Live octopus may be the best food his new home has to offer, but with his new job Dinkins gets a fully loaded free pad, and a moderate salary that he can pretty much take to the bank. Here's how he grinds.

How dipping in the design field caused a change of heart

Five months passed before I found a job at Fathead, a company that designs sports graphics. It was a contracted job, for three months, but I found it to be boring. The thing about design is that you’re always at the whim of the client; there’s not a lot of creativity. I was sitting at a computer designing what somebody else wanted, and I didn’t like that.

Why he called it quits with the U.S.

Even though I didn’t like it, I was looking for graphic design jobs because that’s the degree I had and I wanted to save money. After being unemployed for two months, I talked to a friend who was in Korea and she introduced me to the teaching placement program. After looking at all the benefits, and the pay, I said why not. I though it would be a nice break. I went over in April 2009 and stayed for one year. I'm heading back in August.

First taste of Seoul

My first thought when I got to Korea was “what was I thinking?” I immediately wanted to go back home. Arriving in a country with no English anywhere, no black people, is a little frightening because you’re completely out of your environment. All I knew was the alphabet.

I taught English to middle school students. My lesson plans the first month were horrible. but I picked up on skills in different seminars. By the middle of the year I was pretty comfortable.

What keeps him motivated

I don’t want to do the 9-to-5 thing. I don’t want to work in a job I hate for 30 years just because it pays my bills, and I’ll do everything I can to avoid that fate.

Why he'll take Seoul-town over Motown any day

Some of my friends say I’m a Korean citizen because I talk about Korea so much. It’s a beautiful country. The people are kind to foreigners, especially black people, I think it’s because they never see black people. I was at the ATM one day and I had withdrawn the equivalent of $100, but left the money. Just as I was about to board the bus, a woman flagged me down and ran my money over to me. That would never happen here.

Paying the bills

I get paid in Korean currency (wan), so my salary basically depends on the exchange rate. It works out to about $2000/month. All I have to pay for is food, my cell phone bill ($20), and utilities. Other expenses are student loans and my credit card. This gives me the opportunity to save most of my money and cover expenses like my new camera.

The next stop on his adventure

Now I’m moving toward photography. After another couple years of saving money teaching I’ll be able to go full force. I’m learning the ropes right now, so I take my camera everywhere. I want to do things like weddings and personal portraits.

I also plan on boosting my web site so I can increase the profit to $2,000/month. Right now it pulls in about $300/month without me even touching it. I offer basic information for people who want to learn more about Detroit, great pictures of city scenes, and a guide for the best places to watch the fireworks. Site-Build-It was the company I worked with to get started and learn things like how to make sure my site comes up in google searches. Once you get it running, it makes money on it’s own. If you don’t know anything about design, they help you. It costs $30/month.

*If you have a bachelor's degree, no criminal record, and don't mind moving out of the states, you're eligible to teach English in a foreign country. The package includes a salary of ~ $2,000/month, free apartment, and free airfare. Salaries are higher for applicants with a master's degree in English or Education. Visit teacheslkorea.com to get started.