45 English Teacher Education study program. She decided to study at English
T eacher Education study program because of her sister‟s suggestion that English
would ease her to get job later than mathematics. Different from Kiki, Jalu decided to study at English Teacher Education
study program because it was his main preference to continue his education after graduated from Senior High School. English Teacher Education study program
became Jalu‟s main option because that was the only program which matched with him and located in Salatiga. As his father worked out of the town and his
mother was only being accompanied with him at home, Jalu did not have any reason to not study at Salatiga. Hence he studied at an English Teacher Education
study program at a well-known university in Salatiga. Kiki and Jalu finished their undergraduate study program on time. After 4
until 4.5 years studying there, both of them graduated and got their degree of Sarjana Pendidikan. Kiki graduated in March, 2012, while Jalu graduated in July
2013.
2. Life after graduation
After graduated from English Teacher Education study program, both Kiki and Jalu were in quest of what they want to be. Teaching was not their dream job.
Trying to find other professions than teaching led them to the journey of jobseekers. During their few months after graduation many application letters had
been sent to not few job vacancies. Some were replied and followed up with job- interview, some were not.
46 Kiki did not dream to be a teacher though she graduated from an English
Teacher Education study program. In her opinion at that time, people tended to underestimate teacher‟s job. People saw teacher as a profession which did not
need particular or specific skills, whereas actually being a teacher was not such a trivial job. Kiki revealed that:
Many people think that being a teacher is a trivial job. Being a teacher seems to be a job which does not require any particular or specific
skills. When we are being asked about what we want to be after graduated and then we tell them that we want to be a teacher, people will
underestimate us. People underestimate teacher because they think that
being a teacher is easy, teacher‟s job is only teaching, teacher does not have any burden, teacher always goes home early, teacher has longer
holiday like the students do, but actually teacher has piles of works besides teaching.
Interview3_K8 Because of that, Kiki did not apply for jobs as a teacher after graduated. She
looked for other jobs than teaching. Kiki had applied for jobs at companies in around Semarang and Solo. Kiki
had ever sent her application letter to a batik company at Solo. It was replied and followed up with a psycho test, but she did not pass the psycho test. Kiki also had
ever passed a job interview and accepted at a stock company in Semarang. Though she was accepted, Kiki did not take that job. She did not take that job
because the company was not bona fide enough and Kiki did not sure to work there. While waiting for the desirable job, Kiki worked as a part time English
teacher in an English course near her house. At that time, she taught around 5 to 10 students. They were grade 2 and grade 4 students.
Similarly, Jalu also did not put teacher as the ultimate profession that he wanted to be after graduated. Since he studied at English Teacher Education study
47 program, he understood that teacher‟s job was not trivial. He viewed teacher as a
job which has many things to do besides teaching and then Jalu thought that he did not suit with that job.
… because I studied at English Teacher Education study program, I know that being a teacher is not easy, teacher has many things to do which are
complicated, and I am not that kind of people who are keen to do that kind of job. I am kind of person who like to do practical things so that I
want to look for a job which is practical too, a field work or else.
Interview3_J15 Moreover, Jalu viewed teaching less challenging since he already knew what
teachers should do and thus it made him tried to find another job which was more challenging than teaching.
Hence, Jalu applied for any other jobs than teaching. One of them was at a food company in Salatiga. He had passed the first and the second job-interview
but there was no any further confirmation up to now. Working as an admin was also interested him because it required him to be fluent in written and oral
English. Hence Jalu applied a job as an admin at an English course in Solo. He passed the first job-interview as an admin, but he did not come for the second job-
interview because he already accepted in the school where he worked now. Besides applying jobs here and there, Jalu also had a part-time job at that
time. Jalu had been a part-time English teacher at an English course in Salatiga. He taught English to Senior High School students, ESP to the college students,
and also TOEFL preparation. Furthermore, he also had ever been a volunteer in a private bilingual pre-school in Salatiga. He became an assistant teacher in that
pre-school.
48
3. Joining the school where they work
