Job Discussion Forums

[sunrader]

One of the best deals for Americans who have higher qualifications, imo, is the English Language Fellow program. You live for a year in a country that (usually) is cheap to live in with all expenses paid and, if you manage well, you save the entire stipend back home.

[nomad soul]

[sunrader]

NS is right. Obviously, "best" is relative, and there are always "ifs," as in "if you manage well" and "if you stay two years" and "if you don't go back to the U.S. for more than a month, you will not pay federal taxes on the time you are out of the country for most of the year."

It seems to me that when you compare jobs, you have to compare the whole package - housing, food, utilities, transportation, internet for work, insurance, etc. All of that is paid.

By the way, isn't pretty much all income "taxable"? Whether it's reported or not is a different question.

[tttompatz]

[uh huh]

ELFs are not paid as employees; that allows the exemption. There is the insanity factor of the program to be considered...

[scintillatestar]

I don't think you need a masters to teach in Saudi Arabia. Most of the posts I see just require a B.A + TEFL cert + 1-2 years experience. Some offer more pay or waive the teaching requirement for MA holders.

[nomad soul]

[rayman]

With a PGCE, there's about 100 countries where you can earn a salary package of US$70 000+ per year. It's more about the school you choose, rather than the country itself. There's currently a blog discussion here on this topic:

http://internationalschoolsreviewdiscuss.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/schools-w-high-savings-potential/

[naturegirl321]

[rayman]

I'm one of the teacher's he mentions in the first paragraph that thinks it's a load of drivel. He's basically making a blanket statement, claiming international school teachers don't purchase property, make any contributions to a retirement fund or other investments. Those that don't, admittedly, will end up in the predicament he describes. But to say that happens to all, or even the majority of teachers is ridiculous.

Furthermore, you'll find most international school teachers wouldn't want to retire in their own country, but instead, one much cheaper and with a higher quality of life. Thus less money is required to support their retirement.

Yes, teaching isn't a lucrative gig. It never was and never will be. But if you happen to enjoy it, teaching at a top international school is about as lucrative as teaching gets.

[timothypfox]

I think a very important trade off is a relaxed and comfortable life versus "a go get 'em life."

Most of the schools in international school review you need actual teaching certification from an English speaking country. This means preparing and being accountable for results on standardized testing, and also (if they are a US school) complying with the onerously annoying "standards" movement and excessive peer review and observation.

There are less stressful routes, and indeed some of international schools may by their very mandate be less stressful to work for - but these are the exception rather than the rule.

It is important to also factor in the cost of living. For example, a smaller salary can still go a long way in a rural area.

[tttompatz]

[Teacher in Rome]

[haleynicole14]

"Living like a king" like others say is really relative. For example I lived in China and made a pretty small salary compared to others (4000 RMB), but I had a great apartment and could eat out whenever and wherever I wanted. I've never been able to do that in my life, and that was a luxury for me. But if I had had a thing for designer clothes and electronics, the money wouldn't have gotten me far at all. Cheap products in China are really cheap, but nicer ones are really expensive. That being said, I would be surprised to see China on anyone's top money making countries list, because 4000 RMB was worth about $600 at the time.

[Matt_22]