Job Discussion Forums

[wannabexpat]

Thanks for the advice on my earlier posts on this forum.

I'm enrolling in a 4 week cambridge CELTA course and plan on seeking employment in Indonesia as soon as i complete the course/locate work.

Is it wise to travel to Indonesia and look for work or should I arrange employment from the States? (And is this a good time to look for work?)

Also, what is a normal salary/benefits package for certified ESL teachers? Can I live a comfortable lifestyle and save a little cash for travel, student loans and what not?

-Accomodations, airfare reimbursement, overtime rates, working conditions (hours, etc)?

Is it possible to work outside the school and earn income (private lessons or other means)?

Please add any pertinent information or experiences you have when coming to Indonesia and teaching ESL. Thanks for the advice and putting up with my ramblings.

Luke

[Winmar]

I reckon you're best off trying to sort out work from the States, just in case. You shouldn't have too much trouble doing so. Having said that, if you went out there you could check out the places and schools first, before being tied in to a place. Schools always seem to be looking for teachers, so any time is a good time, as long as it's not over the christmas period.

Salary etc depend on which school and city you're in. You wouldn't really want to accept a monthly salary of anything less than 5m rupiah. Some pay 5.5, some pay 6 or so.....depends where you go. On a salary like that you can live comfortably. I supported myself and my wife, paid for some rather large expenses (my wife's Australian visa application cost me Rp.6.4m, plus associated costs!), and we went on holiday to Malaysia, Thailand and Sumatra at the end of my contract. If you want to save to pay off a student loan, go to Japan or somewhere like that! You're better off using any money you save in Indo to buy stuff there to take home (much cheaper in Indo) or travel in Asia.

Where I was accommodation wasn't provided for, but you can get a reasonable house for 4.5m or so per year anyway, at least in Bandung. Some schools will pay for your airfares, and some won't. You'd have to ask the academic coordinator. Overtime would pay about Rp.75.000 per hour. Where I was I generally worked from 2:30pm till 7:30 or 9pm. I was contracted for 26 hours of teaching.

You can earn income from private lessons if you manage to arrange it. I never did, but it can be done.

Any idea where in Indonesia you'd like to go? I can definitely recommend Bandung. It's a great city, and much cooler than other ones around the country. It's by no means cold, it's just not stinking hot all the time!

[wannabexpat]

Thanks for the advice, I think for this year my best bet is to save cash and go to Korea (hopefully I wont be glowing 5 months into the contract). At least with some experience under my belt i can locate some better jobs.

As far as location goes, anywhere but here

But my Bahasa gets rustier everyday

Luke