Job Discussion Forums

[JonathanRossWC]

Hey everyone,

I have been hovering around Dave's forums for a little while now, trying to get a grasp of TEFL opportunities in different countries, and would appreciate some advice on a few countries I am considering.

I am kind of torn between Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, and Colombia (or other L.A. countries)...strange mix I know, but I really find the cultures of these places fascinating. I would much prefer them to South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, or the "usual" places.

I would be heading to these countries with a Bachelor's in Economics and Finance and a CELTA, with no formal teaching experience.

In terms of working legally and being able to support myself on my wages (meaning, not having to dig into my personal savings to survive), where do you think I have the best chance of securing a decent job and living comfortably? I am quite a frugal spender as well, I don't drink or smoke and would eat like a local.

I want to be able to support myself on my wages, but I do not need to make bundles of money. I will be coming with no personal debts or anything that needs taking care of back home in the USA.

I have heard conflicting things about all of these countries...Turkey is hard to work legally, Colombia (and the rest of Latin America) pays peanuts, Indonesia requires a degree in English (is this really the case?), and Malaysia is expensive.

Could someone, anyone, please shed some light on any of these countries and provide some insight as to where I should dive in? I would greatly, greatly appreciate it. In return, if anyone has any questions about life/work in Hong Kong (it's the only country I have thorough knowledge about ), I'll be doing my best to respond to those threads on here.

Thanks a lot,
Jonathan

[EFLeducator]

[Glenski]

What kind of time frame do you have? Visas take time to process, and you will need time to find & attend an interview, wait for a response, then decide yourself if they offer it, plus get your home affairs in order should you choose to leave. There is also the matter of when school years begin.

Would you be willing/able to go to that country to job hunt, or are you limited to staying at home and doing it long distance? (I say this because Japan is relatively expensive to get started.)

[tttompatz]

OP:
Anglophone passport from a western counter = check
Degree = check
TEFL cert (CELTA) = check

You can LEGALLY work in ALL of Asia.
Wages on the other hand vary significantly.
You can get by on entry level wages everywhere but you won't be living the high life alongside with those on expat packages (you'll be drinking local beer and shopping at the local grocery not dining at 5* hotels)

The best paying options are:Korea, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Japan.

The easiest to find work are: Korea, China, Taiwan, Thailand.

Lowest start-up costs (rental deposits, airfare, living till your 1st payday, etc): Korea, China, Thailand, Taiwan.

The most daunting paperwork (for legal work): Korea, Taiwan, China Thailand.

*we can't discuss Korea here in the international forums. You have to go to the Korean forums for more specifics. Their paperwork is a pain in the butt but they are still gold for newbies to cut their teeth in EFL.

.

[JonathanRossWC]

Hi everyone and thank you for your replies so far!

In response to Glenski: I have no real time restrictions. I have a fine job here at home, and have saved up enough money that I could go to a country that I choose and job hunt there. I could probably go overseas and job hunt for 3-4 months before starting to worry about my finances.

Tttompatz and EFLeducator, thank you very much for your insight. I do realize that Korea is ridiculously easy to find work in and get paid well...should I consider it a fall-back, Plan B place to go? I don't mind Korea, but as I mentioned earlier I may prefer elsewhere (if possible).

I'd like to find a place where it's not difficult to work legally (ease of visa things from my perspective and employer's if applicable), and not being tied to one company on a visa is a huge plus, but not crucial.

Thanks a lot,
Jonathan

[geaaronson]

It`s been traditionally Japan and South Korea that have had both the number of openings available and high salaries. I don`t know if that still holds, but if those are the two qualities of job seeking, that would be the way to go.

[tttompatz]