Job Discussion Forums

[Mysty66]

Greetings ESL Cafe Members,

I am a US citizen who is feeling the itch to go abroad and teach ESL again. I am considering traveling to Thailand and teaching there. I can see by other posts on this board that I missed the hiring season and school is starting now. But I'm still planning to visit vacation-wise and would like to turn that into a job hunting/knocking on school doors experience as well.

So my first and most basic question is when would be the best time to go in what remains of 2017?

I've found there is a break in October and I've read that universities don't begin until August. Is this true and what about private ESL schools?

Some things about my situation and experience that would be helpful (sorry for the long introduction on my first post!):

I could visit before August but it would be very difficult for me to take up a job there or anywhere else until August or September due to factors I won't bore you with.

I'm primarily interested in Bangkok but would consider other areas as well.

I am most interested in teaching in non-primary/secondary schools (private or international ESL schools) or a university. I have a lot of teaching experience. I have a Master's in English that qualifies me to teach at University level. I taught ESL and English in Prague for seven years and loved it. I taught High School, at private schools, a university, private lessons, you name it. I have experience teaching college English and Literature and ESL (at a private school) in the States. I don't have an ESL teaching certificate or degree however.

I have some savings to fall back on if anything goes awry though I'd rather not quit my current job until I've found one in Thailand or elsewhere.

Hopefully there is at least some chance of landing a job before the beginning of the 2018 school year? I'm hoping to figure out the optimum time of visiting and having that happen.

Thank you!

[suphanburi]

If you can travel before the end of the month there is no shortage of jobs for native speakers with a degree. The current situation in Thailand has jobs outnumbering native speakers at about 10:1.

If you have to delay then there is a bump in hiring in Oct for 2nd semester positions. There will be some variance in the beginning of 2nd semester this year due to the Royal Cremation on Oct 26.

A lot of schools will be breaking early in Oct this year (teacher holidays starting around the 5th) and teachers returning the week before the cremation.

There are jobs year round but the pickings get pretty slim during July-Sept and almost nonexistent from Dec-March. Just about anything you find that is not part-time/hourly will be jobs that people have jumped away from for one reason or another.

If you are not a certified teacher then the better international schools won't look at you unless they are desperate for a white face to fill a hole until they can get a certified teacher to come in.

You would be able to get a position in lower level (tier 2 / tier 3) international schools, better private K-12 schools or an "English Program" at a public school. The time to be looking is late Sept and be "in country" by the 1st week of Oct.

language centers (private language academies - usually after school and weekends) hire year round but typically do NOT offer full time positions and usually don't support a visa and work permit (regardless of what you may see in some ad). 400 baht per class hour is pretty common in Bangkok and 250-400 upcountry.

If you are looking at a university position they are found through connections. They typically do not advertise on EFL ( or any other ) job boards and you would have to be "in country" to find one.

[sigmoid]

[Mysty66]

[Mysty66]

[suphanburi]

On the ground in SE Asia.

There are LOTS of jobs - the issue is not finding one.
The issue is pay. It hasn't changed in the last decade except in China.

There is no real issue in Thailand politically either.
If you are not involved in the politics then you would never know that it was a military rather than civilian government other than for the lack of street protests.

Daily life goes on.
People go to work.
People go to play.
Men and women interact.
The malls are open.
The banks are open.
Lots of tourists. The airports are busy. The beaches are sandy.
There is money to be made and people making money.

.

[Hermosillo]

Agreed. Consumer confidence is at a 24 month high. No shortage of jobs or teachers, just a shortage of people willing to work for half the minimum wage in the US. A friend just sold his house in Hua Hin, fairly easy. Of course, the bar stool experts have been declaring a real estate crash for ten years plus. 9 acres in Bangkok? Can be yours for 500,000,000...USD!

[Mysty66]