Job Discussion Forums

dorian_gray · Joined: 24 Mar 2006 Posts: 12

Hello there!

I am a 27-year old Filipino who has an English Studies degree and is experienced in teaching English to Koreans. Can you suggest any good school in Bangkok? Good meaning-- won't treat me differently from Western teachers.

Sgt Killjoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 438

Your website is written in the third person. I find that kind of funny. I saw your resume on your website, and it says you have expereince doing web design, you might need to take that off your resume or improve the layout of your page. You might want to update the resume to show your experience in Korea as well.

You are not a native speaker so you must find a position at a school that hire non-native speakers. The competition is fierce, especially in Bangkok. You will be competing against literally thousands of Filipinos who all have degrees, some from Recto, some not. All wanting a higher salary than most.

Your best bet is to get out of Bangkok to areas where the competition isn't so fierce. There are several Filipinos working in my local area on salaries comparable to a westerner, but they worked hard to get those positions. It took my wife 3 years to get a decent position even though she is married to an American, has lived in the US(and studied for a semester there), and has a degree in education.

You might get lucky, (I do know one Filipino who was in the right place at the right time and has a great job in a small town paying 30k baht per month) but it depends on how much of a Filipino accent you have. I hope this is at least slightly discouraging to you, but if you are willing to take the plunge to Thailand, just understand that no matter what, you won't be treated like a westerner, but you might be able to get a good salary with some hard work on your part.

dorian_gray · Joined: 24 Mar 2006 Posts: 12

I taught Koreans here in the Philippines. EFL teaching is actually a booming industry in the Philippines right now. I just want to try doing the same thing in Bangkok.

I guess you are a Filipino as well because you know where to get those fake diplomas.

Thanks for the suggesting that I should explore outside of BKK. It is something I have not thought of. Now where and how do I find these job postings?

isanity · Joined: 05 Nov 2004 Posts: 179

ajarn.com

dorian_gray · Joined: 24 Mar 2006 Posts: 12

I should've read read your reply more carefully--so you are an American.

It is true that fake diplomas abound in Manila but it is also true that many Filipinos have university degrees. I know that many of the forumers here will not agree but many Filipinos are native English speakers.

Most of the ajarn.com ads prefer Westerners and Australasian teachers. Nevertheless, it is a very helpful site.

If Thailand were a European country then laywers would be millionaires in accepting job inequality lawsuits.

Sgt Killjoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 438

dorian_gray · Joined: 24 Mar 2006 Posts: 12

I did not post my message to be bashed. I won't pretend and write that English is my first language but I do communicate in English everyday because most of my friends here are foreigners.

I am a Filipino but I will not pretend that I have met all types of Filipinos living in the Philippines. I am also not naive and claim that popular media best represents the people. I am not stupid enough to say that all American, British, Canadian, Kiwi, and Australian teachers are inept.

Teaching is teaching and race or nationality has nothing to do with it.

Again, I am not posting here to be bashed or to defend myself and my credentials. I am here just to ask for schools that recruit teachers for their talents and not for their passports.

Sgt Killjoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 438

Not bashing you, just trying to give you a reality lesson. Help you open your eyes and see what you will face.

Ask your Korean students who they would prefer to learn English from, a qualified American or a qualified Filipino if the price was the same. You know what they will answer.

Teaching a talent, sure it is, but knowledge of the subject being taught is what Thai schools are looking for. Right now, they have very talented Thai teachers, but Thai teachers do not have the quality of English parents desire. That is why schools are looking for native English speakers.

No school in Thailand will view you as a native English speaker. You seem to hold onto the fact that you will be treated the same as an American, but you won't in the job market. If you want that, then don't come to Thailand. There is no school that will view you on the same level as a native speaker. I want you to have the correct attitude so you will not be disappointed

That said, there are alternatives. If you can lose that stubborn pride, you can find a lucrative teaching life in Thailand.

Schools are finding it difficult to recruit native English speakers either because of the location of their schools or the wages they are offerring. Some schools just don't like to pay a decent salary so they stick with Filipinos.

I have a Filipino friend who teaches at a school earning 8,000 baht per month. They want to hire a "real foreigner." but they don't want to pay the 25 to 30,000 baht to do that so they use a couple of Filipinos. If they could find one westerner willing to work for 20k per month, they would drop the Filipinos.

There are schools that will pay a decent salary, but you have to go and find them. You need to create special value for schools, and market yourself in a positive way. Understand the school's position and understand your position in the marketplace.

In the school's eyes, they want a Mercedes Benz, but with you they end up with a Nissan. Sure it is a great car, but it isn't what they want. They won't pay the same for a Nissan as a Mercedes, the goal is to get them to pay as much as they will for a Nissan and keep the Nissan even when they are able to buy a Mercedes.

dorian_gray · Joined: 24 Mar 2006 Posts: 12

I got hired in no time at all by a leading language center. At the same time, I noticed that Caucasian and non-Caucasian instructors are treated fairly. It seems there are equal opportunity employers in Bangkok after all.

cameron.mayo · Joined: 13 Mar 2006 Posts: 81

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

Sgt Killjoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 438

Yeah you mentioned about the job over on the other forum, congrats again. I knew you could do it, just wanted to prepare you for the worst. This May a couple of thousand Filipino teachers have descended on Thailand.

Sorry Mr Cowell that I don't write good enough for you, my taskmasters are quite happy with my performance.