Job Discussion Forums

[dilla]

hello
i'm a 23 yr old university graduate (bachelor of communication with a journalism/media studies major) from nsw who is looking at moving to jakarta. while ultimately i would love to get some work in a journalistic capacity i know that my chances of doing so are pretty slim, and as such i realise that my next best bet in the meantime would be getting work as an ESL teacher.

while i've had a read throughout this forum and some other sites on the net regarding the possibility of work and have a basic understanding of all the various certificates/diplomas/contracts, i was just looking for a straight up answer as to what my chances would be of picking up work in the field. while i dont have any ESL qualifications, as i previously mentioned i do have a journalism degree and the accompanying skills in spelling, grammar etc. i come from a family of teachers and have had some basic experience in things like running a classroom and controlling students. i also have free accomodation in jakarta, which is pretty much the reason i am deciding to make the move.

what would be my chances of finding work if i were to make the move?

[amewburn]

If you have a tongue and ears then I am sure that you will get a job with English First, but read the posts about them first. Other language schools might be more choosey and want you to have arms and legs as well.
Apart from watching the job posts on Dave's you can check TEFL.com and ninemsn.com from Australia then click on jobs up the top right side.
This takes you to Seek go to Overseas then Education. Often the International Schools in Jakarta advertise for teachers there.
Good luck.

[philbags]

didnt the jakarta post used to regularly employ native speaker proof readers for 8-10 million /month? if you have accomodation you could maybe live ok on that. The 'proper' language schools generally insist on a CELTA + degree, however the international schools (who pay quite a lot more) might take you on the degree alone. Team Papua works in an international school I believe - whats the word T.P.?
There's always work around in EFL in Asia , i should just make the jump and see what happens - bet you dont regret it.
P.
Oh yeah
TBI (the british Institute) have connections with UNSW and Monash in jakarta - maybe they could give you some advice.

[laughing_magpie06]

Dilla, I can't see you having any problems. I arrived here as a middle aged guy with absolutely no teaching qualifications and found work easily. Being young helps as schools(and most businesses) in Indonesia seem to go for looks. EF is the entry level school but once in the sky is the limit. You can network easily and fidn something better quickly and move on earning double the salary. Only catch is the signing of a contract and the red tape which is very restrictive. Also you need your school to give you an exit permit if you want to leave the country.

[dilla]

thanks heaps for your help guys. so from what i can gather most places will get you on a time based contract when they employ you? how long do these usually go for and how binding are they?

and yeah phil that proof-reading gig sounds pretty interesting.

im pretty amped to make this move, hopefully some time in the new year, so fingers crossed i can work something out

[sherlock]

You should be able to get an esl job just with the degree. I was recently contemplating this, sent off some emails with CV (all non ef) and got a job offer from all but one school. I think it would be very hard to find a job at an international school without teaching quals and experience.

I should know, I was a teacher in Aus and it took me half a year to find a job at an Intl school, then it turned out to be very dodgy, so I now have just got another job at a proper IB international school. Overall the process took about a year, from searching to starting.

Good luck. I would go for an esl job but they will want you to sign a 1 year contract so if you find a job in journalism during that time, you'll have to trouble getting out of it.

[Atoms for Peace]

Getting back to the journalism question, another possible option is the English version of the "Tempo" news magazine. The current editor is an expat, and the magazine has employed other expats from time to time.

They are also looking for translators (Indonesian - English), so that could be another way in...

[philbags]

lets just reiterate the binding contract thing - i laid this out on other threads but it really wants to be a sticky on here IMO.
If you sign up with a school in indo , once they have processed your visa there is absolutley no way you can legally leave without their permission unless you have a multiple entry visa which, understandably , few schools want to give. basically theyve got you until you buy your way out if you want to leave early. the buyout price is set by the employer and usually starts in excess of a months salary and then comes down in proportion to how many months youve worked. I have known several people who got stiffed by schools because of this unreasonable imbalance of power and I still find it incredible that the situation isnt more widely publicised. remember, in a national emergency , even your own government couldnt get you out if the employer didnt want to play ball.
mau kemana misterrrrr.

[Atoms for Peace]

Philbags is right about the multiple exit and re-entry visa. The reason schools are reluctant to issue them is that the Indonesian government regulations mean that anybody wanting to employ a foreigner has to pay a tax (DPKK in Indonesian) of US$100/month. The catch is that it is non-refundable and has to be paid a year in advance. Many schools are therefore worried that their teachers will do a runner and cause them to waste the money.

Of course any school that does give its teachers the multiple visa is presumably not worried teachers will run away. Why? Because the working conditions are decent. Therefore, it's a good idea to ask any schools you apply to if they'll give you the visa....