Job Discussion Forums

mlehoux · Joined: 31 Mar 2009 Posts: 1 Location: Windsor, ON CANADA

Does anyone know if short term contracts are ever available and if so, how frequently these types of contracts are available? I only have a few years of traveling/teaching ahead of me and I want to maximize the experience as much as possible so I thought perhaps looking for short term contracts would be more appropriate.

What are your thoughts on this? Let me know!

johnson430 · Joined: 17 Mar 2009 Posts: 33 Location: Texas, USA

Hello mlehoux,
Try this link I got from Naturegirl:

http://tefltips.blogspot.com/2009/02/job-sites.html

You will have to search each site but I have seen several 3,4 and 6 month contracts.

Good luck.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

There are lots of short term camp jobs during the summer and winter. Probbaly won't get paid a lot though. YOu might have to be in coutnry as well, look at this one
http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/index.cgi?read=19465

For shorter contract during the year, sometimes you can find 6 month gigs. But how short are you looking at?

IF you're just planning on bouncing around country to country for a couple of years, I'd advise against it. While some places will probably get you a visa and might pay for one way tickets for a six month contract, for anything less, you'll be working under the table and paying for your own flights.

If you consider that you'll probably make 700 to 1000usd average in countries that will get you a short term contract, with cost of living, rent, etc, you probably won't save enough to buy a ticket to the next country you wat to go to AND have enough for start up costs, without using savings.

If you're qualified, as a licensed teacher, you could find stuff on www.tes.co.uk, for example covering maternity leave.

Another option would be to sign a year contract and jump ship. BUt that's not very nice. Also, the more short term jobs you have, the less likely a company will want to hire you. And if they do, you'll probably be getting very little pay.

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:36 pm Post subject:

Another consideration. Most places in the world, it takes a year or so to recoup set up costs. (Some places more.)

Some places employers help with set-up costs, but again, these tend to want a year commitment.

If you're hoping to do multiple short contracts in the space of a few years, I hope your bank balance is healthy. (You'll lose money on most stays of less than a year.)

I'm not sure in what sense this will "maximise your experience," either. If you only do short contracts, you'll get a superficial tourist's kind of knowledge of several places.

If you stay in one or two, you'll really get to know them.

Just my two cents' worth.

Justin

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

MIght want to look into volunteering. There are lots of places that charge an arm and a leg, think 2K for two weeks, but you can find cheap ones. Here's one for LA
www.volunteersouthamerica.net

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

It would help a lot to know what country(ies) you are interested in, as they may likely have different rules.

In any case, you have to think about 2 major factors:

1) Will I be able to work without a visa, or how will the employer sponsor it for such a short time?

[We've seen people on these forums ask if they can teach for 2 weeks to 3 months.]

2) Will I be able to make up the finances in getting there and establishing an apartment?

People often talk about these summer camps, but I say look at them very carefully because it has been my experience that most (here in Japan anyway) do not sponsor work visas and are therefore limited to people who are already here or who have otherwise already obtained one.