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typo
Joined: 02 Apr 2009
Posts: 11
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 Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 2:23 am Post subject: Short trip to Bangkok for job research |
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How practical is this?
I currently teach in Korea, but my contract ends in the first week of October. I intend to take a short trip (say, no more than 5 days) to Bangkok, Thailand in late September. There I'll scout around and look for jobs,knock on doors, do that thing. I intend to work in Bangkok starting in November. Is this reasonable? What issues do you foresee me having? Is 5 days (probably 4 working days, all things considered) enough time? I realize I'll have to be on the move quite a bit...
Having some experience teaching, also a degree in English, and I have short blond hair and blue eyes. I'm kind of banking on physical characteristics =/. What do you guys think?
I would prefer to work in Bangkok and take on private tutoring for supplemental income. I'm not sure I'd like working in anything but large cities. That is, of course, unless you convince me otherwise. Any insight would be helpful.
Thanks. |
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MDDude
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
Posts: 43
Location: Maryland, United States
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| Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 1:14 pm Post subject: Re: Short trip to Bangkok for job research |
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| I would definitely recommend editing your 3rd paragraph if you want to get much sympathy here. |
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typo
Joined: 02 Apr 2009
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 12:58 am Post subject: Re: Short trip to Bangkok for job research |
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| MDDude wrote: |
| I would definitely recommend editing your 3rd paragraph if you want to get much sympathy here. |
Not sure what this refers to. The bit about supplemental tutoring?? The bit about only large cities?
Regardless of the fact that I am as I am looking for sympathetic insight, I'm not quite sure what you want edited... |
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MDDude
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
Posts: 43
Location: Maryland, United States
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| Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 12:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Mentioning that you are banking on your "blond hair and blue eyes" (i.e. whiteness) is a pretty tacky thing to say. |
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typo
Joined: 02 Apr 2009
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 4:44 pm Post subject: |
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| MDDude wrote: |
| Mentioning that you are banking on your "blond hair and blue eyes" (i.e. whiteness) is a pretty tacky thing to say. |
I'm not quite sure what to say. Physical appearance, like it or not, plays a large part in the hiring process of many EFL jobs. It's a (sad) fact that many Korean employers will discriminate against qualified teachers on their appearance--re: whiteness (and, indeed, age)-- and so I assumed this plays out similarly in other parts of Asia.
Because I was looking for a straight opinion on the matter, I laid out my straight situation. Are you suggesting that I should have held back on information that would have led to a more accurate description of my chances?
Perhaps I'm being too defensive; however, your diction ('banking,' as it were) suggests that I don't have anything else to offer potential employers. This is a bit of a misreading.
I don't know; maybe I'm taking the wrong approach. I suppose I look at this as akin to the nationality aspect of EFL: some employers prefer UK/US/AU over Philippines/Indian/etc (not to reduce other nationalities that are English-native...) native speakers, despite the fact that each candidate has the same level of mastery.
I guess the follow question on criterion could clear up confusion: if an Indian with the same credentials posted the same information, and both went into an interview with a Thai employer, which would be favored? If the answer is the "white guy," then this substantiates my description. If not, then I am truly sorry for misconceiving the situation, and wish to thank you for the clarification.
My guess is, however, that genetics plays into the process. Let me be clear: I am *not* advocating this position of inherent racism (as it is), but that's the situation, and I, a potential EFL teacher, am pretty powerless to impact it (if at all).
Because the role of genetics plays a part (albeit small or large), I felt compelled to share the information to help people give me an accurate view. Maybe I'm a racist *beep*, after all, and maybe it is tacky. I'm a relative newbie, and I certainly don't have the expertise to accurately judge it. I apologize, in any case. |
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rigel
Joined: 17 Apr 2009
Posts: 308
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| Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 6:49 am Post subject: |
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| You do know you'll be taking a huge step down in pay, right? If you're young, this doesn't mean as much. For older people (who at least have a lick of sense), working for peanuts may not be too attractive. |
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Mr. Kalgukshi
Mod Team
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Posts: 6613
Location: Need to know basis only.
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| Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:04 am Post subject: |
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| A personal attack has been deleted. If there are repeats, there will be sanctions well above the 'warning' level. |
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Miyazaki
Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 635
Location: My Father's Yacht
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| Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 8:13 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Physical appearance, like it or not, plays a large part in the hiring process of many EFL jobs. |
This is true. Language schools, whether they are in Tokyo, Seoul or Taipei, do not hire westerners for what they know but for the way they look. They are a marketing tool.
Doesn't matter if anything is really learned. The bottom line is if the student is happy and that she re-signs when her contract is finished. If the outcome is that the students actually learn something is neither here nor there. It's more important for the owner of the business to keep the students happy and buying new lessons. Hiring young, good looking western teachers is important. Even if they have zero experience.
A Language school is a business motivated entirely by profit. |
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rigel
Joined: 17 Apr 2009
Posts: 308
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| Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 12:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Miyazaki wrote: |
...
This is true. Language schools, whether they are in Tokyo, Seoul or Taipei, do not hire westerners for what they know but for the way they look. They are a marketing tool.
Doesn't matter if anything is really learned. The bottom line is if the student is happy and that she re-signs when her contract is finished. If the outcome is that the students actually learn something is neither here nor there. It's more important for the owner of the business to keep the students happy and buying new lessons. Hiring young, good looking western teachers is important. Even if they have zero experience.
A Language school is a business motivated entirely by profit. |
This is exactly right. But someday, someday the natives will wake up, see how much they're being taken for (especially in Korea), and throw all our asses out. They'll allow us back in only if we're willing to take 50% pay cuts (at least). And many will accept it. |
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Raindrops
Joined: 18 May 2009
Posts: 142
Location: PRC
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="Miyazaki"]
| Quote: |
| Physical appearance, like it or not, plays a large part in the hiring process of many EFL jobs. |
I can 100% ditto this statement for I have actually witnessed people going out off their way to physically touch blond headed kids (Tokyo) |
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RebelGirl26
Joined: 04 Sep 2007
Posts: 23
Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 1:17 am Post subject: |
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If you have credentials (a CELTA / TESOL) you should be able to find a job pretty easily. I'd look online first so that you have at least a few warm leads before landing in Bangkok.
As to the ethnicity / looks comment. Yes, looks matter a great deal here, you'll want to be neat, clean & wear - maybe not a suit - but something professional. And you need look no further than the personal care aisle of Tesco to see that white skin is also very important (whitening deoderant???????). So for good or ill, yes, being white will be a point in your favor. But it won't be the only point - you'll still need to have a degree etc.
And I think the thing about hiring native speakers from one country or another has to do with accents. I got 'fired' by a student who was used to working with a teacher from England. She couldn't understand my American accent. Go figure. |
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Mr. Kalgukshi
Mod Team
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Posts: 6613
Location: Need to know basis only.
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 4:33 am Post subject: |
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If you posted one or more of the 3 inappropriate messages (even though there is a posted warning in the thread) that just got this thread locked, please be advised that you have just received a final warning via this posting.
You know who you are. We know who you are. |
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